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

Jack Cairns who has been fishing for four years couldn’t believe his eyes when the giant pike 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 his fishing club.

Dad David, 39, who used to live in Castlefields, 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.”

Amazingly, Jack used a frozen sardine bought from Morrisons supermarket in Widnes as bait to land the whopper on the canal bank in Windmill Hill on New Year’s Eve.

David said: “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. 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, all members of Lymm Angling Club, often fish in Runcorn.

“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.”

Children are being encouraged to take up fishing.

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

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

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