Last year I received an invitation from my friend Adam, who I used to work with in Glasgow, to go and fish with him for pike in Loch Lomond.
Adam and two of his friends are all hardcore pike anglers and are starting a serious venture into guided fishing in Loch Lomond. Obviously, I couldn't say no but with the year being as busy as it was, we only managed to do this a few days ago...
Woke up at 5am and set off South. I was in the loch by 09:30 where I met Adam. I was very surprised to see him trailering a lovely 5.5m aluminium boat kitted with a 60hp mariner, trolling motor and serious sounder! A bit of boat envy from my part for sure...
The weather was meant to be rainy and windy in typical Scottish summer fashion. It didn't stop one bit! Nevertheless, we started hitting drop offs and then shallow weedbeds and there we found most of the fish.
We were both using 20cm Savage Gear 3d Linethru Trout swimbaits, though I had a medium sink one while Adam had a slow sinker. We would locate weed patches on the side scan and then we would retrieve our baits over and around them.
Adam was in first. A nice pike hit his swimbait hard and after a few runs, she was in the net. A few pics and she was back in the water...
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| Lets go! |
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| Nice boat... |
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| Adam with the first one of many.. |
I noticed his lure was in albino colour and thought that might be what triggered the fish to hit (as we were covering a small area). I switched to a similar colour yet still a medium sinker.
A couple casts later and Adam was in again! Another beautiful fish came out from the warm water (20C!). This time we suspected that it was the action/sink rate that the fish preferred and I changed to a perch coloured slow sinker as most of the baitfish in the area seemed to be shoals of perch.
After covering one patch of weed, we would move with the trolling motor another 20m or so and cover another patch. Invariably most hits would come quickly and there were usually a couple fish from each spot.
with the shallow sinker I quickly got a hit a couple casts in and got my first Loch Lomond pike, albeit only a jack. Still, this indicated that we had found the pattern of the day...
We kept covering the weedbeds and every new patch we'd either get a fish, hit or a follow. I tried a couple jerkbaits and glidebaits too and had a fish come unhooked from a 20cm Savagear Bleak Glide Swimmer.
I reverted back to the Linethru and soon after I got a solid hit. I struck hard and felt a heavy fish on the other end! It fought well, making some good runs and refusing to come anywhere near the net, but soon enough, Adam expertly got her in the net. A clear PB without a doubt. She measured 110cm and probably around the 10kg mark conservatively. My previous PB was an almost 1m fish from Loch Awe but this fish dwarfed it!
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| Such a beast... |
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| ...Deserves 3 photos... |
I put the big girl back in the water after a few pics and man hugged Adam for helping me catch such a fish.
After this fish, Adam got another one that trashed his swimbait and it was becoming apparent that we were running out of slow sinkers! The fish were in a vicious mood and damaged quite a few lures throughout the day.
By late afternoon it was time to go and pick up Adam's friend Robert and together we would hit a few different spots and also do some perch fishing!
We tried a very weedy bay and there were shoals of perch pushing bait on the surface! I caught a few on the dropshot but after seeing Adam catch yet another pike, I put on a 17cm 4d linethru Perch and started covering the area. Its action is faster than the trout's in the same speed while still slow sinking.
I didn't get any hits on straight retrieve so I let it sink momentarily, it got caught in some weed and then I ripped/popped the rod to get it free. As soon as I turned the handle, I got hit!
It wasn't a massive fish around 90cm but this attacking behaviour really reminded me of largemouth bass and pollock, hitting a lure after it causes disturbance getting out of a snag.
We then moved to hit some docks and more weedy bays as the sun was setting. We covered an area where the water was boiling with perch and I put down the pike gear... Catching a new pb was enough for me and I only needed perch!
I put on a 3" sluggo on a dropshot rig, aiming for bigger perch and started covering the area. Got a couple knocks from smaller fish and then I noticed that Adam hooked up to a pike again. I lift the rod tip and felt solid weight on my line too! It was clearly a pike and the little dropshot rod was bent all the way! I had the fish on for about five minutes and was even thinking that I might be able to land it but then the line parted... It would have been cool to have double strike fish but we cant win them all!
I persevered with the light gear and the perch went on a rampage as it was getting dark! Fish after fish on a variety of lures. Dropshot, jigs, cranks, minnows (and one almost on topwater!) they all worked. They were only small perch but it was great fun seeing them hunt so aggressively.
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| There he goes again! |
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| Good times! |
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| Perch frenzy! |
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| Stunning fish! |
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| How I've missed those... |
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| Hungry... |
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| Perch night fishing. |
We fished well into the night and then it was time to drop off Robert and head for our tent on a wee island!
I decided to have a little dip in the water just before bed as it was surreal having such warm water while the cold rain was coming down. Adam was well provisioned with everything and after we had some food, got straight into bed.
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| View from the tent.. |
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| That's the way to start the day! |
We started the next day at 6am. A bit less rain and even the sun came out at some point.
We hit the same weedy area that we started yesterday, but other than a couple hits and another ruined slow sink Linethru Trout (!) we decided to move.
Tried a very weedy bay with some reeds and lillypads and I got hit first cast! the fish didn't stick but Adam got another straight after. After releasing his fish, I cast my 4d Perch and got smashed on the retrieve by a heavy one! This fish fought even harder than yesterday's Pb with strong drag screaming runs and only after it went all round the boat, was it ready to get in the net.
A very fine 104cm lady was photographed and swiftly released.
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| Lovely marked. |
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| A hard fighter. |
I was a very happy man and felt like job done to me. we fished a bit more but as I couldnt see anyway I could top these couple days, I asked Adam to get me back. I had a long drive and an even longer lure shopping list to order! 😁😁
What an amazing 2 days that was and I have to say that the past couple trips have reignited my passion for freshwater fishing! Now I just need to get some perch and pike on topwaters!
I wish all the best to Adam and the lads in this new venture and Im sure they'll do well. Anyone wanting to get some action on Loch Lomond I can recommend Adam as a great guide. For any enquiries please email: fishingscotland.trips@gmail.com
Tight Lines!
Gear used.
Rod: Sportex Black Pearl travel, 2.7m, 80g
Reel: Shimano Biomaster SW 4000XG
Mainline: PE1.5
Leader: Daiwa Tournament FC fluorocarbon 25lbs - 30lbs and metal trace.
Lures: 20cm Savagear 3d Linethru Trout and 17cm 4d Linethru Perch in slow sink.
