Lure fishing can always throw up a few surprise catches, but they don’t come much bigger than this 13lb 5oz barbel, banked while targeting perch!
Anthony Baines was on the River Trent and using a creature bait – a soft plastic pattern imitating a crayfish – on a light 3g-15g rod.
After three hours without any luck, in his last spot he cast close to some pacier water and, after giving his lure a ‘hop’ along the deck, hooked what felt like a snag.
“I tried to flick my line to free it, but when I tried to reel in, the fight began!” he said.
“It was a back-and-forth battle for 10 minutes and I was convinced that I’d hooked a huge zander.
“I really couldn’t believe my eyes when a big barbel surfaced. It’s only the second one I’ve ever caught!”
THE BEST LURE RODS WILL HELP YOU LAND ANYTHING YOU HOOK!
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