One bite can be enough

The bag of tricks came wide open again. Getting bites was hard once more. Even the smaller pike wanted nothing to do with it. Jasper liked the look of the big Roach and decided to make a serious attempt with that slab of a lure. I only encourage that, because it is a genuine big pike magnet. I know few if any lures that are so ridiculously effective on big pike.

After hours without a touch we drifted over a shallow weed bed. I had the LiveScope on for fun while we trolled a stretch over the weed. I saw a big return lift off the bottom and immediately shoot over the Roach. On a fishing day you almost always get one chance, and this was ours. The fish was well hooked and we slid the net under this thick lady.

What a fish. Another unbelievably big pike. On a day with almost no takes, everything hangs on that one chance. At 111 cm it was one centimeter short of a new personal best for Jasper, but that did not spoil anything. It was more than thirty years ago that he caught a pike that size.

We fished on happily, a lot more relaxed this time, because the prize was in. I caught a small zander on my jerkbait and Jasper dropped a good zander while vertical jigging. Another day with few bites, but with a fish like that we can count ourselves lucky.