Click here for the message board Online Resource for
Predator Anglers
  Articles, Stories, Reviews, Pictures and Forum

About me and this website

Recent changes and additions

Articles and stories, back to main list

Some lures described

Opinions on odd bits of tackle etc, back to main list

Probably the best links page for lure and predator anglers anywhere

Lots of pictures

Just ask!

Tackle, Tactics and Experience

Lure Fishing in Holland 

By Michel Huigevoort

After receiving email from Michel, I asked him for some information about fishing in Holland. Here is his reply (spring 2000).

To answer your question, I will try to tell you something about lure fishing in Holland. Sorry for my poor English, but when others spent their time on English lessons, I was out fishing!

Lure fishing is really taking off nowadays in Holland. The main reason for that is of course that live-baiting isn't allowed anymore. It isn't since September or so last year. It was a very strange decision to say the least. It is a little bit hard to explain for me here, but maybe you already know all the ins and outs about it. If not, I'll try to explain it to you later.

As a pike angler I wasn't really shocked about it. The last few years I only fished with lures and deadbaits, using a static method. (I believe you call it legering??) But most pikers here in Holland are "over the hill" ( 60 years and older) and for them it is very hard to change their tactics. They only know livebaiting and they are convinced that live baits are much better than lures.(silly old fools!) Most of them stopped piking. Too bad... The only thing I know is that since I am using lures, I catch a lot more. Fact is of course that most waters in Holland are very suitable for livebaiting. Livebaiting is also a whole lot cheaper, and when I am reading Pikelines or Harris' Lures Magazine, I can see that lures aren't quite cheap either over there! They sure know how to rip off the anglers over there!!!! I buy a lot of lures in the USA via the internet, and that saves me a lot of money. Since I haven't won the lottery yet, it is the best way for me.

In Holland we have an organisation like the PAC. It is called the SNB, which means Snoekstudiegroep Nederland en Belgie. It only cost 30 guilders and then you get a magazine like Pikelines 4 times a year. (interested in a membership??) Like the PAC we also have the Regions, meetings etc. The SNB (try to) do a lot of good work in pike conservation etc.

A very popular method of lure fishing here right now is the fishing for zander with the little rubber shads and twisters. This so called "vertical fishing" is highly effective in winter, when the zander likes it to take it slow. 20 or 30 zander a day isn't rare at all. I think it is a little dull fishing method, but that is personal. Next Saturday we go out for a "vertical session" because all other types of lure fishing are a little bit slow at the moment. With vertical fishing it is best to operate from a boat using an electro motor. You just jig your shad, following the bottom structure as good as possible. We use a fast 6ft rod and 6 or 8lbs dyneema. A good fishfinder is almost a must to do the job properly.

Trolling lures is also very popular here at the moment. How about it in the U.K.? So Dave I guess this is it for today, I think I used all the English words I know!!

Thanks Michel. Your English is fine, somewhat better than my Dutch...