1- Water Monitor 85 - Illex
For years, the Water Monitor has been a reference for asp fishing and it is well justified. It is a sinking stick which thanks to its weight works well, even in the current. Its size is interesting because it is all-purpose throughout the season. This lure can be cast far and tolerates very fast retrieves. It is available in several natural colors, perfect for use in clear water. There is also a white model (Bone), preferable in low light. It is a lure to be brought back preferably with a low rod, at full speed, but it also works well at reduced speed when walking the dog.
2- Z Claw 86 - Zenith
For asp, I prefer to use lures evolving under the surface for their ability to work at fast retrieve speed. It is nevertheless advisable to have some lures of surface and for this use, I appreciate the Z Claw in its size 86. It has the advantage of being able to be worked slowly, making it do a nice Walking The Dog move. But, it can also, and more importantly, be reeled in faster, making it swim erratically. The lure even dives under the surface at times, which amplifies the randomness of its swimming.
3- Orbit 90 SP-SR - Zip Baits
This 9 cm suspending jerk minnow is very good for fishing educated fish. It works well with fast action in the current but it excels when used with slower action where the fish have plenty of time to observe the lure. The strong point of this lure is that it is devoid of noisy balls and I think that for asp, it is better to favor silent lures. I used to use the Rigge 90 F a lot, also from Zip Baits, which is unfortunately no longer in the catalog. The Orbit 90 is the lure that comes close, with the added advantage of suspending density. For fast fishing in areas with strong currents, the ZBL System Minnow 90 S-SR from Zip Baits is better suited.
(Bonus) - Squad Minnow 65 SP - Illex
In the same spirit as the Orbit 90 SP-SR, but smaller, the Squad Minnow 65 is a suspending jerk minnow that I use to catch fish that I see on the edges or during chases. The size 95 is also very good, but this one I use for fishing at full speed in the current.
I hope that this overview of the lures I use will help you to prepare a small selection if you want to go in search of the asp, a fish to discover at least once to get an idea of the interest of fishing it with lures.
