Despite our best efforts to target specific species, fishing often delivers surprises, with unexpected catches ready to be netted. Adrian Aldridge recently experienced this while targeting pike on the Fens system, where he landed a giant 16lb 4oz zander—a species he had never caught before—only to catch another one weighing 12lb just ten minutes later.
"I was targeting a neglected area of the Fens. It is an area I rarely see any other anglers and I believe it allows the predators to get big with little to zero angling pressure," he told us.
"Having caught some remarkable pike up to 28lb at a similar time of year, I decided to spend some time there to see if a true giant might be lurking," Adrian explained.
"I was using a simple float-fishing setup with my favourite sardine deadbait. While sardines are soft, if you can get them out, the pike can’t resist them."
Approaching a promising looking area, Adrian positioned his boat before getting his rods setup and cast out. It didn’t take long before his float disappeared beneath the surface—but it wasn’t the big pike he was hoping for.
THE BEST PIKE FISHING RODS WILL HELP YOU CAST BIG DEADBAITS OUT AND TAME POWERFUL FISH.
"After getting a bite, I struck into a good fish, and after a spirited fight, I couldn’t believe the huge zander I could see thrashing on the surface," he recalled.
"I had never caught a zander in my life and wasn’t even sure they were in this area. It was absolutely massive, weighing 16lb 4oz."
After taking a few photos, Adrian safely returned the fish to the water. After calming down, he hooked another sardine on and cast it back out. Again, within minutes, he had another bite and struck into another good fish.
"Unbelievably, after a similar fight, another zander popped up beneath the boat."
"You couldn’t write it—after catching my first zander, I had my second one in the boat within an hour. This one was another fantastic fish, weighing 12lb."
NEVER CAUGHT A ZANDER? CHECK OUT THESE EXCELLENT VENUES TO TRY AND CATCH YOUR FIRST ONE.
