Zander are certainly gaining popularity in the UK. With their striking appearance and the variety of methods available to target them, it’s easy to see why more and more anglers are enjoying the challenge of catching them!
While short sessions for zander can be productive, Christopher Mendelsohn has found that 24-hour sessions have been much more successful for him on his local club water. During his most recent session, he landed what he described as an "amazing zander," tipping the scales at an impressive 14lb 10oz.
“With some time on my hands, I decided to spend 24 hours fishing at a local water, exclusively targeting its zander population," he told us.
"I found a nice area of gravel that sloped away to a lovely drop-off into the deeper water. I had a good feeling that some zander might be patrolling along this ridge," he added.
"My bait for the session consisted of rudd live baits, which I presented on very light running rigs with 1oz leads and two size 12 treble hooks."
"Zander, like most predators, really dislike any form of resistance, so I prefer to keep my rigs as simple and free-running as possible."
Christopher's hunch about the spot was soon confirmed when he landed a 9lb zander early in the session. After recasting, he experienced very little activity on either of his two rods until a much bigger fish was fooled by his rudd live bait.
"After getting a take on my right-hand rod, I felt confident that it would be the one to go off again," Chris revealed.
"However, I had a savage take on my left-hand rod, with the fish taking line. This highlights just how effective the light rigs are—I'm certain the fish didn’t even realise it was hooked as it swam away."
"A firm strike saw me connected with a solid weight, and I knew it was a much better fish. After a spirited fight, I slipped the net under a superb fish."
"After letting her rest, she tipped the scales at a very respectable 14lb 10oz. While it’s not my biggest zander, it’s still an amazing predator," he said.
LURE FISHING IS A GREAT WAY TO CATCH ZANDER, CHECK OUT THIS GREAT ARTICLE FOR MORE TIPS!
