Hello Reinier, could you introduce yourself to our readers ?
I am Reinier, a fanatic Seabass angler (31) living and fishing in one of the biggest harbors in the world. I am located near Rotterdam and we fish from the shore and the boat for our beloved European Seabass with different techniques.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing ?
As a young boy I started fishing with my father, mainly on roach, bream and carp. After that, like many others, I came in contact with the freshwater predators. As a teenager I was aiming for big pikes with lures and dead bait. After I was getting a bit older I started saltwater fishing and this became my main expertise. Lure fishing for seabass is something special, especially in one of the biggest harbors in the world! Big containerships, cruise ships and many other vessels pass by at night when we are all alone on these marks.
When, how and why did you agree to become a Pro-Staff ?
About three years ago I came in contact with Fiiish Netherlands. I did a small promotion deal with them. Fortunately they were happy with what I came up with and they asked me to join their team here in the Netherlands. You can imagine that I was (and still am) pretty excited!
What does being an ambassador mean to you ?
I have been using the Black Minnows from Fiiish since I started lure fishing for seabass. The realistic look and one of kind paddle action was a game changer for me. This in combination with the best weedless design makes it my favor lure! For me it not only about representing the brand but also the great innovation behind it. I think the BM is one of the most copied lure in the salt water industry, this says something about the design.
We fish the river mount of the river Maas which ends in the North Sea, this is a really fast flowing river where fresh and salt water get mixed. Our main technique is jigging on and near underwater structures. These structures varies from underwater dams, rock piles to stoney drop-offs. The bass are mainly before and on the structures, laying in the fast currents.
The technique we use for fishing the structures can be split into two different techniques. The first we use is to let the lure, in this case a Black Minnow or Black Eel, hoover above the structures. For us it is really important that we have a weedless presentation as you can imagine that you can get stuck really easy. In these fast flowing waters you will throw your lure uptide and let it "bounce" on the bottom and across the structures. During the hoover moment you can expect a hard tap on the rod and you can prepare yourself for a strong fight. The bass are very good in using the current in their favor and the fight can be really hard as they tent to dive behind these structures as well. Using a 60/100 diameter leader is a must in this environment.
On the other hand we use a more spinning technique. This technique we use when there is no current or when we fish really shallow spots (1.5/2meter). We still throw uptide and spin our lure above the structures. This way we fish about one meter above the bottom. We noticed that when the current dies the bass will be more active in the middle of the water column.
What's your fondest memory or anecdote from your time as a Pro-Staff ?
One of my most memorable fishing moments was when I first caught an 80cm plus Bass. This was on a really hard night where we wouldn't able to find the fish. I already though about going home as it was like three in the morning. However my mate really wanted to go to one more mark. On the second or third cast I got a good hit and immediately knew it was big. Could thought that I would catch such a beast on that night on my favorite BM #3 in Fluo Rose. A year later I managed to get another 80 cm bass on the same lure. For me an all time favorite as you can imagine.
Of course I release all of my fish as they are under immense pressure. Especially fish over 55 cm needs to be returned to the sea.
What do you think of fishing in the Netherlands ?
I think that the oceans and sea's are being overfished a lot. Not mainly by anglers but more about the trawlers and fish factories on the sea. I think it is important to think about the future and catch and release is something really important nowadays. Be aware of the environment and the fish, treat both of them well.
