Just days ago, we reported on the huge lure-caught pike that Ben Humber landed while fishing at Chew Valley—a record-breaking 39lb 3oz fish for the renowned big-fish water. However, that record has now been eclipsed by Barry Maksymczuk, who landed a true monster weighing in at 40lb 4oz, making it the biggest known fish ever caught from the superwater on a lure.
Having booked a boat day, Barry and his brother Chris were eager for a day afloat, knowing that their next bite could be the fish of a lifetime—an opportunity that very few venues can offer! After getting out onto the water, they encountered issues with their Garmin scanner, so rather than rely on technology, they packed it away and decided to use their knowledge of past captures to target specific areas throughout the day.
Hearing that the Wick Green area had produced several quality fish in the days prior, the pair made their way over, hoping the pike were still favouring the shallower water. To cover more ground, they positioned the boat so the wind would drift them through the bay, allowing them to target the weedbeds and deeper gullies in an effort to stumble across a resident predator.
As they drifted over a deeper drop-off, Barry cast out his Savage Gear Trout Imitation Lure, before letting it sink into the depths. Within just a few turns of the reel, he felt a solid thump and struck into a dead weight—instantly realising he had hooked one of Chew’s giants! With the wind picking up, the powerful fish took full advantage, staying deep and pulling the boat further down the lake. Thankfully, his fishing partner and brother Chris was on hand to keep the boat steady.
"My brother and I have fished together all our lives, but we were in complete shock when the fish surfaced after a short but heavy fight, and so happy when she went into the net first time," Barry told us.
"We feel incredibly fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time to hook, land and safely release this truly special pike, " he added.
As they hoisted the pike up, they could hardly believe their eyes when the scales read 40lb 4oz, completely obliterating Barry's previous personal best of 27lb!
"We have had a couple of really enjoyable days at Chew previously and seen plenty of action from smaller fish, but always felt we would have that opportunity for something huge on a lure. Thankfully Saturday was our day," he concluded.
THE BEST LURE RODS WILL HELP YOU WORK THE LURE PROPERLY TO ENTICE BIG FISH LIKE THIS!
