Gravel Pit Zander

What,s the best way to target them?

On the one and only gravel pit I have fished for Zander they are incredibly finicky.Nights are best and free funning , sensitve rigs catch best.Location is find shoal fish and fish close to those.The margins are best at night and gulleys / deep water during the day.Very fresh baits outcatch frozen deads by a mile except Eel section which is good no matter if frozen or not.
Bobbins rather than drop off indicators and small baits and hooks. ie 2 inch bait size 12 trebles or VB doubles.Soft wire traces have assisted.I use 15lb in case a decent Pike pay's a visit.
Good luck.

Cheers David.Is winter a good time to go after Zander or is warmer weather better. I've read a lot of conflicting views on this matter.

I don't think the time of year really matters but light levels - and water clarity - have a lot to do with feeding habits.

If the pit's cloudy, ie still being worked, they'll almost certainly feed all day if you can find them. Coloured-up areas - near wash-ins, or the windward bank on clay and sand pits; where the water will colour up in a good blow, are worth going for, esp if bait fish are attracted to the area by stuff getting stirred up.

If it's clear, you'll either find them in the deeper water by day or near anything which gives them shade or cover. Clearer conditions probably mean dull, overcast weather, dawn and dusk or even all-nighters are needed to find them.

By day try drifter fishing for them with livies or paternostering them on the sides of any deeper drop-offs etc.

Get the bait up off the bottom either way unless it's totally brass monkeys weahtehr, because it can be seen from further away and they'll happily come up in the water to have a pop at it.

They're a very mobile fish so if they aren't in front of you you've either got to keep moving till you find them, or sit tight in the hope they'll show up sooner or later.

If I had to use deads I'd go for float legering them, or popping them up just off the bottom. It's far more sensitive than a leger set up and you'll hit a lot more takes.

It also cuts down the amount of bank sticks, bite alarms etc you have to carry, meaning you can be more mobile.

Don't scale down too far - there's no point. A lot of these so-called dropped takes are down to the way they feed, rather than being finicky.

They'll often hit a bait and kill it and then just swim off and leave it - maybe it's an instinctive thing.

Tiny trebles and small baits are a recipe for deep-hooked fish, especially after dark.

At night don't be afraid to fish very close in - literally just over the marginal shelf - as they'll come right in close looking for the small stuff.

Glyn,

My first couple of seasons after Zander were on a large gravel pit and I managed a fair few fish, every one on frozen Roach deadbait! The bigger fish I found used to patrol the deep channel around a large island but smaller samples could be taken all around the pit. This pit fished better in mild, windy conditions when the water had a good colour. Fish could be taken all through the winter though. I only ever fished one night on the water as you didn't really have to because the fish would readily feed throughout the day.
I also fish at Ferry Meadows from time to time and I believe that these Pit Zander will also happily feed during the day, conditions allowing. On the first pit I used to get 'micro' Zeds when fishing during bright frosty conditions though.

As far as bite indication goes, I would always use a bobbin on a stillwater or a springer type indicator. They more often than not only move the indicator an inch or so, then if it moves again you will often have a deep hooked fish. They definitely do not seem to be as aggressive as the River and Drain Zander. I would only ever use double hooks also.

I had some of my best ever fishing times fishing for gravel pit Zander and sometimes I think of going back to the pit I started on, it was fairly easy and the fish were all in good nick.

Rgds
Dave

The only thing that made this a winter activity for me was the reduced Eel grief.
Chris is quite right about the small hook/small bait thing and as David mentions you have to be on the ball to avoid deep hooking. My Fens rigs just did not produce for me.I ended up fishing like this to get any sort of run.I would go with Chris before resorting to my desperate measures !.

David,
Is your pit a very deep one,that used to do 30lb+ pike in the 70's....near Brog?

Glyn,

I have long been a Pike angler and this season, after a while apart due to work, I started hunting that big Zed with me old mate Dave Marrs(See Above). In my humble but well thought out opinion you would have to look far and wide to find a more clued up Zander Angler. I certainly have had good success from following his lead this year and hope that you do too. Happy hunting.

Cheers.
Taph

Paul,

No mate it isnt. In fact if I remember correctly the biggest Pike it had done by the time I was fishing there was 23lbs 4oz. It didnt really fish that well for Pike but saying that, I dont think they were targeted that much. I dont think the Zeds were present until the mid 80's, apparently they went in via a couple of hacked off matchmen. I may go back in the future, although Im heavily into the Fens nowadays!

Rgds
Dave

Cheers Taph,

Gulp, Im all embarrassed! There are far better Zed anglers than I knocking around mate.

Rgds
Dave