This type of artticle sounds a bit "mickey mouse" unfortunately Chris so I would need to know a bit more about it before committing to anything. What type of magazine is it anyway ?
I can get mainstream articles in the angling press, no problem. The biggest obstacle I have with the toping is actually getting out there with the writing anglers due to the shitty Northerly winds we keep getting.
It may be ok but I am a bit wary of "daily sport" type articles. If it is serious & has nothing to do with preparing / eating tope, or a piss take article then I would consider it.
I should think so too as they would be pissed off if you used other manufacturers gear wouldn't they ? but do they have any decent zander rods though ??
Re your tope trip, it will have to be early to middle September now as I away sailfishing from end next week to early Sept.
I took Ian Welsh out yesterday & he threw his heart up the poor sod (but I didn't laugh at all ha ha !) & to cap it we had no tope due to shrimp trawlers caning the area.
No worries mate, I will give you a bell early September to get it sorted.
Lol I will be seeing Ian shortly so I will bring that one up, or he will
As for the fox rods being good for zander mate, I think so, but rods are a really personal thing and what may be source for the goose etc. I use the elite range and get on very well with them. Mine are 3.25 tc and because they have a nce soft tip, I find them pretty much spot on, though perhaps the 2.75 would be a better dedicated zed rod.
3.25tc for zander ??? are trying to pull their heads off ??
My thoughts exactley........
No long casting needed in the fens? Surely 1.25 - 2lb tc is more than enough?
Not true Mark.
The middle level is 40-50 yards wide in places, try hitting the far bank shelf at any time with a 1.25tc rod and a 6oz livelie, even more when theres a stiff wind blowing, as there is a lot of the time on the fens.
The relief channel and lower Ouse are bigger still. At times I may with bait and weight combined be chucking anything up to 9oz and I am sorry but a 2lb TC even is not up to that.
In addition to that there are large pike present in the fens and I dont want to be leaving hooks in them. Personally my perch rods are 1.25 tc and I cannot think of any zander application for them, they are not powerful enough to consistently set the hooks and cant chuck any weight.
I accept that 3.25 in most instances will be too powerful, but the best zander rods that i have ever used were greys prodigy deadbait rods which are rated as 3lb tc but in my opinion were nowhere near that, and remember that a 3lb tc pike rod will be a lot softer than a 3lb tc carp rod.
No offence meant mate, but the "no long casting in the fens" line is one that I see written a lot, usually by people with absolutely no experience of fishing them, but have this image of a small land drain, rather than the bigger waters that are home to the bigger zander.
I'm still using the 3 Daiwa Sensor 'Z' rods (2 x 21/4tc + 1 x 21/2tc) I bought in Downham Market back in 2000. They've been great for my Zandering, durable, good power and a really good action. I haven't been out as yet this season but having booked the 15 - 29 September off work today it looks as if I won't be waiting too much longer!!!
Steve,
In reply to your original thread - I reckon you would indeed have a market for doing guided trips on the Fens, in the not so distant past I used to run a website devoted to Zander angling and there were always people emailling for information on how to catch their first Zed. During 2003 I was doing an awful lot of Zed fishing (great days) and the old phone was always going, with guys asking for info on good waters etc.
I reckon there'd be scope also for different types of service, ie perhaps people may wish to take in a little of the nostalgia of where it all began in the Fens (cue a trip to the Relief Channel), or maybe a trip with the hope of a really big fish (cue one of your fave 'Big' Zed waters) or you could get a chap or two who just hope to catch a few in a day / night (cue one of your 'bankers').
In addition to Mark, there were a couple of chaps guiding in the Fens circa 03/04 one of them from a Boat I believe. I don't know if they are still going strong.
Good luck whatever mate - Its a great branch of the sport!
Kind regards,
Dave
PS I spose I could say I guided Sash to his PB LOL I still haven't had a double from the area, first trip and he scored a real nice fish!!!
I would have thought you would be at greater risk of cracking off & leaving hooks in a fish by using poker like 3.25tc rods than far softer rods. Lets face it, zander are far from being the best fighting fish in the world, but they do tend to thrash about under the rod tip, so thats where I personally think you need a soft through action rod.
As for casting across the middle level & relief, I used 2no 1.75tc & 1no 2.5tc Daiwa mesh rods for 15 years with no problems & I definitely like big baits. I could certainly put an eel section or dead roach on the far shelf of the relief with even the 1.75's & as for the level, it really is just a lob to hit the far bank. Even in high winds you only need to cast flat to reach the far side easily. Re the sluggish pike, they are mostly just a pump & wind affair so I don't think rod power is an issue with these either. In fact I have landed vundu catfish, big salmon, 40lb+ tuna, GT's & even 120lb+ sailfish on standard pike rods so landing a pike on a zander rod should be a piece of piss !
When using big livebaits, (in excess of 6 to 9oz) whatever rods you use, you aren't going to cast them across the relief without killing them anyway so you certainly wouldn't need animal rods for this work. 3.25tc for catfish & the odd big carp waters maybe, but for zander ??
Still, as Mark rightly says, rod choice is down to personal preference, he knows the rods when I don't & he has the experience to use them without cracking off, but I would not advise those new to zander fishing to use them.
A proper pike rod of 3lb tc or above will never be stiff as a poker. Properly designed pike rods should be of a compound taper with a softish tip section.
A stiff rod would continually pull the hooks out of the bait. I have 3.5 and 3lb tc carp rods and like you say these are stiff because they are fast taper to chuck baits a long way and would indeed be useless as a zed rod.
Also you say about just pumping in a big pike, yes thats probably true in the winter, but early autumn, or in the summer?
yes, about the same with maybe a little backwinding thrown in & the occasional tail walk (flip more like !) & bit of head shaking. I'm not being derogatory about them but as with zander, they are unlikely to burn your clutch out & are very seldom the most exciting fighters are they ?? (in winter I often mistake them for a wet sack !!)
I will bow to your wisdom on the rods but I don't think you will ever persuade me to use them. I like to get at least a little sport from the fish I catch.
Your comment on "properly designed" pike rods is correct but how many "properly designed" pike rods are out there, because in my view pike rods are of such a limited market for manufacturers they invariably take the easy route & re-hash poor selling carp rods with a different logo & fittings and call it something like "pike master" or similar. However I reserve judgement on Fox in this as anything Mick Brown has real input & design control over should be fit for the job, but they certainly got it wrong with the zander rods as they were shit !
Couldnt agree more mate, I picked a couple up in Brundall angling when they first came out and it was like how could they be this wrong!
Old days though now mate and Browny has a lot of imput into them, but as I said before rods are always going to be a really personal thing, one mans meat and all that.
Anyway enjoy the sail fishing you lucky bar steward!!!
I don't know if I will Mark, sitting in the blazing sun on a boat for a week, catching sailfish, giant trevally, cobia, spanish mackerel, sharks, etc etc & eating all that wonderfull chinese food, then on top of all that, having to spend 2 whole days in Singapore eating, drinking, shopping & sight seeing, life is just not fair is it !!!!
You are more than welcome to come along next year if you're up for it though. Ian has already booked his place & I have another 4 already lined up so I may even have to run 2 trips so there will be room for you.
it looks as if I won't be waiting too much longer!!!
