How a bit of puzzling makes your day
Three bites for Mark and none for me on the same stretch of water. Once we worked out it had to be subtle, a zander of 75 centimeters followed.
Species
Zander fishing in the Dutch delta
Zander is the fish most guests come for, and the Dutch delta is known for it across Europe. On the Hollands Diep, the Haringvliet and in the Biesbosch you find them along stone edges, near groynes, among the weeds and on structure on the bottom. Records of 72 and 75 centimeters came aboard here.
Zander is fussier than pike. It bites in bursts, and it sometimes takes hours to work out which burst you need. That is why a full day is more often the right choice than a half day. You learn how to read a spot and why a small lure does everything on one day and nothing on the next.
In short
- Best season
- Summer and spring
- Best moment
- The last hour of light
- Techniques
- Vertical fishing and casting
- Lures
- Shad, crankbait and chatterbait
Through the year
In summer we fish zander most often. The middle of the day is hard, because the fish is passive then. The last hour before dark is almost always the best moment, because the water has warmed a little and the setting sun puts the fish on the hunt.
In spring zander and perch move up into the shallows to spawn. Shallow flats just out of the current, with stones and plant remains on the bottom, are good places then. If there is deeper water nearby it is better still.
In autumn and winter the fish sits deeper and we fish vertically more often. The bites are hard and short then, so you keep a firm grip on your rod.
How we fish
We do two things. We cast along stone edges and groynes with a crankbait, and through the weeds with a chatterbait or a small shad of under ten centimeters. We fish vertically straight under the boat with the rod pointed down, using a larger shad.
The main lesson is that it often has to be subtle. Luc prefers to start with something quiet before going over it with a noisemaker, because a lure that vibrates hard can also put fish off. If the fish wants it calmer, a pulsetail trout works, a lure Luc thinks is unfairly overlooked because nothing imitates a baitfish more naturally.
When fishing vertically the LiveScope goes on. You see your shad hovering above the bottom and you see the fish come for it. When a signal lifts off the bottom fast, you know something is about to happen.
Seventy-five centimeters, on the last of the light
How it went on the water
2 reports from the water
How to score points with your partner: a personal best zander and another catfish
Lexi hooked a catfish on light tackle, and on the very last drift Mike caught his personal best zander of 72 centimeters. Persistence pays.
Frequently asked questions
Contact
Plan your day
Pick a date and a time slot, tell me what you want to catch, and I will let you know within a day.
Rather send an email? info@lucpredatorfishing.com