Zander fishing

[StePAC]

Hi,i am looking at doing some zander fishing later this year on mainly rivers ,my question is will my delkims and fox drop offs be ok or do most zander anglers use backbiters ie fox, et, i am mainly concerned about flow setting the alarms of but most admit i have used my delkims on slower moving rivers for pike.cheers ste.

[David Vaissiere]

delkims will be fine, but with the drop offs it depends if they are the ordinary line clips which are fine or the stupidly useless line gate

[StePAC]

Line gates david,to be honest i fancy some backbiters but ive tried billys and couldnt take to them, i think thats because ive used delkims for so long cheers ste.

[Stevo]

I had some fox line gate drop offs.



Utter s***e.

I could hardly pull the gate open by hand, never mind a taking fish managing to.

In the end I cut the 'gate' off and glued in a line clip off some hangers.

They now work fine.....



Steve

[David Vaissiere]

Line gates david,to be honest i fancy some backbiters but ive tried billys and couldnt take to them, i think thats because ive used delkims for so long cheers ste.

I use fox microns in conjunction with an ordinary drop off and I think it gives you the best bite detection possible, drop offs are not very good at showing very small drop backs, where as an optonic and drop off will, but would either buy some new drop offs, or remove the line gate and fit a proper clip

[StePAC]

I am like you guys i think the line gates are rubbish, as anyone tried ET nano,ive just seen some fox mk11 on line for 50 brand new, can you remove the line clip without ruining the alarm cheers ste.

[Barbelist]

A float is the best and most sensitive indicator....

[StePAC]

Hi barbelist,ive got some river floats of ET do you use an inline or running lead for zander cheers ste.

[Jonno]

A mate showed me a nice cheap drop off that works superbly with front alarms, components required, a hair clip, a polyball and a length of braid, not used it on a fast flowing river where I imagine it would not be suitable, or in windy conditions, but on our slow moving fenland rivers and on still waters in the right conditions they worked a treat. I allways found fox ps alarms were pretty good until mine fell apart (2 sets). If its not windy and I have been fishing deads, i have done pretty well just using front alarms and lightweight bobbins infuriating if you plan to stay overnight as fish often drop the bait when it hits the baitrunner and you are midway out of the bivvy to the rods, but if you are sitting on the rods on a short session it works fine, and I have had quite a few a few straight off the baitrunner (no change in resistance) but only resorted to fishing like this after dropped takes on the front bobbins. Just got some Billys backbiters so looking forward to putting them to the test, as when you use non audible drop offs with front alarms all you often hear is a single bleep (easily missed if doing an overnighter)

[StePAC]

Hi jonno,the river i am fishing is fast and wide so need to be spot on with indication,ive used floats for pike before in a fast flow and struggled with them thats why i am wondering about backbiters ,i mean my delks are great on stillwaters and some small rivers.I no one bloke who fishes of the baitrunner but is this really a good idea on a fast flowing river not just for zander but pike as well.

[Jonno]

Hi jonno,the river i am fishing is fast and wide so need to be spot on with indication,ive used floats for pike before in a fast flow and struggled with them thats why i am wondering about backbiters ,i mean my delks are great on stillwaters and some small rivers.I no one bloke who fishes of the baitrunner but is this really a good idea on a fast flowing river not just for zander but pike as well.

I should have said I mainly use dead's and heavy leads on a running leger when using bobbins or fishing off the baitrunner, never had any issues with deep hooking due to poor indication, if using lives on a paternoster, drop off's are essential.

Sounds like backbiters the best option

[Barbelist]

As regards weights for floatfished deadbaits....I use whatever is needed to pin the bait down - be it in-line or otherwise, but I use the lightest I can get away with too. So long as the float settles well I'm happy.

[JohnCostello]

I dont get on with drop-offs for zander on the wide and powerful river I fish. If you dont clip up tight any bit of crap hitting the line pulls the line out of the clip and if you clip up tighter then you get a lot of aborted takes. Also when a fish pulls the line out of the clip the current then pulls even more line off the spool, again more resistance and more line to wind down on, all adding up to missed takes. Personally I set the baitrunner against the flow, with a micron as audible indication but my primary indicator is watching the rod tip for rattles etc.

[Barbelist]

Agree entirely with John on this one....when out on the Lower Severn I fish "Barbel style" with the rods at 45 degrees and the baitrunner engaged...as soon as the tip "bumps" - STRIKE !!!


Paul

[BillyTwoFish]

I do away with the clip altogether. The sliding weight on the arm counteracts the flow to set the tension.



Works for me face

[Michael Brown]

I can't understand the problem with the Fox line gates? The main reason for them being introduced was to show 'drop backs' more efficiently than the old ball clips, which they do. I've used mine every week in winter for about 4 or 5 years and not looking for anything else for deadbaiting. Either they are not the same as the ones I have or they are being set up incorrectly. I've rarely seen them set up properly when looking at other anglers set ups. Not worked for Fox for over 2 years now so can say what I like but mine are OK!

[BillCollins]

Have to agree with you on this one Mick, I have linegates since they came on the market and they are far superior to any clip I've ever used. In fact, I find them so effective that I bought some as spares in case fox stop selling them (I have 6 in all).

[BillyTwoFish]

I've rarely seen them set up properly when looking at other anglers set ups.

If somethings not idiot proof and proof of that is that everyone is not setting them up properly then there a fundamental problem with the design. The concept I believe is sound but there must be something wrong with them that so many people don't get on with them.

(keep it simple face)

[Michael Brown]

It could be that there's more numpties out there than I suspected Steve (lol). It seems that some people don't read the instructions I guess as it ain't rocket science to set them up, but for the thousands sold, I don't think that many have any trouble with them. Like your simple clip above though. That would be good on the Fox PS alarms I think. (Have you patented it?).

ps - nice zander!

[StePAC]

Thanks guys really interesting replys by all,i have been told to fish this river using baitrunner and rod tip but was worried about deep hooking, but you have put my mind at rest.I have seen some fox mk11 for 50 are these a good price cheers ste.

[andrew_nagel]

Is the line still held in a rod mounted line clip Steve?

[BillyTwoFish]

Cheers Mick.... TBH I don't think anything will help improve the Fox PS alarms and no I haven't. Ain't worth the cost for the benifits. Maybe a tackle firm out there need a new design consultant

I've not sold these commercially because of my link with Barry McConnell and his rollover arms. But I have to a number of customers who have spoke to me about Zander, eel or presured waters. I've been using the myself for the best part of 3 years and they work a treat.

Andrew, The line just drops from the spool and under the bent arm. No rod mounted clip required. The trick is having the weight adjusted correctly to provide the right ammount of resistance to counteract the pull from the flow/bait. Once set they work a treat and are resistance free.



Mick... Cheers, was a bit of a beast eh?

[Mark Phillips]

I've always used drop off alarms when fishing lives; how can you get any sleep at night with a live bait banging away as nature intended? Beep, beep, beep, etc. For everything else, yep, just a delk and a drop off indicator with an adjustable solar or matrix line clip. Mine are home made. Totally agreed on the s***e fox linegates. Borrowed one off a mate and gave it back pronto. Float fishing? Yep, fine if can do it effectively. But it does mean reeling in every time a boat comes through your swim and I find it tiring to watch floats at night. Under the right circumstances I have used floats for zander fishing, but not often. Personally, I want some (constant) resistance in my bite indication for zander. They don't mind a bit of baitrunner either

[Jason Skilton]

Worked for me to Mark, if you care to remember last September..

[Steve C]

I do away with the clip altogether. The sliding weight on the arm counteracts the flow to set the tension.



Works for me face

Me too

Been meaning to post for a while but needed a suitable piccy





Photo of my converted Carp swingers in use on the river. I always make sure I'm sat on the rods so that once a hit is made I can resort to 'feeling' for the follow-on (if it comes) and prevents the inevitable peeling of line from the reel when fishing running water. Amazing what you can feel through braid. It's important that the rod points in the same direction as the line leaving it to prevent rod top 'Nodding' when a take occurs and keep all resistance to a minimum. I normally find my rods are set pointing downstream at about 45 deg to the bank. The bait is cast slightly upstream and settles directly out in front of me. The line takes up a natural curve through the water. (This does not hamper bite detection)

Steve

[Mark Phillips]

Worked for me to Mark, if you care to remember last September..

Sunk float paternoster if memory serves - not the way I would have done it, but it worked on the night