• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Zander

Steve Williams

Senior Member
Loving my Zander fishing at the moment.

Slightly frustrated that I haven't been able to get my boat out on the rivers for a few weeks, but hopefully over X-mass the conditions will be better and I'll manage a few trips out.


Steve
 
Slow session on Saturday.
Spent a few hours trolling, with me dropping two fish and my boat partner having juts one dip of the float.

Anchored up and managed two zeds on float ledgered dead Roach, plus a couple of dropped runs from, I suspect small zeds.

Cold, but nice to be out...........


Steve
 
I had intended to do some Zander fishing on the Trent this week but currently snowed in - its the one (mainstream) UK fish I have yet to catch. I guess my Pike gear and approach - float or running lead with smaller baits and size 10 trebles - is OK for this this?
 
Steve

This is one species that i wont to try and catch, could you reccomend a BAA stretch of the W.Avon or Severn that would offer me the best chance. Iv done a fair bit of piking on the W.Avon but never had a Z, should i alter my fishing for the zed's? smaller baits,hooks etc..

Thanks

Mark
 
This is worth looking at too lads.

http://www.zanderanglersclub.co.uk/

Basically, similar set-ups to Pike, just scale everything down.
Saying that, remember that you could also have a 20lb Pike pick up your bait......

If I'm deadbaiting, I mainly use Roach deads.
I remove the head to help with leak off of sent.

I like to use very slim floats so they offer minimal resistance.
If your bank fishing, upstreaming is good because when the fish picks up the bait everything gets dislodged and drops down stream offering less resistance.

We do suffer from a number of dropped runs, which are from small Zander.
Not much you can do, either drop the bait size down and catch it, so sit it out on a bigger bait and hope a better fish comes along.

Steve
 
Last few trips have seen the majority of the fish I've had fall to small livebaits - 3-4oz roach.. deadbaits I use are of a similar size but they are fished slightly popped up with plenty of puncture holes in them to let the 'juices' flow..

Like above poster, least resistance free rigs possible. Have had a dabble with single circle hooks too.. quite effective so far.

Never seen them so active as the last trip I did, all evening and into night they were constantly well up in the water hammering the shoals of bait fish in the marina. Had a few last trip out and had a 3lb zander ripped off the trebles by a big pike and 6lb met the same fate in the same session.

One thing with them though.. have you ever noticed just how strong they smell compared to pike and perch.. really strong odours!
 
Steve, re dropped by small fish. I wonder after Keiths chat it would be worthwhile trying to hit the runs / pickups immediatly?

As you know, never caught any so probably worthless comment, he did make me think though?

Keith seemed to be hitting the fish as they came in to disable the bait first?

Graham
 
Steve,

I always found the VB or drennan double hooks in a 10 or 8, better at hooking up the zeds, as the free hook protrudes at a more aggressive angle than the two free hooks on a treble. Just my preference over the years, especially on the w.avon:). Defintely worth trying.

Paul
 
Hi Chaps



When you are jigging often the gentlest takes are from the biggest fish, I remember chatting about dropped runs to my Dutch friends, they were of the opinion that instant strike rigs were the way to go!

While fishing dead bait I always use an instant strike rig, I don't let them run at all.

In my opinion you should forget everything about fishing for Pike when you are after Zander, Zander are a predator, and that is just about the only similarity, they are as different to fish for as say, Carp are to Pike, you can catch both on the same rig by accident, but it is an accident!

One of my bigger UK Pike was 27lb 10oz, hooked in the scissors on a home made boilie meant for Carp, I normally would not fish for Pike with my Carp gear, and I don't fish for Zander with my Pike gear either;- Rods, Reels, the rigs, floats, lures are all different, the only method that crosses the divide between the two species is The Fireball and we use that with gear capable of catching very large Zander or Pike!

To fish for Zander you need a deft touch and you need to be on them instantly, we have gotten too used to sitting back, brain in neutral and letting buzzers tell us what is going on, with Zander it is more like touch ledgering, to be successful you need to be switched on and fishing, not sitting back and waiting!


Tight Lines
 
Anybody recommend some casting (not trolling) lures for Zed's ? There is a need for them to reach 10/12 ft when retrieved. Something to suit a rod with a guide lure weight 10-40g .

I've looked at the Rapala web site only to find most of their Deep Divers are either for trolling, or pathetically small (IMO) in both size (lenght) & weight. The only couple I thought worth considering DT Sure Set - 3 to 6m depths, upto 25g 7cm (3") Rattle as well !! or Clankin Rap - No vane, just let it sink. A straight running lure - apparently. So Bingo. Quick check on ebay - all in the US :( unless I want two. :mad:

Thanks in anticipation for your comments

Steve
 
Last edited:
Steve, I have found 3 to 4 inch shads to be just the job, though, I tend to get as light a jig head as possible to get the best out of the lures own action, even the pre mounted jellies can sometimes be a bit too heavy.
 
Cheers Will. Hadn't even thought about jigs when I posted (Old skool you see - Ex Big S man ;) Understand your theory re reduced weight.

After a couple of hours on the net I arrived at :-

a) Rapala Shad Rap SR09 & b) Fox Replicants .

Any coments on these for very slow moving deep water ?

PS I'm going for the bigger fish :D

I can also see this getting expensive
 
Last edited:
Steve,

buy yourself a jig mould and some hooks and make your own jig heads.
Then all you have to do is buy the rubber bodies and your away.

You can mix and match bodies and lead heads to suit conditions.


Also, regardless at to whether you make your own and or buy them, make sure you fit a stinger.
A stinger is a treble on a short length of wire, that runs through the rubber body and sits at the rear of the lure, just under the tail.
These stingers pick up the majority of the fish.

Steve
 
Steve - Not sure about making my own just yet. Best I get to grips with this jig thing first!!

This is a trip back to lure fishing so I haven't ever looked at the rubber imitations before, although I have found lost/discarded 'split' ones and I always thought they looked interesting. At the weekend I may go see if my local dealer has some of the Fox Pro Shads. So, more questions. For the 10g-40g rod what size shad (5.5, 7 or monster 11" :eek: Don't think so :)) ,what size heads (15,20,25,30g) Don't tell me - some of each . Got the message re stinger treble. Won't be a problem - I assume it's best to get the 'internal' wire to exit around the vent area so the tail action isn't impeaded. Guess I'm now looking for braided mainline too - Power Pro ?.........told you it would get expensive :D
 
Well, I have never seen a zander, let alone caught one, so apologies if this question is just too silly.

How effective might a lobworm or a bunch of lobworms be as a zander bait?

Anyone done much Zedding with them?
 
They regularly get caught on non fish baits.

One off my syndicate water came to a boilie and weighed over 14lb.

The current British record, taken off the Severn a couple of seasons ago was caught on a pellet intended for bream.

Maggots turn up a few Zeds too (especially red mags).

Jelly worms and grubs produce plenty of Zeds, so no reason why a bunch of worms or a big lobby wont.

I'd still prefer to have a nice fresh Roach on my hooks.........

Steve
 
Yep - I've caught small Zeds on worms in the past and a mate had a 6lb'er on a bright yellow pop-up in the middle of a winter night.:)

Steve - I thought the Severn record had been broken with a fish from the 'Eastside' - 22lb+. Was it never accepted ?

The Severn fish being 21.05 - I'm sure a 25lb'er 'aint too far away ;)
 
Last edited:
Back
Top