“The day after landing my PB pike at 14lb 6oz, I returned to the same spot on the River Thames with a spring in my step.
“After a while I’d had little action on my mackerel deadbaits (one legered, one on the float) so I switched to my lure rod.
“I cast towards the dying bulrushes on the far bank, and as I retrieved the lure with small pauses it was smashed by what I first thought was a jack pike. It was only when I saw this beast that I knew I was into another personal best.
“I played it cautiously and luckily all went to plan, with the fish soon resting in the net. I realised that it absolutely dwarfed the previous day’s pike… in fact, it doubled its weight at 29lb 2oz!
“I thanked the fish, gave it a kiss, and then let it swim off home.”
Brad Kitchen – 29lb 2oz pike