Lure Fishing with Robbie Northman

[Robbie Northman]

The Girls Get It Done

Having a free day, I decided to give some friends a call. I’ve been quite busy recently and struggled to find free time. Unfortunately, that meant I’d neglected a few good friends. It was time to make up for my absence. After a catch up with my fenland pals Adele and Adele (Del) we decided to get together and try to tick off a target fish… The magical 2lb perch.

DAY ONE

With an absent Del, Adele and I decided to tackle some local waters. We were hopeful, putting our heads together, that we could find quality perch fishing on her doorstep. In the past I’ve tried, and while breaking through to the bigger fish proved difficult, I managed perch to 2lb 8oz. That alone filled us with confidence to head out and give it a go.

We started mid-morning on a small canal-like drain. I rigged up with a simple ned rig while Adele fished a finesse dropshot set-up. Slow delicate presentations would be necessary here, in clear water and bright sunshine. We set off walking the embankment, stopping to fish any feature we could find. Barge moorings, reed banks, bushes and trees. We tackled the lot without so much as a nibble.

We stopped beside a tree with a few dimpling baitfish, hopeful of a fish or two there. Other than a few tiny perch following the lure, that too proved uneventful. Perhaps, in the conditions, we needed to find some real shade, so we walked on towards a bridge, often a reliable perch area. I decided to give Adele one of the Goby Tubes to try on a very light ned head, then we moved into position.

It didn’t take long before Adele got a take, hooking up to angry perch which fought aggressively right to the net, leading us to think it was twice the size. Alas, not our target two pounder, but a great fish all the same. The rest of the day proved slow, with a few small perch and pike. It was time to turn our attention to zander.

A short drive later we rigged up in darkness, both picking finesse dropshot rigs. Fishing proved slow, with the following hour producing little action. Right before we decided to call it a night, Adele’s rod slammed over, she was in! This time a quality zander, fighting hard on the 1-7g rod. We netted the fish, which made her session, and made a plan for day two of the perch hunt.

The shade of a bridge saved the day for Adele
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Zander success! A Z-Man TicklerZ, in Laguna Shrimp, produced the bites​

DAY TWO

Day two arrived, and Del finally joined us, a change in conditions inspired a change in venue. Low air pressure, windy, and bitterly cold, I fancied our chances of locating a big fish or two. We started off fishing fast, covering ground, trying to entice a quick reactive bite. It soon became clear that the fish were in a much lazier mood.

Adele persevered with a slow dropshot technique, while Del and I ground creature baits slowly along the bottom. The slow dragging technique soon paid off. While crawling the lure over a snag I felt a faint tap, hooking up with a good fish. Landing one, I quickly cast to the feature again, instructing Del to do the same.

Bang! I hooked up to another heavy fish, deep lunges and headshakes, the tell-tale sign of a perch. I backed the drag off, giving in to the powerful lunges of the perch, moments later a three was in the net. While unhooking mine, Del hooked up, rod bent double into another powerful fish. Convinced it was a giant, I readied the net, eagerly waiting as the fish stayed deep, diving for cover.

I was fooled. Del’s light set-up had me convinced a giant was on the line, I was surprised when a fighting fit perch just under the 2lb mark emerged. A little short of our target, but a cracking fish all the same, she was thrilled. We cast again, eager for more action, and within seconds another faint tap led to a rod-bending, drag-clicking, bout of adrenaline.

Another quality fish! As the perch dived down, seeking cover, I made a careless mistake, losing focus for a second, the fish changed angle, relieving just enough pressure to slip the hook. And just like that the shoal had spooked. Our ten minutes of non-stop action had passed. It was time to move on, seeking out fresh targets in the remaining daylight.

Del’s cracking perch looked and fought like a much larger fish
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A fin-perfect three for me, my favourite Reaction Cray produced the bites
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Cheb rigs produced on both days, weedless presentations were necessary for fishing in snags and structure​

The post Lure Fishing with Robbie Northman #54 first appeared on FishingMagic Magazine.

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[Robbie Northman]

Ten Minutes of Magic

It was time for a day out that I look forward to every year. A visit from Kevin and Ken. I’m joined each winter by the guys, who make the journey up to visit me in search of a big perch. Last year proved challenging, with a few fish up to low twos. However, this year conditions were perfect.

We decided to meet in darkness, preparing the boat, ready for a long motor towards the first spot. As daylight broke we set our course, through freezing mist and icy wind. A cracking start followed, the first spot of the day producing a couple of fun-sized pike and a perch. A confidence boost, and a sure sign a few fish would be feeding. Once the bites dried up we continued on, the air still freezing cold.

I soon found a couple of areas holding fish. Despite our efforts covering the zones with different techniques and angles, we managed just a few finicky bites. It was time to break for a coffee and lunch before heading out for Round Two. The weather changed dramatically. Sun broke through cloud and the temperature lifted by a few degrees, certainly more comfortable to fish in. We worked back over the productive areas for a few more hours, before switching to Plan B.

The perch had been feeding aggressively for an hour or so around last light during recent sessions. So, after fishing on the move a while longer, we decided to head to an area I had located a few fish this season. Our primary goal to catch big perch on crankbaits. We pulled up on the area, and I decided to do a few passes with the sonar. Pinpointing the fish, and anchoring up in the right place would be the key to success.

After a little searching and test-fishing I found the perch, sheltering on structure. I briefed the guys on the best area to cast, Kevin working a lure around the swim, while Ken decided on traditional bait tactics. Ken made a perfect cast to a group of big perch. It was just a matter of time, and I had a good feeling…

I watched the shoal move in on the sonar screen, then Ken hooked up to a powerful fish. This one kept its head down, kiting like a pike towards cover. A tense battle followed, powerful headshakes and slow lunges. Finally a big perch surfaced. A quick scoop with the net, a life-long PB was broken. Ken was shaking, having just set eyes on his first three pounder.

Kevin was next to hook up, connecting to another powerful fish! Determined to get under the boat, this one fought hard, taking every opportunity to return to the depths. Kevin soon gained the advantage, and I readied the net again, scooping up another great perch in the high twos. Now it was my time to shine…

Kevin with one of his quality perch
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Releasing Ken’s three​

Having helped a couple of good mates catch PBs, I decided to get in on the action. The perch were active, a few good fish were moving about. I spent a few minutes working crays and shads around the swim. A few small perch later, I figured these fish wanted a proper meal. I swapped over to the crankbait rod, rigging up a 15g Gravity Crank. Fishing over a snaggy bottom, I removed one of the hooks, adding a little tungsten putty to counter the weight change.

Slow and steady, I ground the lure over the snags, pausing for a moment every now and then, allowing the crankbait to lift. It didn’t take long. During a pause the rod slammed over, I was connected to another great fish. I backed the drag off, allowing the rod to flex, absorbing the head-shakes of a decent perch. Thump, thump, thump, a nerve-wracking feeling as the fish drew closer to the boat. I readied the net just in time to see a big flank breach the surface, and quickly landed my prize.

With the technique sussed out, and light fading fast, Kevin, Ken and I cast around our crankbaits. A mad ten minutes of action. Alongside some smaller perch I hooked up with another great fish, scraping two pound. Then, just as the bites were beginning to dry up Kevin hooked a good one. Working a Goby Crank deep, his rod hunched over, yet another decent fish.

I watched as powerful lunges flexed the rod blank, quickly grabbing the net. Another cracking 2lb plus fish, marking the perfect end to our session. It had gone from slow to bonkers in an instant, and just as quickly died. But the guys were thrilled, having both landed PBs.

My top perch
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A Gravity Crank with tungsten putty countering the removed hook
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A filled-out low 2
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Kevin caught more than perch with his crankbait!


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The post Lure Fishing with Robbie Northman #55 first appeared on FishingMagic Magazine.

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[Robbie Northman]

Season’s End

The end of another season of angling has drawn to a close. It’s a time of the year I enjoy, a rest, a chance to clean a very messy tackle shed, and to reflect. I slipped out for one final outing in the glorious weather on March 14th. A hard day, but a few pretty pike and a pub lunch made me content. It wasn’t a bad ending, I managed to put in a little bit of time through the final weeks of the season, to say it paid off would be an understatement. At the end of a really tough day, I was rewarded with an epic fish…

A pike from the 14th​

I decided on a late start, with clear water conditions I expected the fish would feed best close to dusk. 2.00pm, I loaded the boat, rigged my rods, and set off in search of some end-of-season bruisers. I spent about half an hour checking the usual areas with side scan, finding very little activity in the bright sun. To pass the time I moved on to fishing cover and shaded areas, eventually tempting a few perch and pike. Slow techniques in tight cover did the trick. A tiny ned craw just hopped along the bottom, hop, pause, repeat. Simple, yet very effective for perch and pike. Despite using such small lures, I expected regular pike encounters, making me choose light wire as a hook length. Either 6lb Knot2Kinky or 10lb Drennan Soft Strand. Both being very easy to knot.

As the light levels began to drop, I decided to resume my hunt for perch. I scanned a few key areas, eventually spotting a roach shoal with several larger shapes stationed nearby, these had to be perch, hanging out in the main channel in bright conditions. Not what I expected to find, but some of these shapes were big! I carefully manoeuvred around the shoal, setting the boat up in a position where I could cast upstream to them. Locked in my sights, visible on the live sonar as I made my first cast, using the same little ned cray that had been productive throughout the day.

Bounce, pause, repeat. I worked the lure through the swim, watching the jig flutter and fall in front of fish. Zero reaction! They couldn’t have been more switched off to the style of lure. I mixed it up again, switching to a much larger swimming-style crayfish. Bigger movements, with a slow drop and pause. This time they flinched. A couple of the smaller shapes moved slightly towards it, inspecting the jig before settling down. Bigger movement was aggravating them, but they weren’t willing to feed aggressively.

I grabbed the twitching rod from the rod rack. A 7-23g SG4, with a 15g Gravity Twitch 95, roach-style pattern with a yellow belly. I worked the lure over the shoal, twitch, twitch, pause, wind, repeat. This time a couple of bigger fish moved in to investigate, following right to the boat. After a few more casts with similar reactions, I decided to stop. Close to dusk, I let the fish settle down for ten minutes before trying again in the fading light.

ActiveTarget has been a game changer in understanding predator behaviour​

As the light began to drop, more roach appeared, and the shoal began to move, the odd fish breaking formation, checking out potential food. Now was my perfect opportunity. I cast beyond the fish, beginning an aggressive retrieve. A sequence of aggressive twitches followed by a long pause. Erratic and aggressive, yet slow at the same time.

Twitch, twitch, boom! The tip slammed around, I was in! Machine gun thumps as a powerful fish kited to my left. This one felt really big. Suddenly, it swam to the right, heading toward my bow motor, then diving beneath the boat. Beneath me I felt the full weight of the fish, growing increasingly nervous. It ran back to open water, breaching the surface. A goliath perch appeared! I couldn’t reach the net quickly enough as the beast thrashed at the surface. However, luck was on my side as I landed another giant at 48cms and over 4lbs.

I unhooked the fish, quickly casting again, bang! Another great fish on the line. Slow thumping headshakes made me nervous. Surely there couldn’t be two that size? I readied the net for a second goliath as another great perch breached. Not quite the stamp as the last fish but another great perch in the 3s. I unhooked the second fish and cast again, this time without a bite. Making another cast, this time I slowed it down, a couple of twitches, and longer pauses.

Twitch, pause, plink! A faint tug and I set the hook, feeling the headshakes of yet another decent perch. A smaller fish, perhaps in the mid 2s, a great specimen in its own right. I netted the third and cast again, this time without results. Several casts later and I’d added two more scraper 2s to the tally and the perch shoal had finally moved on. I took a few quick photos and slipped them back. One last haul of the season.

A head-first take on the Twitch bait
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The session’s second biggest
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A seriously long perch…
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…It had the bulk to match the length​

The post Lure Fishing with Robbie Northman #56 first appeared on FishingMagic Magazine.

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[Robbie Northman]

Neon, Turquoise and Green

I ended the final few days of the coarse fishing season in pursuit of perch and pike. It was an interesting end, the perch playing hard to get. The pike fishing, however, was insane with most days on the bank or boat producing an average of 20 fish. Despite the non-stop action from smaller fish and a few big followers, the average size was quite small, with most sessions producing just one or two low doubles. There was however one special day, which produced a very special fish. Not just a great size but totally unique.

Now I’ve caught some strange looking pike, dark pike in clear lakes, pike with fiery fins, and pug noses, but this one was a first… It was blue, green, perhaps more of a turquoise colour. It’s a pretty rare phenomenon with a few pike across the globe presenting blue mouths or neon lips, but this one had the full hue across its body. The only other similar looking fish I’ve seen were caught in Canada.

Intense yellows on a Broadland pike
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Neon lips and blue flesh​

WHY WOULD A PIKE BE BLUE?

After my unusual pike encounter, I took to the Internet in search of any information I could dig up on neon/turquoise pike (that’s what they most often seem to be called). The most logical explanation I could find is environmental adaptation, using the fish’s chromatophores. Chromatophores are colour-changing cells, they give masters of deception and camouflage, such as the octopus and chameleon, their colour-changing ability.

These cells are also present in fish. I’m sure many of us have noticed the variation in colour between fish in different water qualities. This variation also extends to their preferred hunting environment, and can be changed as they transition between environments. In murky water I’ve often caught perch with no stripes that seem to gain them once at the surface. The same goes for fish that start vibrant and change to a darker tone once captured.

We often see strong colour change in both carp and trout as the seasons change. Chromatophores explain the ability. Why would a fish choose blue? Could it be a genetic defect in the cells’ pigment range? Or do all pike have this ability? Why don’t we see more of them? Some say it’s a pelagic hunting adaptation in algae-filled waters, and others believe it could be down to the weed they ambush in. Without an in-depth study and so few examples out there, I guess the mystery will remain unsolved. One thing is very certain, it’s a spectacular fish, and here’s how I caught it.

Deep blues in the fins of this fish​

I arrived at the venue in the morning with pike on my mind. It was blowing a mild Easterly, the sun already bright, not my preference in pike conditions but a lovely day to be fishing. I rigged up a jerkbait rod, with a new 14.5cms Gravity Twitch, and a medium shad rod, then began my search. Roving from swim to swim I started with the jerkbait, before running an 11cms shad through with more finesse. The jerkbait quickly put a small fish on the bank, a lazy take, so I decided to focus on the shad rod, picking out a motor oil perch shad in 11cms. A great translucent green pattern that stands out and absorbs light in bright conditions.

Confident fish were in the area, I spent a few minutes toying with different retrieve styles, eventually settling on a slow steady wind in mid-water. The technique proved perfect and it wasn’t long until a few more jacks had been landed. I passed the rod over to a friend new to lure fishing to see if he could catch his first pike. After a few more jacks we moved into deeper water and it wasn’t long until he connected to something special. A powerful fish, taking line from a fairly tight spool. A double? No, this was much bigger. I watched in awe at the sight of his first lure-caught 20, in his first few hours of pike fishing, a feat that had taken me many years to accomplish.

After the bites dried up we stopped for lunch where I had a think about what technique to fish, knowing I’d never get my shad rod back. Being the brightest part of the day I decided to scale down, picking out a nano jig to fish on light wire with my perch combo. I’d be certain to pick up a few fish using this technique. I picked a swim with deep water and made a cast. I let the lure sink to the bottom, then retrieved it for a few feet before letting it drop again.

Bang! I felt a solid tap and set the hook hard, instantly regretting choosing such a light setup. The rod doubled over and I released some pressure on the drag. This fish was big, possibly the biggest I’ve hooked on a rod so light. I hung on as the fish tore off, taking advantage of each brief opportunity to recover line. After a few minutes I’d coaxed the fish almost to netting range. Naturally, as soon as I unfolded the net it decided to go, ripping line from the reel at quite a pace.

On a well balanced combo I quickly regained the upper hand, and with net at the ready landed my prize. The scales bounced past 25lbs but the weight seemed irrelevant. Instead, I was captivated by the insane colouration, and watched in awe as vibrant green blue fins disappeared back into the depths.

An incredible pike
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A final glimpse


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The post Lure Fishing with Robbie Northman #57 first appeared on FishingMagic Magazine.

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[Robbie Northman]

The Final Entry

Well here we are, after over a year documenting my weekly fishing, we’ve reached the end… Of course, I’ll be continuing on with my angling pursuits, and new projects. If you wish to stay up to date with what I’m up to, head over to my Facebook or Instagram accounts – Robbie Northman.

I’m proud to have documented my weekly fishing over such a time span, and hope these past articles have been enjoyable and helpful in your own fishing. So let’s break down a year in angling, what I target over 12 months, and when I target each species. I’ll cover the tactics I find most effective through each month.

APRIL

An exciting month for me. After a short break I begin my trout fishing adventure. Restricted to fly fishing in East Anglia, I fish with a mixture of nymphing and streamer tactics. Occasionally cashing in on short spells of dry fly action during hatches of olives and hawthorn flies.

MAY

As we creep into May, fly hatches become more prolific, eventually the Mayfly appear. A great time to single out large trout on dry fly. With the change in weather bass frequent a now much clearer coast. Soft plastics and jigging metals fished at range single out fish in rough and calm conditions.

As seasons change so does fish behaviour. As May transitions to June the minnow gets his spawning colours​

JUNE

A very special month for all anglers. Trout and bass get my attention up until the 16th, then it’s chub time. Still naive, topwater tactics can prove deadly for early season chub. Lures like the Savage Gear 3D Cicada and shallow diving crankbaits are the most deadly through this month.

JULY

Throughout early July I’m still cashing in on naive chub, as the month draws on they require a little more finesse. Weightless soft plastics and beetle flies come into play, tricking wary fish. Meanwhile, the bass have been another target, calm consistent conditions have kept the fish at range most days. Extreme casting with distance metals and jigs picks up fish at long distance, occasionally with awesome results.

Bass have fast become one of my favourite target species​

AUGUST

Bass, chub and impossible fish. August is a varied month, bass can be tricky but quality mackerel make great coastal sport. Range metals and sandeel cranks produce the best action. The chub are difficult, small crankbaits and plastics, fished with a stealthy approach produce. As for the impossible fish… sea trout. I’ve been trying to catch them around the coast for a few seasons, I haven’t cracked it yet.

SEPTEMBER

Still a great month for coastal fishing, bass, mullet, the odd big mackerel. All sorts of tactics work as cooler weather creates more storms and turbid water. The late summer chub fishing can be quite amazing too. The fish will often feed with aggression, taking large lures. Topwater perch are a valid option throughout September.

When chub are in the mood they take lures with as much aggression as any perch or pike​

OCTOBER

The start of my winter’s predator fishing. The bass are still active but I turn my attention to perch and pike. Big lures, jerkbaits, swimbaits, and tailbaits provoke aggressive strikes. Meanwhile, perch are keen to hit active lures, big creature baits and swimbait shads are my go-to.

NOVEMBER

Seasonal changes take place. The pike slow down a little, big lures fished with more finesse work. While finesse shad tactics pick out lazy fish. The perch are migrating and can be tricky. Creature baits and ned rigs work the best for me. Let’s not miss out zander. November onwards proves the best for me when it comes to targeting Zs on a mix of slow shading and dropshot tactics.

Targeting zander with finesse tactics has become something I look forward to every year​

DECEMBER

Often a tricky month, the predators are nearing the end of their main migration, cooler waters have slowed the metabolism. December is a finesse month for me. Small shads, ned rigs, and crankbaits. Fishing slow will pick up both a mixture of perch and pike for me.

JANUARY

Usually the first truly cold month, frosts are more frequent now and the fish have acclimatised and settled in to their winter hunting zones. Slow tactics work well for the bites. Shads, creatures and neds dragging the bottom. Equally when things are going slow try crankbaits and jerkbaits to entice a reaction bite or two, they often pick up big pike.

A twenty-plus that fell for a small jerkbait​

FEBRUARY

My favourite month for big perch. They are well settled and hungry most sessions. I like to give them a big snack to entice a take. Large jerkbaits, big cranks, big craws, and stick baits all work well. Keeping an eye on weather changes, looking for consistent conditions to fish aggressive lures, and sudden pressure drops to slow things down, and then fish the larger static lures.

MARCH

A perch and pike fest. The final weeks of the season, fish are moving out and beginning to migrate to spawning grounds. If you can find them and entice a take there’s often the chance of a specimen. Suspending jerkbaits and slow sinking paddle tails work well for the pike. While almost anything can trigger a big perch frenzy. Often bright and warm, slow ned rigging tactics prevail. When overcast, cool conditions hit, faster hard lures can produce.

Now we’ve come full circle and reached the end of my year in fishing. A plan I’ve followed as a lure all-rounder for the last few seasons and will again this year. Thank you for following my adventures over the past year.




The post Lure Fishing with Robbie Northman #58 first appeared on FishingMagic Magazine.

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[Peter Jacobs]

Thank you so much for your experiences throughout the year.

Although not a lure angler myself I have found your articles really enjoyable, instructional and entertaining.

Many thanks for sharing . . . . . and best wishes for the futre.