Zander bites.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

I have not had a huge experience with zedys, probably just 25-30 over the last 25 odd years but I have had a few good ones to 15lb 08oz. I have also had a few from the garden although never really put much time in for them. A couple of weeks ago I had a nice one of 9lb 08 oz luckily on a sardine and so rather than push on with the pike, I decided to change tack and use coarse baits and fish more after dark. Glad to say I had another good one last night of 9lb 03oz that was a different fish so confidence in having a double is high. Its easy to change over from pike to zander in that there are lots of roach here and I enjoy catching them so I can leave the sardines in the freezer.
The last two zedys I have caught have both given very similar bites, "beep" then nothing for 5 minutes, "beep" then nothing for 5 minutes, then "beep beep" and nothing for 5 minutes and then a proper take with both fish hooked nicely on a single and unhooked with just the fingers. I realise the water is very cold for zander so that could have something to do with it? Another thing they have both done is come very quickly to the surface in 7ft of water and when the one last night swirled straight away I thought "ooh maybe baby!" . Its very easy for me to have both live and dead baits on tap so what would you guys prefer to use, I'm thinking more towards the deads so as to avoid small pike and there are lots of live ones in the area so a dead may stand out. I'm also going to start putting a few dead ones in after dark as freebies. The swim has hard slightly shallower areas, deeper silty ones and of course lots of boats.
Any thoughts?

Here is the one I had on the sardine.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=657 ... 4379063362


Cheers, Alan

[davelumb]

Bad link

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Bad link

Ooops I did it again! try now last go!

Cheers, Alan

[Brian Carragher]

Link works

Looks a nice one

[davelumb]

Bad link

Ooops I did it again! try now last go!

Cheers, Alan

[Fentiger01]

Little piece of heaven you have there Alan.

[The great Gavino]

One live of 4/6 inches on one rod. Nice, freshly dispatched Roach up to 8 inches from n the other rod for me. I’m sure that sounds obvious but that’s my go to.

Finicky bites. pain in the bum. Hit ‘em all.

I’d love them at the bottom of my garden!

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Little piece of heaven you have there Alan.

Thank you, I was hoping you would look in and wonder if you may have any zeddy tips for me?

Cheers, Alan

[Monts]

f**k cookie, I recall when you looked like the Milky Bar Kid, now it's more like his Dad.

Nice Zed.

[Happy Hayes]

Nice fish Alan
Regards
Tom

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

f**k cookie, I recall when you looked like the Milky Bar Kid, now it's more like his Dad.

Nice Zed.

In truth the Milky bars haven't been on me for years, all thats left is diminishing eyesight, widows peaks and hands that shake (but that still has an upside!).

Cheers, Alan

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

One live of 4/6 inches on one rod. Nice, freshly dispatched Roach up to 8 inches from n the other rod for me. I’m sure that sounds obvious but that’s my go to.

Finicky bites. pain in the bum. Hit ‘em all.

I’d love them at the bottom of my garden!

How would you fish the livies, ledgered, free running or a paternoster. In the past I ledgered them on a free running rig with no problems but thought there could be the chance of a bite off. The fish I caught the other day was on a semifixed rig with up trace so that could be a way and I wont have to change rigs. Zander dont seam to mind some resistance when towing a paternosters about.

Cheers, Alan

[Monts]

f**k cookie, I recall when you looked like the Milky Bar Kid, now it's more like his Dad.

Nice Zed.

In truth the Milky bars haven't been on me for years, all thats left is diminishing eyesight, widows peaks and hands that shake (but that still has an upside!).

Cheers, Alan

We are all aging, I'm like fine wine full of dirty old sediment. Off out to catch some Roach now.

[The great Gavino]

One live of 4/6 inches on one rod. Nice, freshly dispatched Roach up to 8 inches from n the other rod for me. I’m sure that sounds obvious but that’s my go to.

Finicky bites. pain in the bum. Hit ‘em all.

I’d love them at the bottom of my garden!

How would you fish the livies, ledgered, free running or a paternoster. In the past I ledgered them on a free running rig with no problems but thought there could be the chance of a bite off. The fish I caught the other day was on a semifixed rig with up trace so that could be a way and I wont have to change rigs. Zander dont seam to mind some resistance when towing a paternosters about.

Cheers, Alan

I paternoster my lives (when I can get them) More recently on the fox Heli type ones. Up trace and weak link etc. Dead’s hard on the bottom. Saying that I quite often ledger lives. Not had a bite of in my near on 30 years of doing it

[Fentiger01]

Little piece of heaven you have there Alan.

Thank you, I was hoping you would look in and wonder if you may have any zeddy tips for me?

Cheers, Alan

Paternostered lives on the helicopter rig, uptrace and 3ft rotten link of knotted 10lb mono, watch the takes scream off.

Free roving lives after dark is good, I've had Zander take a starlight float away from right underneath my feet.

Legered fresh deads with heads cut off is also a favourite of mine.

On the Midland Canals I used to get a lot of takes right next to, or under the boats. Definitely a place the Zeds like to hang out.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

One live of 4/6 inches on one rod. Nice, freshly dispatched Roach up to 8 inches from n the other rod for me. I’m sure that sounds obvious but that’s my go to.

Finicky bites. pain in the bum. Hit ‘em all.

I’d love them at the bottom of my garden!

How would you fish the livies, ledgered, free running or a paternoster. In the past I ledgered them on a free running rig with no problems but thought there could be the chance of a bite off. The fish I caught the other day was on a semifixed rig with up trace so that could be a way and I wont have to change rigs. Zander dont seam to mind some resistance when towing a paternosters about.

Cheers, Alan

I paternoster my lives (when I can get them) More recently on the fox Heli type ones. Up trace and weak link etc. Dead’s hard on the bottom. Saying that I quite often ledger lives. Not had a bite of in my near on 30 years of doing it

When I ledger lives I tend to use a longish trace with a form of pop up, this is partly for presentation, partly to keep the bait away from the line. Since I 1st heard about he concept of bite offs in the late 80s, I have always considered it when fishing and have never been bitten off, but I had never been before that so although obviously possible, is it an actual thing or an urban myth ?

Cheers, Alan

[Emma Hamilton]

The last two zedys I have caught have both given very similar bites, "beep" then nothing for 5 minutes, "beep" then nothing for 5 minutes, then "beep beep" and nothing for 5 minutes....
Cheers, Alan

If you were straight ledgering on the bottom can be that the zander has just been sat there with the bait in it's gob for ages before it decides to move. If you pick the rod up you can feel a bit of a 'buzz' on the braid/finger and/or a very small continues nodding on the rod tip. Hit these bites as they nearly always come up trumps!

rob

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Little piece of heaven you have there Alan.

Thank you, I was hoping you would look in and wonder if you may have any zeddy tips for me?

Cheers, Alan

Paternostered lives on the helicopter rig, uptrace and 3ft rotten link of knotted 10lb mono, watch the takes scream off.

Free roving lives after dark is good, I've had Zander take a starlight float away from right underneath my feet.

Legered fresh deads with heads cut off is also a favourite of mine.

On the Midland Canals I used to get a lot of takes right next to, or under the boats. Definitely a place the Zeds like to hang out.

Thanks had a couple on free roamers after dark just a rod length or so out, got a couple of small sea floats that take a snap light.
I also like to take the head off a fresh roach and generally puncture the swim bladder as without their heads they are more likely to float.
Just off the back of one boat there is a hard spot that I improved from off my boat with spare gravel and is where I had the last fish from.

Cheers, Alan

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

The last two zedys I have caught have both given very similar bites, "beep" then nothing for 5 minutes, "beep" then nothing for 5 minutes, then "beep beep" and nothing for 5 minutes....
Cheers, Alan

If you were straight ledgering on the bottom can be that the zander has just been sat there with the bait in it's gob for ages before it decides to move. If you pick the rod up you can feel a bit of a 'buzz' on the braid/finger and/or a very small continues nodding on the rod tip. Hit these bites as they nearly always come up trumps!

rob

Yes straight lead and did carefully watch the rod top/indicator and nothing, but will take your advice so thanks!

Cheers, Alan

[micky dolan]

Hi Alan Don't discount sea deads you can get a pack of small smelt with around a dozen in them at around 4 inches .
Most of my double figure z's have come to these .
Keep twitching them as often as possible .
Nice fish

[Neville Fickling]

Hi Alan Don't discount sea deads you can get a pack of small smelt with around a dozen in them at around 4 inches .
Most of my double figure z's have come to these .
Keep twitching them as often as possible .
Nice fish

Smelt are not really sea dead’s as such. Herring mackerel sprats sardines and Bluey are oily sea baits. Smelt are much more like coarse fish baits. Biggest zander in a smelt 18 plus

[ouchthathurt]

Don’t smelt enter freshwater to spawn?

[Runaway Train]

I've had bites on the legered set up range from the savage rod bender to the slightest of nods on the rod tip.

Key for me is to pick the rod up at the slightest indication and feel the line as described above. Lot's of doubles have come to those small indications.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Thanks again for all the input!

Cheers, Alan

[Fentiger01]

I've had bites on the legered set up range from the savage rod bender to the slightest of nods on the rod tip.

Key for me is to pick the rod up at the slightest indication and feel the line as described above. Lot's of doubles have come to those small indications.

That's a good shout mate, you shouldn't assume that tiny knocks on the rod are necessarily from small Zander.

[dropped_run]

So just to further add to my confusion….

I’ve not bait fished for zeds for 10 years nearly now. Back then it was always mono on the reels. Advice back then always seemed to be fish mono over braid but I’ll freely admit I thought about what I was doing much less than I do now.

So I may be ending my bait fishing ban (temporarily) this weekend. I expect the fishing to be as discussed with almost the quiver tip approach. Am I better off spooling braid?

Im hoping to stick to lures but as it’s a social I may have no choice in the matter

[Fentiger01]

I used braid when I was boat fishing on a big river James, purely to ensure I could always see what was going on. From the bank, I use 15lb mono with no issues at all. Fishing much closer in, I still see any little plucks and the line is strong enough to get me out of trouble.

Good luck with your social, let us know how you get on!

[dropped_run]

I used braid when I was boat fishing on a big river James, purely to ensure I could always see what was going on. From the bank, I use 15lb mono with no issues at all. Fishing much closer in, I still see any little plucks and the line is strong enough to get me out of trouble.

Good luck with your social, let us know how you get on!

Glad you said that Dave as I had already ordered a bulk spool of 15lb sensor….

Got to find the bait runners and the old ZDR’s next, that’ll be unpleasant as they will have god only knows what covering them in the rafters of my garage!

[Neville Fickling]

Don’t smelt enter freshwater to spawn?

Yes and there are ones that remain in freshwater

[Neville Fickling]

I've had bites on the legered set up range from the savage rod bender to the slightest of nods on the rod tip.

Key for me is to pick the rod up at the slightest indication and feel the line as described above. Lot's of doubles have come to those small indications.

By all
Means feel if you have a knock. Generally most give a decent run