For the past few years, Rüdiger and his son Jonas have been regulars on our fishing trips. Rüdiger's passion lies in hunting pike, while Jonas is keen on perch and zander. This March, we decided to veer away from our usual pike pursuits and target zander on the Hollands Diep.
The first day greeted us with challenging windy conditions. Despite this, Jonas, armed with livescope technology, managed to reel in a decent catch of zander. However, luck seemed to elude Rüdiger as the zander continually slipped away from his grasp, exacerbating his dislike for fishing them.
Fortunately, the second day brought about a welcome change in weather - no wind! Positioned strategically with our lures on the livescope, Jonas took the lead, followed by Rüdiger and myself. Almost immediately, the livescope revealed a promising sight - numerous zander ready to bite.
With enthusiasm, both Jonas and Rüdiger began landing fish after fish. Around 10:15 AM, at our second spot with the depth at about 5 meters, excitement peaked as Jonas hooked into something massive. A quick glimpse on the livescope confirmed our suspicions - it wasn't a zander or a pike, but likely a formidable catfish.
We quickly reeled in the other lines and retrieved the livescope, preparing for what we knew would be a lengthy battle. With limited equipment for such a hefty opponent, we followed the catfish as it took us on a wild ride, maneuvering away from potential hazards.
As the struggle continued, Rüdiger expressed his disbelief at the length of the battle, realizing that I wasn't joking about it taking more than an hour. With the fish stubbornly staying deep beneath us, we could only watch on the sonar as its size became increasingly evident.
After hours of tense fighting, Jonas managed to bring the fish closer to the surface, but just as victory seemed within reach, the line snapped, leaving us all disheartened. Despite knowing the odds were against us from the start, the disappointment lingered.
Nevertheless, Jonas had experienced the fight of a lifetime, even if the ultimate prize slipped away. In those quiet moments following the loss, we couldn't help but reflect on the epic struggle we had just endured.