See baits for zander.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Wot you fink?
I know there are some very experienced zander anglers on here and so was wondering if any of you regularly fish sea baits with zander as the target species?

Cheers Alan

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

So that either a big no, or it could be a big yes but you are not going to tell me or the topic has been done to death and I either missed it or forgot
I know of at least two people who do use seabaits one of whom comes on here and caught a "VERY" big zed on them
The zander at one of the places I have been put onto this year have been successfully targeted with the exclusive use of sea baits with several fish over 10lbs,
Remember the record took a pellet which is effectively a tiny chunk of fish.

Cheers Alan

[Emma Hamilton]

What we dont know regarding the record fish is , was the pellet and rig wound in/moving and the fish grabbed it ?

Ive never tried sea baits so cant comment with any experience.

rob

[Dave Horton]

My PB Zed of 13lbs fell to a smelt on a day that I fished a 4oz Roach dead bait in the same area at the same time because I was aware I might catch a zed a 29lbs Pike snaffled the roach.

(I had both sat in the landing net at the same time face)

[DizzyDave]

Many will tell you if you want to reduce your take rates, use sea baits for zander.

I would suggest if you are using more than one rod, and are minded to try something different, ring the changes; you might be in for a surprise.

Gok Wan would say "It's all about the confidence"

[Andrew]

See what baits cant see s**t.

[DizzyDave]

My PB Zed of 13lbs fell to a smelt on a day that I fished a 4oz Roach dead bait in the same area at the same time because I was aware I might catch a zed a 29lbs Pike snaffled the roach.

(I had both sat in the landing net at the same time face)

Yeah, but what does that prove, you are so on fire you could catch them on tofu

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

What we dont know regarding the record fish is , was the pellet and rig wound in/moving and the fish grabbed it ?

Ive never tried sea baits so cant comment with any experience.

rob

I have never heard that part of the story Rob but it is not the 1st time I have heard of zander taking unusual baits such as boilies or pellets.
I would have thought that as you are bit of a zed head you would have tried them by now and I'm sure introducing some bait would get them on it but your bi'catch of pike may go up.
The very big zed caught from Grafham fell to a sea bait and the angler has had several other large fish all on sea baits from there
I shall fish at least one rod on sea baits this season and I shall see what turns up.

Cheers Alan

[Emma Hamilton]

I shall fish at least one rod on sea baits this season and I shall see what turns up.

Cheers Alan

Good luck and photos please Alan

rob

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

I shall fish at least one rod on sea baits this season and I shall see what turns up.

Cheers Alan

Good luck and photos please Alan

rob

Thanks Rob, the areas I'm fishing will produce a few good fish as this part of the Ouse averages fish around dub or over but there aren't loads of them but piccys should come, if only just for you One area is just off the boats at my marina, about 15ft deep with a steady flow and I think this is the spot that I shall put plenty of the chopped bait I just got from Online baits plus some naturals.

Cheers Alan

[Kev Berry]

Best bait so far this year on the trent has been a 6oz roach for me. Not had a zander on sea baits yet. Unless you say lamprey are sea fish

[Mark Phillips]

To cut a (very) long story short, YES, sea baits will catch zander. On waters where they are used to seeing sea baits, they work well enough to use them to target zander. On waters where that's not so, then you'd be cutting your chances by fishing sea baits. On one Fenland river I have fished for many years, I always fish one rod on a sea bait when specifically targeting zander. I'm not trying to get a bonus pike, I am zander fishing... I don't get anywhere near as many runs on that as I do using lives or coarse fish baits, but when that rod does go, it's usually a decent zander. Same runs true on a certain system of drains; where incidentally, a good pal of mine has had a lot of doubles on sea baits and I really do mean a lot. He's been getting them for years on sea baits from those drains. 'Best' baits (they'll take all of them, but...) are sardine and herring - well in my experience. Having said that, the biggest zander I have lifted a sea bait from went 15.01 and that was on a half mackerel - I was piking though

I used to get ragged to crap for even suggesting you target zander on sea baits. There was even this one guy writing in to Pike & Preds using false names and addresses, just to slag off my articles and give the impression there were a lot of doubters out there. James investigated and that turned out to be Kevin Day, one of the biggest idiots you'll ever meet on the bank. Anyway, it took time, but I think most people now realise they are a very viable zander bait, when used at the right time and in the right place.

Told you I'd be short

[Neville Fickling]

you need to define sea baits. Smelt and lamprey spend time in the sea and freshwater and are not oily fish. I therefore classify sea baits as the ones which are oily, herring, mack, bluey sardine. These will catch zander in some situations but generally are not as good as non oily baits.

[andrew_nagel]

And non of them are as good as a well presented crank bait.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

you need to define sea baits. Smelt and lamprey spend time in the sea and freshwater and are not oily fish. I therefore classify sea baits as the ones which are oily, herring, mack, bluey sardine. These will catch zander in some situations but generally are not as good as non oily baits.

Smelt and lamprey are not really the sea fish I'm on about because as you say they spawn in fresh water and then often feed at sea, this life cycle is called anadromous, just like the salmon and so I agree that the commonly used oily fish are the sea bait we are talking about

Cheers Alan

[LINUS]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

In your opinion and thats the point because as I said I know of a couple of anglers who use sea bait successfully to target zander and why I asked the question to this group

Cheers Alan

[micky dolan]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

Don't discount the idea , give them a try
I do admit a couple of takes have been when twitching the deadbait off the bottom , and mostly reservoir Zandering.
Only had one river double on sea deads , will be giving the rivers more attention with sea deads . We'll see
The small smelt packs seem to do well , with around 12 to 16 smelt in them.

Mick

[Neville Fickling]

And non of them are as good as a well presented crank bait.

who mentioned The Krankies?

[Rik W]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

Hi Linus, in my experience the bigger Zeds come on seabaits. I would fish exactly like Mark stated above. You will not get as many runs on seabaits, but when you do.........

[LINUS]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

Hi Linus, in my experience the bigger Zeds come on seabaits. I would fish exactly like Mark stated above. You will not get as many runs on seabaits, but when you do.........

I'll stick to coarse.. Big zander don't get big by eating mackerel... Natural all the way for me.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

Hi Linus, in my experience the bigger Zeds come on seabaits. I would fish exactly like Mark stated above. You will not get as many runs on seabaits, but when you do.........

I'll stick to coarse.. Big zander don't get big by eating mackerel... Natural all the way for me.

Lots of big fish of many species get caught on lures, and they dont get big by eating those

Cheers Alan

[Kev Berry]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

Hi Linus, in my experience the bigger Zeds come on seabaits. I would fish exactly like Mark stated above. You will not get as many runs on seabaits, but when you do.........

I'll stick to coarse.. Big zander don't get big by eating mackerel... Natural all the way for me.

Lots of big fish of many species get caught on lures, and they dont get big by eating those

Cheers Alan

they don't get big by eating lots of little fish either----- I have had quite a few doubles this year and 90% have come on largish roach of around 6-8oz----not had a Trent zander on a sea bait yet

[LINUS]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

Hi Linus, in my experience the bigger Zeds come on seabaits. I would fish exactly like Mark stated above. You will not get as many runs on seabaits, but when you do.........

I'll stick to coarse.. Big zander don't get big by eating mackerel... Natural all the way for me.

Lots of big fish of many species get caught on lures, and they dont get big by eating those

Cheers Alan

they don't get big by eating lots of little fish either----- I have had quite a few doubles this year and 90% have come on largish roach of around 6-8oz----not had a Trent zander on a sea bait yet

Dead skimmers to 10oz have been THE bait for me this year. Small baits just seem to get schoolies

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

Hi Linus, in my experience the bigger Zeds come on seabaits. I would fish exactly like Mark stated above. You will not get as many runs on seabaits, but when you do.........

I'll stick to coarse.. Big zander don't get big by eating mackerel... Natural all the way for me.

Lots of big fish of many species get caught on lures, and they dont get big by eating those

Cheers Alan

they don't get big by eating lots of little fish either----- I have had quite a few doubles this year and 90% have come on largish roach of around 6-8oz----not had a Trent zander on a sea bait yet

And your point is?

Cheers Alan

[steve wild]

I reckon it maybe just a numbers game.
Not fished a sea bait myself but the Zander caught on sea baits maybe in proportion percentage to the number of Zander caught on course baits that are used.
Catch 22 situation really if you don't fish a sea bait you will never catch on one and if you are not confident in using a sea baits you probably will never use one.

[Kev Berry]

I don't see the point in fishing a sea bait, as a coarse bait gets bites with ease... Dead or alive. Why waste time on the bank with a bait that stands a lower percentage of a bite.

Hi Linus, in my experience the bigger Zeds come on seabaits. I would fish exactly like Mark stated above. You will not get as many runs on seabaits, but when you do.........

I'll stick to coarse.. Big zander don't get big by eating mackerel... Natural all the way for me.

Lots of big fish of many species get caught on lures, and they dont get big by eating those

Cheers Alan

they don't get big by eating lots of little fish either----- I have had quite a few doubles this year and 90% have come on largish roach of around 6-8oz----not had a Trent zander on a sea bait yet

Dead skimmers to 10oz have been THE bait for me this year. Small baits just seem to get schoolies

yes skimmers are spot on, not so easy to find in the trent as they used to be, got a few packets of them in an order from Nev---they went into Kevs compartment in the shop freezer I did pretty well on them (both pike and zander luuuurrrve em)---pike to 25lb and zeds to 13lb 12oz.

Strangely small baits have caught me not schoolies but big pike this year----and the big baits have caught me zander

[pikerholic2]

Do you fish sea baits on the Trent, Kev , or stick with the tried and trusted bream and roach?

[Kev Berry]

Do you fish sea baits on the Trent, Kev , or stick with the tried and trusted bream and roach?

always have a sea bait out as a rule when I go piking, never had a zander pick one up but had plenty on coarse baits dead or alive intended for pike.
If I am deliberately targeting zander I only use coarse baits and lamprey.

Notts Pac have got an excellent talk coming up on Tuesday from a local well respected zander angler who has done far far better than me fishing for zander on the trent, there will def be some questions about sea baits for him

all welcome to come----The Venue, Kirklington rd , Rainworth---8pm start

[Mark Phillips]

My biggest zander to date came on a 4" lure. My biggest bait caught zander came on a half macky - I would say however, based only on my experience, that bigger baits do single out the bigger zander (doubles), but they're more than willing to feed on very small baits if they have to. But, there is one bait I can think of that contradicts that statement - gudgeon deadbaits - IMO the best zander deadbait you can use this side of a freshly beheaded roach The biggest zed I have ever seen on the end of my line - it was BIG and I lost it (tears) - that was a 10oz skimmer live... anyway, I digress...

As for what seabait? Herrings on the waters I fish where seabaits do work for zander, especially the bigger fish - as Rik states above. I've been getting zander on seabaits for 20 years now and on some days, the only zander I caught were on seabaits. Depending on the water, I will always stick a herring out on one rod when targeting zeds. Couple of fen rivers, most stillwaters with zander and one drain system is where I would say that's all relevant.

Elsewhere? May be not. e.g. I know from a mate who fishes the Trent very hard for zander that seabaits are probably not a worthwhile proposition there - yet ... I'd however be willing to bet that in areas that see a lot of pike fishing - you'll start to see zander on seabaits at some point - as they'll switch onto the food source in the end and that's what's happened on the waters I have fished...