Famous for pike fishing, the lakes of the Orient forest are located near Troyes, less than 3 hours from Paris. Cedrick Plasseau, fishing guide, and his friend Benjamin, recently spent an opening week there, looking back on a stay full of emotion!
A complicated first day in Orient
As often happens, the first day of the season is never easy. Anglers must locate the fish and regain their fight management habits. Consequently, Cedrick and Benjamin were no exception to this rule.
Despite the sun, the morning remained quite cool with a light northerly wind. Initially, the first casts targeted border areas between 2 and 4m deep. However, after losing a modest fish early on, Benjamin decided to switch strategy. To send more flashes of light, he equipped himself with a
Neo Frog Fire Tiger mounted on a
Pro Flex jig head.
Building confidence with the Neo Frog
Furthermore, the following days offered similar conditions, allowing Benjamin to continue his prospecting. Successive catches quickly increased confidence in this specific lure. As a result, this trust bore fruit with a magnificent fat fish over 80cm for each fisherman in less than 2 hours.
Suddenly, after a calm lunch break, a violent strike interrupted the silence! Benjamin immediately announced a heavy fish. Eventually, after a few powerful rushes, a superb 101cm pike finally broke the surface, becoming the first “meter-plus” catch of the season!
Deep exploration with the Neo Swim
Meanwhile, the wind intensified, prompting our fishermen to sweep deeper areas between 4 and 8m. For this exploration, the
new Neo Swim proved ideal. In addition to moving a large volume of water, its rolling action remains easily identifiable by pike despite the waves.
To optimize the animation:
- 🟠 Linear Recovery: Retrieve the lure 1 or 2m above the bottom.
- 🟠 Controlled Descent: Stay focused to prevent bites during the fall.
- 🟠 Rolling Action: Use the Neo Swim’s volume to trigger attacks from distant predators.
Closing the week in style
During the final evening shot, the overcast sky prompted Benjamin to switch to the Fire Tiger color for maximum UV reflection. Soon after, a massive “stop” occurred during a slow recovery. This final combat, intense and well-controlled, brought a magnificent pike to the net to close the stay.
Cedrick’s website: www.fishingaventure.com
Finally, remember that calling on a guide can be the best solution for successful pike fishing in Orient!
