Only bite is a monster pike!
This immense pike left seasoned specimen angler Keith Wesley stunned. Weighing in at 38lb, the fish came during a trip with Angling Times columnist Martin Bowler to an unnamed chalk pit.
It was Keith’s only fish of a two-day session, and it took a further day for the catch to sink in.
“I was blown away by the fish – it was so fat!” he told us.
“In the water, Martin and I both agreed it looked to be around 25lb, but its depth was tremendous.
“To catch such a fish is always special, but to do it with my old mate Martin by my side was really the icing on the cake.”
Keith Wesley and his giant 38lb pike
Huge river pike is a "fitting reward" - Leigh Laffar
“I headed to a spot on my local river at sunrise and baited close to the near-bank snags with chopped sprats before casting out my floatfished roach deadbait over the top.
“By 4pm I’d not had a take, so I nicked on a fresh bait and cast it next to one of the snags. The float buried within seconds.
“Straight away this heavy weight charged downriver on a savage run. After 10 minutes of steady pressure I started to gain line and drew the pike to the surface, where I could see it was only lightly hooked on the bottom treble.
“Thankfully it went into the net on the first scoop, and at 29lb 4oz it was one of the proper ones, a rich and fitting reward for all those blanks I’ve endured this winter.”
Leigh Laffar – 29lb 4oz pike
Have we created the most cautious generation of pike ever? - Dom Garnett
I’m not going to lie to you, recent fishing has been a grind. My results wouldn’t flatter Sheffield United right now, especially when it comes to trying to catch a better pike or two.
It would be nice to think that after 30-odd (sometimes very odd) years of pike angling, these fish would be a formality. But no, they seem as moody as I’ve ever found them.
Pike seem as moody as I’ve ever found them
Have I got worse as an angler? Probably not. What I lack in free time, I ought to make up for in experience. But the one massive culture shift since I first started casting plugs and spinners in anger is the huge increase in fishing pressure. When I was growing up in the 1980s, it was a genuine novelty to see a pike angler. Devotees of the species were seen not so much as specialists as ‘a bit special’.
The far better tackle and greater respect for pike we have decades later should be welcomed. However, the massive increase in angler numbers has taught us that pike are not as daft as we thought.
Have we created the most cautious generation of pike ever? From fish that have a phobia of lures, to ridiculously gentle takes on bait, this would seem to be the case. If anything, it probably helps protect them against poaching – not that it’s much consolation when you’re sat by a canal contemplating a third blank on the trot!
Maybe you could argue that picky fish force us to be better anglers. Fly fishing has been a revelation on waters peppered with lures, while groundbaiting, popped-up baits and even night fishing have also helped me avoid blanks.
The real magic bullet, however, is to find venues and spots that haven’t been relentlessly fished. Easier said than done when the options are limited by Covid rules, or you live in an area with quite underwhelming pike fishing.
My results speak for themselves in terms of sheer desperation! Perhaps three-quarters of my pike have been caught on a fly rod after increasingly long walks from popular swims. Meanwhile, it’s also telling that I’ve really struggled on standard deadbaits. Or, at least, the only times I still seem to catch much are when the weather is horrendous or I stay on the bank into darkness!
Another cold day on the canal, where I have failed spectacularly so far
One thing you can say about pike is that on any venue with deep margins they will still feed close to the bank if you can only find ‘bite o’clock’. Just don’t expect them to feed at sociable hours or send line spilling of the reel like a runaway train.
The incredibly feeble bite my last double gave is symptomatic of this new school of pike fishing – to succeed, you need to cast away your assumptions, walk further and fish smarter than ever before.
Could this be Britain's largest ever lure-caught pike?
A PREDATOR angler has banked what’s thought to be one of the largest UK pike ever to fall to a lure.
The impressive 45lb 11oz specimen was landed by Dan Hill (29) during a session with his friend Steve at a private stillwater.
Dan Hill and his 45lb 11oz lure-caught pike
The pair had taken several big fish from the venue over the past four years, but nothing to compare with Dan’s new 127cm-long personal best, which falls just over 1lb short of the current British record.
Dan said:
“After a bad day at work I planned to meet Steve down at the lake for 3.30pm and couldn’t wait to chuck some lures about. After clipping on my favourite white mouse lure, I cast it around 40 yards out, let it sink for 10 seconds, and it was taken instantly by this huge fish... which pulled me two feet closer to the water when I set the hooks!
“The lake is crystal clear, so we could both see it was massive from the off and Steve just kept telling me to take my time. When it finally folded into the bottom of the net I was a trembling mess.”
The Doncaster angler owes the success of his catch to his trusty mouse lure, which has since been encased with a plaque to commemorate the achievement!
Following the capture, Dan ‘retired’ his favourite white Miuras Mouse lure
Massive pike caught on film!
BOAT partners Ross Sneddon and Cole Milne couldn’t contain their excitement after filming the capture of a 35lb pike!
The Scottish Pike Anglers Alliance members were fishing an access day at the Lake of Menteith when Ross’ floatfished sardine was taken by the predator.
Visit scottishwildfishing on YouTube to see the film.
Ross Sneddon and his giant 35lb pike
Quest for first 20lb-plus pike ends with 30lb monster
AFTER spending several years in pursuit of a 20lb-plus pike, Wayne Coulson managed to go one better with this 30lb 4oz specimen.
The Boston and District AA bailiff was fishing a four-hour session on his local drain when his floatfished sardine was picked up just a few feet from the bank.
“I had a very slow run but as soon as I struck I knew this fish was extra-special as the rod just arched over into the heaviest weight I’ve ever been attached to while pike fishing!” said a delighted Wayne.
Wayne Coulson and his 30lb 4oz Boston drain pike