Big rudd

[Errrm]

If you want to be driven mad try catching them on tiny lures, I've had rudd over two pounds (estimate) follow tiny spinners in and nip at the tail but getting them to hook up is difficult. My biggest was only 15oz but if I can tear myself away from the rivers on a hot summer evening I might give it another go.

[Dales]

Had some nice sized Rudd by accident over the years casting dry flies at range using a controller while after Carp.

[gozzer]

Just caught up with this thread.

Andrew, have you tried the old crust trick? A piece of crust at least 3" dia, fixed to the line about 2" to 3" from the hook, baited with a piece of bread. The rudd start to break the crust up, and the large piece on the hook is taken as a piece that's broken off.

It can be a problem if, as you say, it's mainly a carp water, or there are loads of ducks about, but it works.

I've used the same trick for perch, but with a small fish on the hook.

 

John.

[Anderoo]

I did try crust and flake before but they weren't interested, far too preoccupied with fly hatches. I just went to have another look down there and found them in a different area out at range (about 50 yards). Again, they were all together on the surface, picking off the odd insect and drifting around.

 

I might go back this evening and have another go, but if they're that far out I'm not sure how to approach it. As far as I can tell, there is just that one group of them in the pit.

[arbocop]

Floating maggot and waggler. Soak a handful of maggots in water until they float. Cattie a few out in the area then cast to the edge and watch the area where the bait landed rather than the float. Works with feeder maggots too. Keep a tight line!

 

Mike

[Anderoo]

It's the range that's the problem with the waggler. I think if they're beyond waggler range the best I can do is use a controller setup with pva bags and just fish for one bite.

 

If the water was shallower it would be easier as I could then use popped up maggots/casters on a leger, but it's too deep for that.

 

They seem to drift further out the busier the lake is, so I think the best plan is to fish the weekday evenings when it's quieter and hope to find them close enough in for the waggler.

 

Tricky little buggers

Edited June 23, 2014 by Anderoo

[Tigger]

I'd catty out a mixture of maggots, floating and sinking casters until the fish are feeding nicely. Then i'd use either a weighted float or an unweighted float but with the unweighted float put all the shot directly under the float (no weight down the line). This is a great set up for casting that bit further. Cast beyond the feeding fish and wind back leaving the hookbait amongst the freebies. All the weight being directly under the float will allow the bait i'd use to float amongst the other floating casters or sink slowly amongst the sinkers and maggots. Hookbait would be the same as the freebies. Obviously a fine light hook would help the caster/casters on the hook to float or at least sink more slowly. That method works really well as i've done it many times. Sometimes it's better to put three or four casters on the hook. Even the none floaters will float if you gently squeeze them when they're on the hook...this pushes out the white pulp and when you let go the pulp seals up the hole leaving air in the shell, so they float .

[arbocop]

Could you use a big lump of that floating paste stuff? How far out are they? Could you use a pike vane as a self hooker and drift it out there? If they are that far out (man) how do you know that they are Rudd?

 

Mike

[Steve Walker]

Could you fish blind for them in an area you know they frequent, at a time of day you don't see them basking? I'm thinking continuous light loose feeding and waggler?

 

Years ago, I used to fish a disused canal. It was cut off, silted up, trees growing into the water. Two feet deep mostly. There was a shoal of chunky bream in there, big fish for such shallow water. You could often see them, but never catch them at the same time. At dusk, though, fishing pole against the snags, they could not be seen. But they could be caught.

[Vagabond]

As I said before, rudd will chase a moving bait - and all sizes of rudd take artificial flies, and if the flies are moving, there is a fair chance of a hook-up

 

Another poster told of big rudd chasing but not taking spinners

 

They WILL however chase and take worms.

 

So always take a few lobworms with you -

Then, if you see the rudd

Immediately cut off all your end tackle, be it float, leger or what have you. tie on a #6 microbarb, put on THREE lobworms to give casting weight. That is all you need on your line. Cast beyond the rudd, wind the bait back past them, I would be surprised if one doesn't take it.

 

Or you could have a spare rod already set up for just that purpose.