Fishing holds a unique meaning for every angler. Whether it’s about spending quality time with family and friends or relentlessly chasing the biggest fish, the beauty of angling is, it can be whatever you want it to be. Occasionally, the stars align, creating a session you’ll never forget—and that’s precisely what happened to father-and-son duo Geoff and Mark Cowan when they landed a record-shaking pike.
Fishing a venue in Ireland, the pair debated whether to brave the lake under horrendous weather conditions. Ultimately, they decided to head out—and it turned out to be a choice they wouldn’t regret. Geoff landed a monstrous 42lb 6oz pike, just 6oz shy of the Irish record.
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH MONSTER PIKE LIKE THIS, YOU NEED TO USE THE BEST PIKE RODS.
"We arrived at the venue as daylight was breaking. The weather was, to say the least, interesting, coming straight off a yellow weather warning," Mark told us.
"We got the deadbaits out around 8am, and at around 9am, we noticed a jack pike hitting my dad's float. I threw a lure out to see if it showed any interest, but it didn’t."
"Then, my dad's float suddenly buried, and he set the hooks. The fish immediately powered off, stripping line from the reel."
"He told me it felt really big, but I was convinced it was still the jack we’d seen earlier. I quickly reeled in my rods to avoid any tangles and to help him lad the fish," he said.
As Geoff struggled to bring the fish up from the bottom, it became clear this wasn’t the jack pike—it was definitely a much larger fish. Each time they brought it near the surface, it powered back down to the depths, giving Geoff the best fight he’d ever had from a pike in all his years of fishing.
"Eventually, the fish surfaced and it was massive. We couldn’t believe our eyes," Mark recalled.
"We left her in the net to rest and gave ourselves a moment to compose. It looked like a solid 30lb fish, but when we got her on the scales, she was bigger than we could have ever imagined."
"The pike weighed an unbelievable 42lb 6oz, shattering my dad’s previous PB of 30lb 5oz, which he’d landed just this past October. We were both shaking uncontrollably," Mark added.
Geoff reflected on the moment, saying, "It took me over 20 years to beat my 20lb PB with the 30 I caught in October. I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d top that fish—certainly not so soon. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d catch a pike as big as this one."
With the weather worsening and the anchor no longer holding due to the wind, the pair decided to call it a day. Despite being cold and wet, they were elated. It was the fish of a lifetime and a session they would never forget.
"My dad was medically retired a few years ago after suffering a stroke, and fishing is something we love doing together," Mark shared.
"I’m over the moon that he caught that incredible pike and that we got to share such a special moment on the bank. That’s what fishing is all about!"
