If you have ever been carp fishing on a lake that contains pike, you will have heard about, or even had it happen to you, where a pike takes a rig as it is being reeled in. While this occurrence is rare, it is usually the smaller, generally more aggressive pike that are likely to be attracted and chase a rig as it is travelling through the water.
You can therefore imagine the shock on young Leo Brannigan's face when, while fishing with friends at Warmwell Fisheries, had this huge 20lb pike decide that his snowman rig would make an easy meal.
"I was reeling in to re-do my rod, as it had been out in the lake for a while, when I felt a tug to the side, which instinctively made me strike, and I was in," Leo told us.
"I wasn’t sure what had happened, but I knew there were some big pike in the lake - up to 30lb in fact - so I assumed it was probably one of those," he added.
Within seconds of hooking the fish, it was clear Leo had connected with one of the lake’s larger crocs, with line peeling rapidly from his reel. Calling over his mate from the next swim, the pair watched as the line darted all over with an angry fish attached. Before long, Leo managed to get the fish close enough to the bank to see what he had hooked.
"We couldn’t believe what we saw below the surface, it wasthe biggest pike either of us had ever seen."
"As the fish surfaced, it was thrashing around with my rig clearly visible, hanging just inside its scissors. Thankfully, my mate managed to net the beast, which barely fit inside the one we had."
"While I was unhooking it, my friend went to get my mum and dad, and they came over to snap a few photos before I rested her in the margins and watched her swim away."
"It was the catch of a lifetime, and I’ll be coming back here to target them in the hope of catching an even bigger one."
IF YOU HAVE NEVER CAUGHT A PIKE, HERE IS A USEFUL BEGINNERS GUIDE!
