"Catch the fish of your Dreams..."

(C)

As they used to say my friend and mentor uncle Jack - " When caught in places where there are big fish, you need to be alert...Although you need to be alert always...". He knows. He long lived and fished in areas where the meeting with pike to 15 rilos or a walleye "over ten" - an objective reality. He often clashed with the likes of fish and were more winners than losers remained...
"You see, when you have more than 10 kilos of fish to bite, you fight with a rival almost equal to you in strength. And he has the advantage-he is in his element , and he fights for his life. And you in General just arrived the fish catch. You have a different motivation. And to emerge victorious, it needs to be the strength about the same."From conversations with the uncle Zhenya about psychology of the fisherman-the trophy-taker.

For the first time ( and second and third) I was in places where we might see the trophy fish, it is not ready. Neither in terms of material and technical equipment, nor in terms of psychological readiness for battles with monsters .My knowledge and my gear was mainly focused on the coastal fishing medium-sized rivers. Long fishing rods, thin cords ( for further casting), small compact lures (for the same purposes). And in the asset personal record at the pike of 5 kg, and the zander - 3 kg...
And although I went on my first boat fishing on a large river, already having bought the "right" spinning long of 2.56 meters to 35 grams on a test reel twin Power series and the power cord is 0.15 mm ( for my standards - a set of very powerful), the first meeting with a trophy ended for me with a complete defeat. With the standard , "food" sized perch and Berchem everything was fine. But there was the bite of the Volga giant catfish... And my rig just didn't have anything to do with him (((. The rod bent to the breaking point and half-pushed under water, continually working the clutch, taking the cord under the pressure of the monster... Then cotton...Cord is wrapped. Spinning, thank God, did not break. But also special assistance in the battle with the catfish to give me was not able. ((
With the development of the boat direction in their fishing, I got, of course, more powerful sets of gear. American rod up to 42 grams of test cord with a breaking load of 8-11 kg. of Fish at 5-7 kg withdrawn for 3-5 minutes. But another meeting with the river monster proved that this is not enough. Pecked the fish of my dreams. A pike attacked my lure, I haven't seen once. The fight lasted more than 20 minutes. I'm still not seeing the opponent already knew that I did not have enough power for my gear. The weight and jerks of the fish, its maneuvers with the production of all their carcasses across the current - and all my gear is at the limit. Every turn of the pike to face the boat, every inch of progress toward a partner with net still long. Not enough of the power of the rod. And still there was a fight at the boat... I brought her all the same, nearly to the side, 2 meters remained. Huge fish, mother of all pike moms, half the length of our boat. And, you know, what's more I can't budge a centimeter. Here and nerves handed over... Gave ahead of time a team mate to take it in the landing net. Well, actually, strength is almost gone, and I panicked. In this stupid fuss of ours, the fish came down. The hook , as I clearly saw, was almost is unfolded and kept only due to the fact that shot pike through the upper jaw and the notch on the tip of the hook would not let him appear during a tense cord. In the hustle and bustle and I gave up the slack of the cord and all... She went from deep. Stood on the surface in all its power and glory, and the current slowly carried her to the boat. Only a couple of minutes, watching our confused and depressed person, pike slowly, like a submarine, immersed in their native element.
After this incident, my trophy fishing rods still weighed. The main ammunition is a rod up to 56 grams by weight of lures, a reel of sea class and a cord up to 17 kg... Victory in battles with multiple predators, weighing 9-11 pounds sort of confirmed the adequacy of the gear for combat trophies.
2017, summer, Volga. Dimka and I have found a unique place. Spot, on which regularly are worth mega-pikes. We had a 4 chance. Within 2 days to 4 bites of these monsters. And we couldn't take any fish (((. Again not enough power rods. When dealing with large fish on a clean place, everything was in order. And this point - a huge blockage of trees, almost reaching the surface of the water. The fish need to fight very hard, not giving her a single foot cord and exerting a constant maximum pressure rod. Coil was done on 5+. But power fishing rod just is not enough, so in these circumstances is not to give the pike to maneuver and go in depth during the fight. In a result-4 a vanishing and 4-0 in favor of Volga crocodiles...
On the nose exhibition "Hunting and Fishing in Russia". I ordered a rod from Dima Shabalin. Up to 70 and 80 grams of bait test. Very powerful. Under cords to 17-20 kg... Still going to watch the bait up to 100+ grams. Coil for such a tackle is. The cords are coming tonight. One to 17 kg at the gap. The second - to 22 kg.
Maybe this time I'll assemble the perfect rig for catching monsters?

Well, can not do without a traditional video. Denis Vikhrov max by Legalois catch good pike in Siberia, on the Tura river. Mega trophies were not. But! According to the gear, the guys were ready for such a meeting. The rod 70 grams proof...

When all tackle for trophy fishing will be at home, I'll show you, friends, them in the photo. I'll wait the opening of the season. And hope to meet with the Fish of my Dreams...