South Devon angler Martin Larkin lands an incredible 11lb Gilthead Bream

What a quiet week! By Thursday, I had absolutely no pictures or reports sent in, so I decided to get out for a few hours and try to find something myself.

I arrived at my chosen venue to find a brisk south-easterly breeze creating a nice bit of surf. The conditions just screamed bass! I fished a variety of baits at different distances but didn't get a single bite throughout the session.

The weekend came around and, armed with some prime ragworm from Paignton Bait and Tackle and a little frozen peeler crab, I headed off to the River Exe with a couple of mates to try for an early-season flounder.

My first cast produced a surprise whiting, which was swiftly returned. Everything then went quiet until the tide started ebbing, when a couple of small bass were landed.

Unfortunately, there are no fishy pictures from me this week, but I'll keep trying!

Plymouth angler Martin Larkin is a man who spends many hours chasing his favourite fish and certainly knows what he is doing. This week, he fished an undisclosed estuary mark and, following a summer spent targeting gilthead bream, landed what could be the fish of a lifetime – a fantastic gilthead bream weighing 11lb.

Unfortunately, this fish doesn't qualify for the Fish of the Month prize, but it is certainly well worth reporting.

The November prize, however, was won by Tristan Rowe of Newton Abbot, who has spent many hours this month fishing for bull huss and landed a nice 11lb fish from a Torquay rock mark a couple of weeks ago.

November's competition is now up and running, so please email your fishy pictures to [email protected], along with a brief description of the tackle and tactics used, if possible, for a chance to win a prize from one of our kind sponsors, Newbarn Farm Angling Centre and Sidewinder Lures.

There are a couple of competitions taking place this weekend, including the two-day River Dart competition. Details are available from Dartmouth Angling and Boating Association. The competition can be fished from either boat or shore, with cash and tackle prizes up for grabs.

A couple of fish of note have also been landed this week by local anglers who are currently abroad.

Dane Hale, who is enjoying a fishing holiday in Norway, landed his first halibut, weighing an impressive 38lb. Meanwhile, Jason Upham, whilst on holiday with his partner, managed to squeeze in a few hours of fishing and landed an Arapaima.

Newton Abbot Fishing Association's latest match was the Tuesday Rover Sweepstake, fished at Bradley Pond.

The victor on this occasion was Daniel Williams, with a bag weight of 19lb 4oz. Gary Webber finished second with 11lb 8oz, while Mike Hadley took third place with 10lb 4oz.

The fish caught included tench, skimmers, roach and perch.