🎣 The second pike of the year and it’s another unconventional one
Prior to this particular session, I had caught one pike in 2025 and that was sweetcorn.
My second one took a fancy to red maggot, which is more natural but still fairly unconventional.
Just as we’re coming out of a very cold spell, I decided to target roach on a small pool.
Although the air temperature is due to rise significantly over the next few days, it will take a while for the water to respond, so it’s a good move to stay in ‘winter mode’ for a day or two.
The pike were active in my swim and that was always going to be a challenge.
In the end, the small one you can see in the video proved to be the only one in the four hours that I fished.
Bait was two red maggots over red/white maggots into six-feet of open water just beyond a sharp drop-off.
📹 Watch the accompanying video.
Tackle: Greys Prodigy TX 12’ rod. Shimano 3500M reel. Maxima Chameleon 4lb line. Drennan 1.2g float. Drennan Super Specialist size 14 hook.
Nature notes: Song thrush singing on arrival in tree alongside the pool, continuing for a good hour afterwards. Two cormorants passed overhead. Two grey herons in flight, a third sighting of a bird that landed on the far bank. Kingfisher perched for ten minutes or so on overhanging branches looking for fish but spotting none. Two noisy ring-necked parakeets.