Ireland's plentiful supply of large pike is contributing to lakeside economies by attracting predator anglers from across Ireland and abroad, according to Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Regular competitions attract those hoping to catch larger pike - many measuring over a metre in length.
Angling as a sport has rebounded since Covid, but more participants are seeking the challenge of catching larger predator fish.
"It used to be a lot of trout fishing but many anglers have taken more to pike fishing," said Eamon Cunningham, an organiser of this week's Lough Ree International Pike Festival.
"It's all about the adrenaline rush when you hook a fish, and trying to get it into the boat to get the photo taken," he told RTÉ's This Week.
"The fish are released quickly and gently," he added, noting that pike can live up to 12 years in a lake.
All pike are caught on a catch and release basis, and in accordance with strict rules laid down by Inland Fisheries Ireland.
"You have a board with increments on it. You put the fish on the board, measure it, take a picture and put the fish back," said Arnold Donnelly an assistant inspector with IFI.
This method of determining winners has taken over from the older practice of keeping the fish in a barrel of water until the boat gets to a weigh station.
Some of the pike caught in Irish lakes can weigh up to 12kg. Predatory fish grow faster because they have their pick of food in mixed fisheries.
"A pike will eat anything that moves. A good pike will take a duck," said Thomas Finnan, a competitor at the Lough Ree festival.
In some lakes, predators are managed, or moved to allow other fish species to thrive.
Eamon Cunningham said the huge pike are bringing valuable business to local lakeside economies such as Coosan Point in Athlone where the annual Lough Ree festival takes place.
"A lot of anglers stay over in local accommodation. We have presentations each night in local pubs and the lads buy their petrol and lunches at the local stations," Mr Cunningham said.
"The thing about pike fishing is that it is all year round. Trout fishing is seasonal, but you can have a competition like this in November," said Arnold Donnelly.
The longest pike at this week's Lough Ree Festival measured 119.75 cm in length and was caught by angler Danny Colleran and Daniel Nesbit.
It is the biggest pike caught in the festival's 13-year history.
