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Fishing cup match delivers two huge pike

by Freddie Sandford |

Published on15th January 2026 at 9.18am

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The big-pike scene on trout waters tends to be dominated by fish from Chew Valley Lake, but Rutland Water also holds a few impressive specimens, as Dan Brackley found when he landed this fish of 30lb exactly alongside another slightly smaller.

Fishing the Lure Anglers Society Predator Cup match, Dan set out at 9am with pike in mind. After having a number of follows, a fish finally crushed his lure – a combo of a VMC Mustache (which resembled a jig head with added bucktail) and Rapala Olio (a large soft plastic pattern).

That fish turned out to be the thirty-pounder, and when he shared the news with the other anglers fishing the event, they also started looking for pike.

Dan headed elsewhere and located what he thought was a big zander, but that fish turned out to be yet another big pike, this time weighing 29lb 12oz!

THE BEST LURE RODS ARE ESSENTIAL WHEN TARGETING BIG PIKE.

The bigger of the brace caught be Dan during the match

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