A day never to forget

I had written off the shallows for a while, so the plan was to work the deeper edges with big lures. The men had come for a big pike, after all. I love seeing how far people are willing to drive to spend a day aboard. It only makes me more motivated to get the most out of a fishing day. Once on the spot we started with some instruction and I taught Willem how best to fish a baitcaster, a reel you brake with your thumb. Simon had more experience and got the first take very quickly. Missed. That built confidence, but after a few misses and a broken line we were at our wits' end. How could it go so badly?

We decided to leave the spot alone and come back later in the afternoon. Earlier that week I had caught a big pike on a shallow stretch where the very last remains of the weed were still standing. So despite the cold we decided to give that shallow spot a go. The big lures flew through the air again, but the men got no further than a single take. I asked Willem whether he wanted to try a small 14 cm lure, just to see. First cast it was on and a small pike came into the boat. Finally off that hateful zero, but this was not what we came for. We fished on for a while, but that first spot stayed in our heads. What else might be swimming around there?

It became all in on that first spot. That is where we had the action in the morning, and it would be stupid to leave it be. Teeth together and cast. It stayed quiet again and the end of the day was approaching. Suddenly an enormous pike shot straight over Simon's lure right in front of the boat. Missed again. How was that possible? Next cast the pike missed the lure once more. We ran quickly back to the start of the drift to leave her alone for a moment.

The last drift, all or nothing. I do not normally fish along, but Simon and Willem insisted I join for this one. The more rods in the water, the better. That big fish had to come out. After some resistance I picked up my trusted Roach and made a cast. Fish on. The big pike from a few moments earlier had inhaled my Roach completely. The men were beside themselves, though secretly I was gutted they had not caught her. On the measuring board the tail stopped at 117 cm, what a fish. In the end it was a handsome reward for our hard work and the bad luck earlier that day.