Saturday 21 November 2015

BH 2: Zander Time


Second trip of the season to Bury Hill. Based on last week I dressed like I was heading for the Arctic Circle and I arrived about an hour before sunset. I fancied trying a new swim and settled on one where I could see the small fish topping. After half an hour casting about with a plummet the traps were set.

I fished a roach section on each rod with chopped sprat serving as an attractant, one ledgered and one on the float - a dropped run followed by a hook-pull as darkness fell signalled we were off. At 5.20pm I landed a 4lb 14oz zed on the float (above).


5.40pm, 4lb 2oz, float.


6.05pm, 3lb 0oz, ledger.


6.30pm, about 1¾lb, float. Nasty gash in it's side.


7.15pm, 4lb 1oz, float. There were dropped runs and hook-pulls in-between fish.


7.40pm, about 2½lb, float. First time a zander has bitten me - does this mean I have progressed from Zander Noob to Zander Rookie?


8.15pm, about 3¼lb, float.


8.25pm, 4lb 3oz, ledger.


Last cast 8.45pm, a 6lb 10oz new PB zander, ledger. Before a race to the train!

An absolutely brilliant session and the new PB was the icing on the cake! That's 9 zander adding 34lb 6oz to the Predator Challenge and a bit of confidence before I head to Coventry on Sunday in search of a wild canal fish.

Predator Challenge: 134lb 10oz

9 comments:

  1. Well done that man, see your a wasted talent not targeting predators. Keep it up and a double is just around the corner, I'm certain of it

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    1. Cheers James. I'm happy to just catch a few zander - but I must admit while walking back to the train I hoped that PB doesn't last the season!

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  2. More fish banked than lost. Something in the rigs is working magic. Let's hope it continues for Sunday because it's gonna be cold and I can't say what that'll mean. Who knows with zander, eh?

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    1. I keep tinkering with the rigs, but it's really limited to what you can try and stay within the fishery rules - my brother has sent me some great zander hooks from the states which I can't wait to try out.

      Fingers crossed for Sunday, hope they will be feeding - sounds like there will be enough lines getting wet to find the fish. Who knows with zander? Not me!

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  3. for someone who claimed he new nothing about zanders only a few months ago... great result! (any tips to share?)

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    1. I still don't know anything about zander - but at least I've realised I know nothing about them (I've realised it isn't pike fishing on a lighter scale).

      Two 'Noob to Rookie' tips I have found are; as with most fishing your plummet is essential - find a feature and *hopefully* the zeds will be there (as long as there is baitfish).

      And strike! With pike I wind down and pull the hook home - with zander this just gives them time to spit the bait out. Looks like it's going to be a long learning curve - but I've made a start...

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    2. And now I've written that, perhaps circle hooks and no strike would be better? Who knows... More experiments I think...

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  4. well done that man-and actually a trip for the right species in the right conditions! bet that cardboard cut out holding the fish was a bugger to draw tho!(you don't move-not even your expression,haha!)

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    1. Thanks Grant. Landed right on them when they wanted to feed - for a change! Yeah, was a bit of a production line - land fish, unhook, weigh, photograph - the cardboard cut-out man really helped - I left him there for next time :)

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