“Here they are, my friends!”: predator fishing trip on Lake Carcans-Hourtin, in Gironde

Let's embark with Florent Noël, fishing guide, for a morning on the Gironde lake of Carcans-Hourtin, tracking perch and pike. He shares this passion for fishing that is gaining more and more followers

Six o'clock in the morning, mid-July, Carcans-Maubuisson slipway, at the entrance to the Canal des Étangs. The brilliant golden glow of dawn is slowly appearing under a sky heavy with clouds. In the distance, thunder rumbles. "It'll be fine, don't worry, the storm is further north." Florent Noël is busy on his boat, a 110-horsepower bass boat. The rods are ready. The lures too. Soft ones, hard ones, there's something for everyone. And every fish.

The two clients arrive: David, a German on vacation in the area, and Antoine, a Basque on a weekend getaway to Lacanau. A fishing enthusiast. His partner has given him this outing for his birthday. He won't be disappointed.

It's off for a morning of "predator fishing" on the Hourtin-Carcans lake in Gironde, 57 km², the largest freshwater lake in France. The first stop is a stop above a wreck. Florent Noël, 39, knows all the good spots. He's been fishing in the lake for thirteen years. The geology, currents, winds, the presence of holes, seagrass beds, water temperature: all these elements and many others determine the choice of spots.

This morning, the perch are hunting. They are hungry and active.

"They're here, the girls!" He spotted a school of perch. Obviously, a depth sounder helps. You just have to know how to catch them. "We've been catching them on the surface for three weeks." This morning, the "girlfriends" are on the hunt. They're hungry and active. The surface lures are the right ones. David and Antoine each bring in a good ten perch. Between 25 and 30 centimeters on average: a very decent size.

Another stop after a few minutes of cruising. The perch are back. 42 catches in total this morning, not bad. They'll all be thrown back into the water. This is the "no kill" practice.

What if we teased the pike a little? We can tell David and Antoine are desperate to catch it. They don't dare say so. So, they're changing lures. But the star predator of the Médoc lakes is making itself desired. Patience. "It often works with peaks of activity. For half an hour, it'll bite, then nothing, and then it can start again a little later," explains Florent.

Suddenly, David lets out a vibrant "Yes!" As soon as the pike is in the net—a beautiful 86-centimeter piece with the green and yellow sides characteristic of the species—Florent Noël unhooks it. A quick souvenir photo before putting it back in the water. They mustn't hang around. In summer, with the rise in air and water temperatures, thermal shock can be fatal. As can stress, which must be limited as much as possible. Antoine will wait a few more minutes to get his pike out, too.

It's around 11 a.m., back in Maubuisson. With two delighted customers. "I'm not used to fishing in lakes," says Antoine. "I was hoping we'd catch some fish, but frankly, not so many. I'm very pleasantly surprised."

A fun outdoor activity accessible to everyone, fishing is gaining more and more followers.

Florent Noël is tidying up his boat. Tonight, he's doing it again with new clients. He guides the most in the summer. And the season is excellent. The best since he started this business five years ago. The customers are there. Fishing is attractive. A fun, outdoor activity accessible to everyone, it's gaining more and more followers.

"With lots and lots of young people," Florent explains. "TV shows and social media have a lot to do with it. I also host quite a few families. These are moments of sharing. In the summer, the vast majority of my clients are beginner or intermediate anglers. The rest of the time, I have more experienced anglers."

Crazy about fishing, therefore, and nature in general, Florent Noël likes to talk about how lakes were formed, the difference between lakes and ponds, biotopes, biodiversity...

“Yes, the environments have evolved quite a bit and some species are less present.”

So, how have the environments evolved? Are fish populations declining? He answers frankly: "Yes, the environments have evolved quite a bit, and some species are less present. Fishing pressure is also higher. Hourtin and Lacanau are heavily fished, and overall, we're catching fewer fish than a few years ago. Warming waters are also having an impact on species like pike, which are very sensitive to temperature variations. Others are becoming established, like catfish and black bass. We have to be aware of this and adapt. We have to know the environment well, know what to fish for and when."

A touch of concern, certainly, but no gloom in his words. The Médoc lakes and their fish populations still have a bright future ahead of them. If we respect them.