Wayne Adcock had a day to remember on the Annual Chew Pike Competition held on the 1st day of the 3rd session of Pike Trials. Wayne drew top predator angler Neville Fickling and landed fish of 33lbs, 27lbs and 29lbs, plus a couple of doubles for good measure! Adcock's total weight was over 100lbs and easily took the trophy.
Deadbaits at anchor was the winning method and 2nd placed Martin Harrison also fished deads to take 5 doubles for almost 70lbs.
I was drawn with top lure angler Bob Jones and we were really excited as the winds were low and the air temperatures comfortably warm - some pike were even showing on the surface as they targetted the roach - we were very confident that this would be a day for the lures. How wrong we were!
After 15 minutes I had a good hit and landed a 7 .08 fish, soon followed by a couple of jacks for Bob and I in quick succession. Then it was a case of sit back and watch the deadbait anglers heaving in pike after pike. Returning to the Dam, I had a 10.08 fish and expected things to start happening for us - but they didn't.
Bob and I persevered however and at last knockings, I managed a 25.08 beast off Moreton point - a gnarly old campaigner which was blind in one eye!
3 twenties on baits!
Although I have supreme confidence fishing lures for pike on Chew in virtually any conditions, there are times when I stick the anchor down and watch the floats. To me, fishing deads lacks any interaction and apart from twitching them along the bottom from time to time, you are literally at the mercy of the pike and cannot make things happen as you can fishing lures or flies. Still, each to their own I suppose.
On this particular day, I was fishing with Barry Hawyes, who this time last year, lost the biggest pike I have ever seen on Chew Valley - right at the net - in fact, 2/3's of it's body was over the net before it slunk off into the depths! Barry has never been the same since!
As it was cold and windy, we drifted with lures for a few hours and Barry had a couple of jacks. Lunchtime came, so we anchored-up and stuck out 3 baits while Barry continued to fish the lures. Within 10 minutes, he had missed a take and landed a 7lb fish.
The boat near to us had a decent fish, so we felt we too were in with a chance. Sure enough, Barry's float started to move, so he wound down and struck into a solid fish. After a decent fight, we got the fish into the net, just as my bait runner screamed off. I struck into another good fish and to cut a long story short, we had 2 fish in the same net weighing 47lbs!
Barry's fish was 20lbs 8ozs and mine was 26lbs 8ozs. Thankfully both were lightly hooked and went back quickly after a couple of pics - the rigs however were a different story and needed completely replacing.
We went off on the drift for the rest of the afternoon but returned for last knockings, where I managed another cracking fish of 24.08, while Barry had a jack and lost another biggie.
So far, my guests and I have had 13 pike over 20lbs to my boat during the Trials and the last session begins on Friday. Normally, the number of pike caught drops, but historically, there are even bigger fish landed - I've not had a 30 this season, so lets hope it will come next week - or perhaps even a 40 ..........
