A SCHOOLBOY has caught a massive fish on the Bridgewater Canal.

Jack Cairns, who lives in Penketh and attends Penketh High School, landed a giant pike that weighed in at just under 19lbs!

The 12-year-old might have even set a new record and is in line for a top prize with Lymm Angling Club.

Dad David, 39, said: “This pike is 10lbs heavier than anyone would ever dream of catching.

“Most people go their whole life and wouldn’t catch one this size. I’ve been fishing since I was 10 and have never caught one this big.

“At first he thought his line was stuck on a tree stump on the bottom of the canal.

“Then it started to move. He said: ‘Oh my god, it’s massive!’ It took around seven minutes to pull it in.

“Jack was wearing gloves because the teeth of pikes are like big fangs. Its mouth was like a crocodile!

“I grabbed my phone and started filming to prove he caught it himself.”

Pikes are so dangerous, anglers catching them must be over 16 unless they are accompanied by adults.

David added: “We specifically targeted this species so we had all the correct gear including giant nets.

“Very few know there are so many big fish in the Bridgewater Canal in Runcorn. It has such a thriving eco system.

“Apart from the odd barge it is very quiet. It is not used by commercial boats and has just been allowed to develop. It is the jewel, one of the best canals in the north west.”

David, Jack and his brother Tom, eight, are all members of Lymm Angling Club.

“Fishing gets children outside and away from the computer screen,” said David.

“Once they do it they really get hooked.

“It’s a kind of hunting but you don’t kill anything as you let everything go.

“An annual fishing licence for under 16s is only £20, a lot less than a computer game."

“They learn so much about different techniques and different types of bait, what fish eat.

“Dog biscuits are their favourite food. Jack caught this giant one with a frozen sardine from Morrisons.”