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Where and when should you fish for zander?
The zander is a bottom-dwelling predator that is often found in deeper water or at depth, near drop-offs, depressions, slopes, bridge piers, submerged branches, or dam spillways.
The best times to fish are in the summer (late in the day) and in the fall (when the water is still warm) in the evening, or on very overcast days, when the fish rise slightly in the water column but stay close to the bottom.
Basic equipment for beginners
A spinning rod measuring 2.10 to 2.40 m, with a casting weight of 5 to 30 g, sensitive at the tip, with a reel around size 2500 and 130 to 150 m of 12/100 or 14/100 braided line, topped off with 1.50 to 2.50 m of 20/100 fluorocarbon leader.
For your first few tries, a soft plastic lure such as a shad or worm measuring 10 to 15 cm on a 10- to 20-gram jig head (or 7 to 10 grams in shallow water) will suffice in most cases.
The basic technique: linear + pause
Cast straight ahead or slightly upstream, let the lure hit the bottom, then lift it 20 to 30 cm and reel it in slowly in a straight line, keeping the rod high and the line taut.
Add short pauses of 1 to 2 seconds every 2 to 3 meters. Many zander strikes occur right as the lure starts moving again, after this pause.
Scratch-off and vertical animation
In rivers or shallow water, try bottom fishing. Use a slightly heavier jig head, give it a few short tugs to make the lure bounce off the bottom, then let it sink slowly.
If you're out on a boat or a float tube, switch to vertical fishing. Keep the lure just above the bottom, directly below you; gently jig it or let it rise and fall using the rod, always keeping the line taut.
A few tips for catching your first zander
Don't go for speed; zander are often shy, so your retrieve should be slow and steady, with mandatory pauses.
Try different color combinations (black/yellow, white, chartreuse, black/red) and adjust the jig head weight if you?re getting too many snags or if the lure isn?t staying at the right depth.
