Our revolutionary Worm design can be built into the Lakestar and takes baiting strategies to another level. All other boats on the market allow the user to only place baits out via hoppers, leaving the carp getting accustomed to the same old presentations time and time again. With The Worm, however, the user can trickle feed a swim with bait as the boat trundles along, giving you endless baiting strategies to trip up your target carp. This amazing design has already accounted for countless carp up and down the country, including some of the UK's most wiliest big fish. If you want an edge with your fishing, then look no further!

I can’t remember exactly when I first used a Lakestar baitboat, but I’m guessing that it was some three or four years back. I reviewed it at the time, but having got my hands on the updated version only two weeks ago I thought you’d be interested in my first impressions.

Anyone who’s read my articles in the past will know that I’ve never hidden my belief that as an all round bait boat, the Lakestar is the best I have ever used. It’s prop-driven controls consume much less power than boats driven on pumps, and with only one battery on board (a 12v 15x9x6cm type) it isn’t overly heavy for a big boat. The biggest advantage, however, is its responsiveness. The best way I can describe some boats is the same as how Ali did George Foreman - slow and robot-like. The Lakestar is totally the opposite; quick and extremely responsive, making its arch of turn small and ideal for tight spaces or when it’s windy and every second counts.

Thus far I’ve only used the newer version on one occasion so it’s early days. The boat is pretty much the same as the original version, albeit with a couple of modifications. The on/off button is now a switch, making it much more resilient to water dripping down to its connection, and there’s also two settings for the lights - the standard outside the boat lights plus one which lights up just the inside of the hoppers. The later setting is especially useful for consuming power as it uses less lights and also helps you to know whether or not the boat has deposited its contents (instead of relying on flashing lights as an indicator).

The biggest change to the boat, however, is the addition of an echo sounder. The original didn’t have one, but in the newer version there is a graphic sounder screen built into a very compact and lightweight handset. The screen is LCD and the sounder good enough to register the basic contours and obstructions under the boat, and it certainly makes catching fish much easier, as I found out last week when I landed a couple of nice twenties to 29½lb.

With the change to the handset also comes the addition of trigger buttons for the hoppers; simple yet very handy gadgets. You can also power the lights from here, and whilst these aren’t new touches to a bait boat, all of the new changes coupled with the original concept certainly take the Lakestar to another level in my opinion.

All in all, as an all rounder, the new Lakestar is first rate and comes well recommended.

Simon Crow