Zed Preparation

If you want to discuss Catfish, Perch, Zander, Ferox Trout or Eels, this is the place for you
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Fentiger01
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Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

Alright Chaps, how's the preparation for the forthcoming Zed fishing going? Myself, I haven't fished for Zeds this season yet instead concentrating on the family stuff a bit more to help free up time later in the year. I'm on holiday with the family next week and then I'll be starting my Zedding and I can't wait.

Swims

I'll be doing a bit of the same as last year, over the last week or so I've recce'd out 4 likely areas and these will hold the swims that I'll focus on. I spent a good few useful hours out on my boat with the echo sounder today, putting together a bit of data around one of the areas' that produced the goods last winter which I'll be back on again this year. Additionally, I found another decent looking area in the middle of nowhere, where luckily a lone pleasure angler was happy to divulge a few vital details on the stretch. Following a little bit of study afterwards at home, I've found I have a ticket for the stretch and I can get on it fairly quickly and easily (evening sessions after work).

I have another 'random' stretch which is a tad of a walk and although I've never had a Zander from it, I've only fished it very lightly so far and it is in the heart of big Zed country. I plan to make much more effort to fish this stretch more this Autumn and get to grips with it. There'll be no one bothering me here as it is a very brisk 20-25 minute walk from the car with minimal kit and as such, doesn't see anyone. I intend to get a few hours after dark in on this one.

The last of my stretches I haven't actually seen yet, but our next door neighbours boy runs a syndicate I want to get in. He's told me if anyone leaves I'm in but having been politeness personified thus far, I will be upping the stakes a little over the next week or two when I see him in order to try to move things along a little. I want a place where I can enjoy a bit of solitude as well as a few overnighters as I hunt the Zeds, once the Carpers and the warm weather Barbel hunters vamoose and from my conversations with him, this area hits the spot.

Kit

Again, minimal kit comprising of a 2 rod approach which means half a dozen leads, traces, unhooking/weighing kit, landing net and a torch. I put beta-lites on the rodtips to save having to take alarms and can just watch the rodtips into darkness. I've stripped down my rods, re-spooled my reels and packed a small bag with the kit I've listed. Aside from that, there ain't much to do.

Bait

I've just started putting a few decent baits away for the Autumn / Winter, I find good fresh bait sourced by myself second to none. I'll order a £100 bucks worth of Roach in a week or two from Neville though, to augment what I have myself and that should see me sorted. Whilst I prefer my own sourced and frozen baits, I do catch well on Nev's frozen roach but having a quantity like that also means I can put a couple of pound of them chopped up in the swim at the end of a Tuesday night session, before fishing it again on the Thursday.

Effort

Zandering can be very unsociable, lonely and to be frank, hard work at times but they are definitely an enigmatic and very rewarding fish to catch. Having been pretty lazy throughout the summer often sat on my fat one with a beer in my hand, I'm very much looking forward to getting into Autumn and putting a solid bit of effort in and hopefully being rewarded with a double or two!

Best of luck to you all! :thumbs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by suffolk si »

Good luck Dave👍It’s felt a little autumnal this week down my way and I’m itching to go after some toothy things, water still pretty warm and I know it’s still a way off though but I’m going to look at a couple of recce trips checking out new venue or two without the rods in next week or so, roll on autumn !
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Mike J
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Mike J »

Wow what a prep, even you writing it down me feel tired :grin:

Effort
Your comments in being lonely probably means you like the company of others and if you do I can see why you feel lonely.

Im the opposite, just me and the wild places is my idea of heaven.



Good luck for what follows and dont forget to keep us informed :thumbs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by spincityfan »

No wonder you get some big ones with all that preparation Dave.

Just out of interest, what helps you decide if a swim is worth putting the hours in? I have found plenty of swims around here that look like they should hold Zander but seem dead when I fish them.
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Kev Berry »

Talking with other river redacted zed anglers its clear they don't stay in the same places. Two of them were telling me a while back about a certain stretch of about half a mile where they said they regularly had 30 plus fish/runs an evening between them, this happened for about 2 years. Suddenly they were gone, many trips later and apart from an odd pike nothing.
I have found the same on a couple of my favourite zed spots---the guaranteed fish are no longer there, but the prey fish are (in abundance as always).
Don't know if pre baiting on a strong flowing river is the answer.
Think my preperations will just be trying new spots
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Fentiger01
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

I'm very happy with my own company although after a day or two, it is sometimes nice to enjoy a friendly natter Mike. I definitely don't like seeing / meeting people once it's gotten dark though mate, to me it either means hassle, or I've been pulled by the bailiff for being out after hours.

Regarding spots Spin, I'm quite happy that Zander will at least pass through most of the spots I'm on at some point and hopefully I'll intercept them. Some have a track record and on some, I have caught before. On others, the water is purely virgin to me and that makes it even more interesting.

Before the rains come through, the river I'm on is quite sedentary Kev, so I don't mind putting in a bit of chop even if it doesn't actually work, it helps with the confidence mate but I can't imagine the preds not liking it..

Kind regards,
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by fishandy »

hi kev what bite indication do you use for flowing water zeds with a lead and a tight line and them not liking resistance delks set on maximum sensitive with slack baitrunner ?
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Kev Berry »

fishandy wrote: Sun Aug 18 2019 12:38 -
hi kev what bite indication do you use for flowing water zeds with a lead and a tight line and them not liking resistance delks set on maximum sensitive with slack baitrunner ?
the river redacted zeds haven't read the zander books so don't know how to behave properly :laughs: ---they will quite happily rip off with a 4 oz lead, if they feckin about and dropping it its usually weaners doing it
I fish rods up in the air ---if not got a float paternostered bait I use a bobbin on a long drop for ledgered baits or sfp baits
if Im an the boat its usually a float/paternosted bait
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by fishandy »

any particular hot times of day or night ?
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Daniel »

fishandy wrote: Mon Aug 19 2019 17:16 -
any particular hot times of day or night ?

No need to night fish, as Kev said, the Zander here haven't read the books other Zander have and will happily feed in bright, midday sun.

Don't go down the little bait route, it just means little Zander, my baits are typically 5-6" roach deads.
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Kev Berry »

Daniel wrote: Mon Aug 19 2019 18:15 -
fishandy wrote: Mon Aug 19 2019 17:16 -
any particular hot times of day or night ?

No need to night fish, as Kev said, the Zander here haven't read the books other Zander have and will happily feed in bright, midday sun.

Don't go down the little bait route, it just means little Zander, my baits are typically 5-6" roach deads.
you right there Daniel, most of my double figure zeds have come in the day, some in shallowish gin clear water in bright sun.
My biggest came on a 12oz roach meant for pike

they behave totally different to fenland zeds
anyone know if the Severn zeds act the same as Trent ones?
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by fishandy »

thanks for the information lads been threatening to try for zeds for about 5 years now but always get side tracked going to try a few after work sessions into dark in areas not known for them but cant see a reason why they wont be there
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by steve wild »

Enjoyed the write up and after a dismal season after targeting Eels think its time i got my Zander head back on.
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Donky123 »

Daniel wrote: Mon Aug 19 2019 18:15 -
fishandy wrote: Mon Aug 19 2019 17:16 -
any particular hot times of day or night ?

No need to night fish, as Kev said, the Zander here haven't read the books other Zander have and will happily feed in bright, midday sun.

Don't go down the little bait route, it just means little Zander, my baits are typically 5-6" roach deads.
More a case of the 'books' being incorrect and based on dogma
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

Zed fishing is really interesting, I've done hundreds of days/nights in Fenland swims and despite often not getting a touch during daylight hours, I've managed to get a whole bunch of runs after dark. Bait size is an interesting one as well. My three biggest Zeds came on, a 1oz Chub deadbait, a small Bleak deadbait and a 2oz Roach livebait. I'm sure they will take bigger baits but I'm equally as happy fishing for them with a small bait

I find the night-time stuff really intriguing. My thoughts (for what little they are worth) are that two of the bigger rivers they live in, have plenty of variety in terms of depth, flow and bed. To me this means that it might be a little easier to find them and entice them to feed during the day. I can recall leapfrogging for ages on the more uniformal Fens and/or sitting in swims that had produced me good fish/numbers of fish, yet not getting so much as a sniff until darkness but then getting a number of runs...

The two rivers I now live near to will both produce Zeds during the day in the right conditions, in fact I find one of them to be a very good bet during the first couple of hours of light, whatever the conditions.
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Kev Berry »

Fentiger01 wrote: Mon Aug 26 2019 19:29 -
Zed fishing is really interesting, I've done hundreds of days/nights in Fenland swims and despite often not getting a touch during daylight hours, I've managed to get a whole bunch of runs after dark. Bait size is an interesting one as well. My three biggest Zeds came on, a 1oz Chub deadbait, a small Bleak deadbait and a 2oz Roach livebait. I'm sure they will take bigger baits but I'm equally as happy fishing for them with a small bait

I find the night-time stuff really intriguing. My thoughts (for what little they are worth) are that two of the bigger rivers they live in, have plenty of variety in terms of depth, flow and bed. To me this means that it might be a little easier to find them and entice them to feed during the day. I can recall leapfrogging for ages on the more uniformal Fens and/or sitting in swims that had produced me good fish/numbers of fish, yet not getting so much as a sniff until darkness but then getting a number of runs...

The two rivers I now live near to will both produce Zeds during the day in the right conditions, in fact I find one of them to be a very good bet during the first couple of hours of light, whatever the conditions.
on the redacted there can be massive changes in depth. Yet I have had good zander to doubles in 3ft of water with 15 ft of water being only yards away with untouched baits in it.
What I have found they like is a sheer drop off , maybe the prey fish are easier to catch as they are limited in escape routes or they use them for sneaking up on prey fish, doesn't have to be a big drop off either.
Was plumbing some new swims the last few days, found one with a cliff like drop of 4ft from 10 to 14ft---that's going to get a look at :wink:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

That's really interesting Kev, I must admit that I used to love fishing tight to the bottom of the inside ledge on Fen drains. I nearly always had a bait on the inside shelf, another at the bottom but as tight to the ledge as I could and another in the middle, or near to the far bank on the smaller drains. Obviously the near and far shelves represent most of the 'drop-offs' on the drains. The much shallower midland canals are the same and if I was limited to a third of the width of a canal, I'd aim to fish as accurately as I could in the nearside third of it every time.

I think on the rivers, because there are more bends and resultant depth / flow changes, that in a lot of ways there is much more 'quality habitat' that the Zander are confident to feed in, even when conditions might seem a little more unlikely (bright scorching sunlight for instance). I think it would be accurate to say that 90% of my Fenland Zeds were caught at night, although I did get a few surprises in bright sunshine etc here and there. Another two gravel pits I fished would happily throw them up at any time during the day, on one of them, regardless of the sunny weather too.

I don't believe there is such a thing as a Zed rule book. :laughs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Kev Berry »

Fentiger01 wrote: Tue Aug 27 2019 20:33 -
That's really interesting Kev, I must admit that I used to love fishing tight to the bottom of the inside ledge on Fen drains. I nearly always had a bait on the inside shelf, another at the bottom but as tight to the ledge as I could and another in the middle, or near to the far bank on the smaller drains. Obviously the near and far shelves represent most of the 'drop-offs' on the drains. The much shallower midland canals are the same and if I was limited to a third of the width of a canal, I'd aim to fish as accurately as I could in the nearside third of it every time.

I think on the rivers, because there are more bends and resultant depth / flow changes, that in a lot of ways there is much more 'quality habitat' that the Zander are confident to feed in, even when conditions might seem a little more unlikely (bright scorching sunlight for instance). I think it would be accurate to say that 90% of my Fenland Zeds were caught at night, although I did get a few surprises in bright sunshine etc here and there. Another two gravel pits I fished would happily throw them up at any time during the day, on one of them, regardless of the sunny weather too.

I don't believe there is such a thing as a Zed rule book. :laughs:
I think as we learn more each year about zander habits we realise that the "zander books" were written with a very small pool of knowledge and accepted as being the "bible" for zed hunters.
Zander just cant be predicted so much as pike---they are very nomadic for no tangible reason, leaving shoals of bait fish for pastures new.
I think it was about this time last year ---absolute scorching day, gin clear water and I was breaming. Caught a couple of decent eels on maggot so chucked half a roach out to see if there was a bigger one around---got a zed that was 11lb if memory serves me right---totally unpredictable feckers :laughs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

:laughs: :laughs: :laughs: :thumbs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by dave-newman »

would you use fluro hook links for zed fishing over a wire trace???
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Jason Skilton »

dave-newman wrote: Thu Aug 29 2019 10:58 -
would you use fluro hook links for zed fishing over a wire trace???
You're kidding right.......no chance.....just use a thinner wire


https://www.eddieturner.co.uk/pike-tack ... me-26.html
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by dave-newman »

Jason Skilton wrote: Thu Aug 29 2019 13:13 -
dave-newman wrote: Thu Aug 29 2019 10:58 -
would you use fluro hook links for zed fishing over a wire trace???
You're kidding right.......no chance.....just use a thinner wire


https://www.eddieturner.co.uk/pike-tack ... me-26.html
amazing how i watched fishing all stars in the week (dean macey and gang) fish for zeds on a canal all using fluro hook links... i did raise both eye brows at that point.

yes i would use thinner wire
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

dave-newman wrote: Thu Aug 29 2019 10:58 -
would you use fluro hook links for zed fishing over a wire trace???
This afternoon I've watched the show you reference "All Stars Fishing" and I note your point Dave, it is filmed on a very deep venue holding some VERY big fish.

For me trebles on a fluro leader are a massive no-no, it simply has to be wire all the way! :thumbs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Jason Skilton »

So the season started for me and this weekend I was rewarded with a nice first double. Reading this post again, I did utilise some of the info, but the zander decided to re write the rules and took a ledgered bait during the day.

The margin fished roach baits were nipped at, and ejected twice. The pre baiting ideal is a good one that I'll be looking to use next time out.
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Fentiger01
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

Excellent stuff Jason, good on you mate. :thumbs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

Out for a few hours this morning. Two rods, one baited with a very fresh Roach deadbait and the other with a small frozen Bleak.

Result? Four schoolie sized Zander, all on small frozen Bleak and to the same rod. Roach bait not even sniffed at. Three runs between 0830-0850 and another at 1045. They do love the Bleak baits.... :laughs: :laughs: :laughs:

Enjoyable little session and valuable preparation for when the missus n kids disappear a week on Friday for a weekend at her mums. :thumbs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Kev Berry »

I went all prepared today for a zed session
trouble was the river wasn't prepared ---3ft up still and raging :cry:

so onto the lake next to it where I got a grebe run and a jack attack for my troubles.

have you found bleak to be better than other baits often?
Ive done best numbers wise on perch and small silver bream lives, and small dead skimmers
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fentiger01 »

Bleak are superb baits Kev, I recall nearly 20 years ago on the Relief Channel (where you couldn't catch a Bleak at the time btw), we'd catch them nearby and use them as deadbaits and the takes you'd get were violent. There was simply no messing at all.

The numbers of them now in the river I fish, I think they must be part of the staple Zed diet. Some of the Bleak we get could be carefully photo-shopped as mini-Tarpon they are that big, if you can get them these are the ones - fantastic Zander baits. You wouldn't think the Zander would find these little things on what must be a pretty murky riverbed in-between 12 & 20ft but they sure do.

P.S. My river was still well, well up and raging mate too. :wink:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Fish on.... »

Apparently I should of been using smelt and fishing in bright sunlight all this time. Was a savage take too, totally un-zander like But also typical zeds :laughs:
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Re: Zed Preparation

Post by Kev Berry »

Fentiger01 wrote: Mon Oct 21 2019 22:11 -
Bleak are superb baits Kev, I recall nearly 20 years ago on the Relief Channel (where you couldn't catch a Bleak at the time btw), we'd catch them nearby and use them as deadbaits and the takes you'd get were violent. There was simply no messing at all.

The numbers of them now in the river I fish, I think they must be part of the staple Zed diet. Some of the Bleak we get could be carefully photo-shopped as mini-Tarpon they are that big, if you can get them these are the ones - fantastic Zander baits. You wouldn't think the Zander would find these little things on what must be a pretty murky riverbed in-between 12 & 20ft but they sure do.

P.S. My river was still well, well up and raging mate too. :wink:
theres a small lake near me that has some enormous bleak in them, might pay it a visit :wink: :thumbs:
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