First time exploring Sweden waters

A couple of years ago, Shimano Polska team invited us to join them on a trip to Lake Bergviken in Sweden. Despite our busy summer schedule, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to join them.

A few weeks before the trip, we began preparing. Since we were traveling by car and didn't have our own boat, careful planning was essential, especially with a fourth person joining our car ride.

We anticipated fishing for zander, perch, and pike, but we soon realized that the sizes of these fish in Sweden differ significantly from those in Lithuania. As a result, we left behind the smallest baits.

I departed a little earlier, from Vilnius to Poznan, and the next day, together with the Shimano team, we journeyed to Gdynia. From there, we took the ferry to Karlskrona, and then by car to Bergviken Lake. In total, the trip took 3 days... Yes, yes, three 😅

As soon as Akvile returned from her honeymoon, she promptly joined us the day after we arrived. And so it began… On the first day, after a few casts, I landed a new personal best perch, measuring 40cm. It was an exciting start to our adventure. Over the next few days, we relished fishing in the northern side of Sweden. The light July nights kept us energized for extra-long fishing sessions. We caught plenty of zanders and had a great time, but we were still on the lookout for the big ones.

With only three days left of the trip, our energy levels were low, but our determination was high. And then, BAM! I hooked something big, and it turned out to be my new personal best pike, measuring 105cm. The intense fight filled us with both stress and excitement, but the feeling of accomplishment when the pike was safely in the net made it all worth it.

On the day before the last, our captain, Gedas, experimented with different lures. Switching to a zander imitation soft lure, he managed to reel in a 110cm pike. I didn’t have much time to enjoy my record. We thought it would be the biggest pike caught on that trip. It seemed hard to beat this record in one day, but fate had other plans…

On the final day, Akvile was determined not to leave Sweden without a personal best. After fishing for a week, her patience was rewarded, and at the end of the last day, she reeled in a gorgeous 114cm pike. The adrenaline rush was intense, with shaking hands and astonishment on the boat, as everyone was shocked to see a pike that big. Akvile emerged as the MVP of the trip, winning the prize for catching the biggest pike of the trip.

Our first fishing trip to Sweden exceeded our expectations. What started as a fun adventure turned into a memorable experience, and Sweden's charm has hooked us, ensuring that we'll return to Lake Bergviken one day. Who knows? Maybe we'll be back sooner than we think.