Trout water renaissance

[Chris Hammond]

It must be nigh on a decade since I fished a TW for preds but a mate invited me to a day on Rutland water (For those gasping in surprise and heading there to fish following my disclosure that there are pike etc in Rutland... I hope you have better fortune than I generally do! )

Anyway, my only fish from there came on a day under Mark Phillip's guidance many years ago so I thought I'd ask advice on successful lures. Anyone got any tips?

[Carlperkins]

Flies........
My cousin fishes for the RAF on there and is always getting plagued by pike

[greencard1]

See 'another blankety blank' thread below.

Lure choice is of secondary importance. Location is everything.

Suggest you go with Mark again.

My main tip is- treat it as a day out in a boat, and you won't be disappointed.

[alan behenna]

If it was this ol' dog going:

Location Location Location.................and prepare for the "Day of a Thousand Casts" ah la muskie' style.

Two basic Rubber lure patterns, with plenty of pattern variety in both lines.

Fox Rage Rep 14cm, choose your own patterns.

Something Big in Swimbaits', 10" to a foot in length, some even longer when working, couple of pattern changes.

And, just because they are in your bag, the odd larger spinnerbait.

Just enjoy your day anything else is a bonus.

[Andy Tibbott]

I had a day out on there with a known respectable lure angler a few years back. We caught a few and had plenty of follows on big dark coloured rubber swim baits drifting across depths of no more that 20ft, but again it was location and his knowledge of the water which was key.

[Jason Skilton]

Don't ask me I seem to blank on the TW ressies

[Chris Hammond]

Cheers for the feedback chaps.

[davelumb]

The usual suspects worked when I fished there - Dawgs, Squirrely Burts, spoons, big spinners, I even hooked and lost a big fish on a crankbait. But it was really 'spotty' making location and lure depth more important than what you chucked.

If it's busy and you're on the fish expect 'poachers'.

[DaveGreenwood]

Do something different to the rest dont be a sheep.

[JohnCopeman]

Lots of big crocs in there....many fall to zander lures....more than do to pike lures..
That suggests it's not all shallow water marks and bigger baits.

[JoeNickel]

Cos you've mentioned 'Preds' as well as pike... I've a mate who fishes it a couple of times a year. Bouncing small (2-4"?) shads on jigheads along the bottom, on the drift. Mainly for zander, but they get the odd bonus pike.

[Carlperkins]

Pike eat Zander...... find the Zander
Found the pike

[Mark Phillips]

The usual suspects worked when I fished there - Dawgs, Squirrely Burts, spoons, big spinners, I even hooked and lost a big fish on a crankbait. But it was really 'spotty' making location and lure depth more important than what you chucked.

If it's busy and you're on the fish expect 'poachers'.

Standard practice for some people to anchor or cut into your drift when you're catching a few on there

Yeah, it's mainly big plastics that work well on there. Spoons can be good, jerk baits in shallow areas and I've had a few 20's on big spinnerbaits. Caught a few whilst vertical jigging for zander, but it isn't a 'go to' method for pike on there, well, on most days it isn't. Doesn't really pay to muck around with a lot of lures on there, generally it is governed by the depth the fish are at and how active they are. Location isn't too hard on that water, there's three or four main areas where the pike tend to be, but there are some less obvious features that seem to always hold a few. I'd say the key thing is to fish on the right day, conditions wise. I know it's not easy to do, but booking a boat late based on the forecast is the best advice I could give anyone fishing these waters, although I'll stop short of saying what those are and yeah, go with someone who knows the water, has put in the time and who's caught a few - always recommended if your new to fishing these waters, as they can be quite daunting otherwise.

[Muskie]

Yup people anchoring up in front of my drift after a fish is a bug bear of mine. Just plain wrong, desperate and rather pathetic.

[davelumb]

Yup people anchoring up in front of my drift after a fish is a bug bear of mine. Just plain wrong, desperate and rather pathetic.

Should be a hanging offence.

[Carlperkins]

Don’t need to go big.
I have seen Big Pike on that water come to small lures.
And chances are the fish will be sitting in the weed.

[JohnCopeman]

Yup people anchoring up in front of my drift after a fish is a bug bear of mine. Just plain wrong, desperate and rather pathetic.

Should be a hanging offence.

One opening week drove in front of us and switched his " spot lock " on...... not even 30 yards away.

[Ian Crook]

Right now, small shads, 4 to 5 inch in 25 to 35 feet

[Mark Phillips]

Yup people anchoring up in front of my drift after a fish is a bug bear of mine. Just plain wrong, desperate and rather pathetic.

I've even had people drop onto my markers - sadly, you see it a lot on these waters. Simple fact is some people don't like seeing others catching and don't give toss about manners. You also get the plain ignorant as well - noddies having their annual day out on a trout water who I tend to assume just don't realise what they're doing. I'll drop anchor on a drift if another boat tries to come down the same path behind me - that usually sends a message

[davelumb]

Yup people anchoring up in front of my drift after a fish is a bug bear of mine. Just plain wrong, desperate and rather pathetic.

I've even had people drop onto my markers - sadly, you see it a lot on these waters. Simple fact is some people don't like seeing others catching and don't give toss about manners. You also get the plain ignorant as well - noddies having their annual day out on a trout water who I tend to assume just don't realise what they're doing. I'll drop anchor on a drift if another boat tries to come down the same path behind me - that usually sends a message

It can be nice to drift past bait anglers who've anchored in your original line and catch every time you go past them while they catch ferk all though.