Lure fishing for predators

Hi all. Am new Fishmagic and just wanting some advice on areas worth trying with soft plastics. I live in March in the Fenlands and have had some success in the Old Nene but nothing massive; I'm only new to the area though and still figuring out where to fish it.

Is Ferry Meadows worth a try with lures? I have read about dead baiting but I much prefer the lure option to cover some ground.

I've also read that the Ouse around Ely is good for pike and zander?

Any information would be appreciated. I am originally from Australia and love my fishing but have struggled to get used to the differences in how and where to target fish here.

I am aware that it is currently closed season on the rivers and canals but just want to get the jump for when the season opens in few weeks.

Welcome. I can't help with specifics of your area I'm afraid, but in general, soft plastics do work for pike and even better for zander in my experience.

One thing you may take a little getting used to is that fish are generally more sluggish, so slower retrieve and lures fished near the bottom is often the way forward. Obviously, there are no hard and fast rules, just something to bear in mind.

You will no doubt get a lecture about wire traces, catch & release and fish handling. It's important, but I'll leave that to someone else

Hi welcome to the forum

I tend to lure fish more in the colder months October to march … check your with your local tackle shop about cannels not all of them have a closed season so you can still fish them I use small jelly lures for perch and jacks on cannels… try fishing a floating lure near lily pads this time of year