Ending The Season On A Lure Caught PB
With the arrival of my daughter Isla 6 weeks early on the 11th January 2016 I have obviously not had a lot of bank time with her and Sarah now taking priority.
Grasping any opportunity to get out I arranged a mid week session on the estate with Richard, basically a chance to clear out the freezer and chuck some lures around in the shallower reed lined bays. With the temperatures warming up and the jacks starting to group around the big females it was last chance saloon for a decent fish in the 15/16 season.
Arriving at the swim it was evident that the fish had made the move with several very active pike showing their backs in the morning sun. With the lure rod set up we both had a quick scout around with the large Savage Gear Line Thru Pike. It only took a couple of cast before I received a powerful follow and the lure was inhaled into a cavernous mouth. A few head shakes and the lure had made its way up the trace and way from the jaws of the pike allowing no negative pressure to occur giving the fish chance to shake the hooks. Netting the fish and lifting her from the waters edge I was very surprised at her weight as she felt much heavier than visual appearance.
Slipping her into the weigh sling and zeroing the scales she was not an ounce over or an ounce under 20-00 and subsequently my first 20 on a lure.
Sliding her back into the water edge she rested for a few minutes in the reed beds before moving off back down the drop off and into the depths of the lake. Mounting the hooks and guide pin back into the large lure I moved further around into the bay and cast at a showing fish.
The lure had barely submerged 3ft below the surface and there was a big swirl and the lure had been hit. Instantly there was an even bigger swirl as another fish moved away, a very lively fish which made several runs was soon under controlled and gilled at the edge. This was a smaller fish that the first fish of the morning and I suspected smaller that the fish that made the second swirl but what an impeccably clean fish, swinging the scales to 14-04.
Richard continued to work the swim with several lures as there was no interest at all in the dead baits we had presented, whether they had been drifted, wobbled, quick retrieved, popped up or fished static.
With the 15-16 season now drawn to a close it was nice to finish with a PB on a lure, the rods have now been cleaned down and the predator gear cleaned, sorted and stored away. The early season carp gear will only be out for a short period before June approaches again and the rivers open up again. With a few tweaks to my presentation in mind and a decision to go a little more gung-ho and try somethings very much left of field.
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