You will never catch on Sea Baits

[Dales]

Another Zander thread, may or may not help Zander virgins and there may be a danger of this being a non-political thread and might even only cover fishing baits and tactics

 

Angling Fact: Zander are not caught on Sea Baits.

 

I should start by saying I know absolutely nothing about fishing for Fens Zander and so the statement above for them may well be true. But even on the Fens is that statement true? I am suggesting that there is a world of difference between fishing for Pike with Sea Bait's and not catching any Zander and fishing for Zander with Sea Baits.

 

My views on this are mainly based on fishing OBH but from talking to anglers who fish South Lagoon and Coombe Abbey and a few rivers and canals and there is a small band of anglers who target Zander on Sea Baits and catch on them. But have also been told on numerous occasions that they will never eat them.

 

I know some Pike anglers will be able to quote the number of hours they have fished on waters with Zander and Pike and they have caught very few or no Zander on Sea Baits. I have been wondering is this due to crude Pike tackle, tactics and large baits? From all those I have talked to who rate Sea Baits the common theme is the style of bait and presentation. Smallish sea baits, usualy a tail section or if a large bait then a boned out fillet.

 

Last year I was a little skeptical about Zander and Sea Baits but I have changed my mind, I had fished OBH for a few years now and used Sea Baits for the Pike during the sort of times that I did not expect to catch Zander and guess what I never caught any Zander well not many the odd one on a Smelt But this year by fishing Sea Baits during good Zander conditions and using certain style baits and not a huge full sized fish I have caught.

 

I know these still water Zander may well behave differently and get used to what ever is discarded in to the water, but on these waters there does seem to be those who rate Sea Baits very highly and I have run in to a few who claim they work on the Fens.

 

So has the Zander not eating sea baits theory/fact based on anglers not catching any because they fish with full Herrings? From what I have read the accidental Zander caught by Pike Anglers are often big fish which might point to bait size being an issue.

 

EDIT: If you only fish with Roach, you will only catch on Roach

Edited February 23, 2012 by Dales

[Anderoo]

You're quite right - I've never fished for zander using sea baits, so there may be something in the bait size or rigs that has an effect. But I have fished the fens a lot with sea baits for pike and never had a zander, or even a dropped run from a (suspected) zander. However, all my fen piking has been in the day - so that alone may explain it. I've seen friends catch zeds on baits in the day occasionally (only ever on coarse baits though!) but have never done it myself.

 

My pike rigs are almost identical to my zander rigs, so I doubt that has an effect. Bait size perhaps, but I never used to use big baits for the pike really.

 

I think on the fens, the 'fact' holds true most of the time, but places like OBH do seem to go against that.

 

I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who has regularly caught fen zander on sea baits though!

Edited February 23, 2012 by Anderoo

[Dick Dastardly]

An often debated subject.

 

I think it can be very misleading to base anything on waters like OBH. To artificial to be representative of many other places. Claydon Lakes for catfish was exactly the same. These waters the fish have to adapt to whats available or starve simple as that.Christ in Claydon you can even catch the Bream on mackerel!

 

I kind of get the hump when people say that the only reason I dont catch Zeds on sea baits is because I dont use them/haven't tried then/dont want to! Ive spent thousands of hours soaking sea deads on waters with Zander in and God how I wish I didn't have to mess around getting live bait or freshly killed roach etc! it would be so much easier if I could just buy a pack of roach from the tackle shop or a few mackerel,sprats,herring,sardine etc etc from Tescos.

 

BUT I dont simply because the time,expense and effort of going to good Zed venues would be wasted if I didn't put in the extra effort to get good bait.

 

Yes I know some Zeds have been caught on sea baits from a lot of venues.yes I know some venues they are actually as productive (or so I'm told) as "normal" baits but like I said just because Ive caught bream on mackerel at Claydon I dont think its ever going to become my No1 bream bait..............even at Claydon!

 

I'm sure many argue the sea dead thing simply because they want it to be so! As I said I wish it was.

[Dick Dastardly]

EDIT: If you only fish with Roach, you will only catch on Roach

 

 

And equally if everyone uses sea deads only fish caught will be on them!

[Dick Dastardly]

I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who has regularly caught fen zander on sea baits though!

 

 

Many years back on here we had a similar thread running (re sea baits) a lad was catching a few on them on his local water and as such had great confidence in them.He invited me to fish it with him to see.I took him up on this.First day we fished only with sea baits and I caught nothing but he had two schoolies.Second day I fished my usual methods and he stuck with sea baits.I caught 14 zeds he caught 3.Day three (bad conditions) we both fished "my baits" and he caught 7 and myself 5......he doesn't bother with sea deads anymore! AND most relevant he said "I thought I was doing good with what I was catching"

 

So if any one reckons they are doing good with sea baits then I would love another invite as I would truly love to find out its me whose got it wrong (and 95% of other Zed anglers I know/ have met) as it would make life so much easier.

[Anderoo]

It's been a while since I fished the fens (unfortunately) but when after the zander the two main skills to hone were 1. finding where the bream shoals were, and 2. catching enough fresh bait! As Budgie says, it would have been so much easier to be able to use packets of frozen sea baits.

[Phone]

Dales,

 

Sea baits? If you can't learn to do it well, at least you can learn to enjoy doing it badly.

 

Phone

(I'll be going to coffee now)

[Headless]

I know two anglers who fish the same areas as me and swear by sea bait's, but their catch rates are very very low and the sizes of the Zander they are catching are nothing special. I think some anglers get tunnelled vision and get stuck in their ways.

 

I regularly use frozen baits with good results, but they are baits that I have caught and frozen. I would have to be desperate to use the shop brought baits.

 

One of my mate is mad on using Lamprey, I personally only seem to attract Pike on the bait!!

[chesters1]

those that use the term "never" eventually are proved wrong

[Anderoo]

Many years back on here we had a similar thread running (re sea baits) a lad was catching a few on them on his local water and as such had great confidence in them.He invited me to fish it with him to see.I took him up on this.First day we fished only with sea baits and I caught nothing but he had two schoolies.Second day I fished my usual methods and he stuck with sea baits.I caught 14 zeds he caught 3.Day three (bad conditions) we both fished "my baits" and he caught 7 and myself 5......he doesn't bother with sea deads anymore! AND most relevant he said "I thought I was doing good with what I was catching"

 

So if any one reckons they are doing good with sea baits then I would love another invite as I would truly love to find out its me whose got it wrong (and 95% of other Zed anglers I know/ have met) as it would make life so much easier.