The official list of Polish records has been maintained by the ‘Wiadomości Wędkarskie’ magazine since 1970. The section on pike shows an entry dated the same year. The author of the record catch was Marian Polawczyk, and the record pike measured 130 cm in length and weighed 20.8 kg.

According to Strzymski’s assurances, the specimen he caught was the same length, but for two reasons the result will not be recorded as a record one.

“The fish measured 130 cm, it was a female, unfortunately we didn’t have a scale to weigh it. After the photo was taken, the pike returned to the water,” the angler said in an interview with Super Express tabloid newspaper. There is also no video or photo documentation of the measurement of the pike caught.

However, this does not change the fact that the angler can boast about an exceptional achievement. The Facebook profile of PZW (Polish Fishing Union) in Nowe Miasto Lubawskie also states that another angler, Marcin Pruchniewski, took part in the catch as well.

“It was emotional. My legs and hands were shaking,” Pruchniewski admitted, as quoted by infoilawa.pl.

“The fish swallowed the bait, a so-called rubber band. It’s a synthetic lure that resembles a fish. There was a strike and a long haul. I knew it was a big fish, but I didn’t expect it to be so big,” said Mr. Strzymski.

The angler did not want to specify where the record catch took place. He only revealed that it was in the vicinity of Nowy Miasto Lubawskie. “This is probably a record for life, but of course, you have to strive for even bigger specimens,” Strzymski concluded.