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Complicated on paper
It's the first outing of the season on this river and we don't really know what to expect. The water temperature is still high, the whites have not gathered, so it looks complicated on paper.
Fish hunting in little water for the morning shot before the light is too strong. We use shads on lead heads for linear fishing. Despite our best efforts, the first fish is a long time coming.
The sun is now well up and we're changing strategy. This time we're going to fish marked spots that often hold fish. Submerged tree or bridge pier in particular.
By dint of insistence, we were rewarded with a nice fish in a pile of boulders. It's a fine lure presented vertically that decides it.
Adapting to the situation
We may think we're on to something, but unfortunately the vertical fishing/fine lure combo doesn't work again. It's time again to try something radically different. The weed beds are still very present at this time of year and are bound to hold back whitefish. Back to linear fishing, but this time targeting weed beds. It's very pleasant fishing with light tackle. I use a 7-foot medium-power casting rod. It's ideal for 4" to 6" lures leaded with 5 to 15 g. The reel is fitted with braid followed by a 26-centime fluorocarbon tip. I start with very lightly leaded lures in order to glide over the weeds. But in the end, it's by fishing a little heavier that I get some hits. The grass beds are at the end of their life and have lost their vigour. The game consists in dropping the lure a little and then pulling it out suddenly to get some reaction bites. The fish are modest, but it's a real pleasure.
I rotate the lures to see if there's one that would make the difference. As I'm leaving a weed bed with a grub, I get it sucked in. On the hook I feel it's heavy. Could it be a nice zander or a pike? In fact, it's a very nice asp that arrives at the boat, a nice surprise.
All in all, it was a very pleasant day on the water. Our only regret is that we missed the boat in the morning, with no answer as to the right strategy to adopt. A little frustrating, but that's often the case with these devilish pike-perches.
