With some stunning specimens coming from the Midlands stillwater this winter, Paul was hoping to increase his best from the lake for this winter of 22lb, and perhaps even knock on the door of the 28lb fish he caught there last March.
After a very quiet first day, Paul and his boat partner Gordy Howes set about the Sunday with a combination of slowly retrieved and tolled around the margins of the lake. First blood came to Paul with a brace scaling 18lb and 22lb on a single drift. Gordy then chipped in with a 13lb and a 10lb fish from other areas of the lake.
With the day rapidly running out the pair moved to an area of the lake that had produced a couple of fish on the first morning and after trolling no more than 30 metres Paul latched into a heavy fish, which turned out to be this really short and chunky pike of exactly 25lb.
With just minutes to go Gordy hit into another big fish in another area of the lake that had again fallen for a slow trolled bait in around 10 feet of water. After a terrific scrap Gordy netted another fine fish of 25lb 12oz to make it a day to remember for the duo.
Successful tackle for Paul consisted of an 8ft 60-80gram lure rod to a Shimano Exage 40 reel loaded with 50lb Berkley braid and a 60lb titanium trace, and a 7-inch perch pattern crank-bait.
