“RUDD ARE AN UNDERRATED SPECIES TO TARGET ON LURES!”
“WHEN I found out that the venue I was fishing held some big rudd, I couldn’t resist grabbing the ultralight lure kit.
“It’s less effective than fishing for them with bait, but it’s a great challenge to take on. The rudd become shy very easily, but the approach I use is one that can get results quickly. You’ll also catch roach and bream on it – other species that aren’t usually associated with lure fishing.
“I’ve found that, if you employ the right approach, opportunities can reveal themselves for unorthodox species.
“Essentially, I go for a drop shot rig, but with an LRF (Light Rock Fishing) twist. I find LRF rods in the 0.5g class to be perfect. These are teamed with 4lb-6lb braided mainline, 3lb-6lb fluorocarbon links, and drop shot weights from as little as 0.5g – although these should be matched to the situation you find yourself in. For the rudd, I was using 2.5g.
“In terms of lures, I always go for micro patterns, less than one inch long. It’s crucial to team these with the right size of hook, my choice being a 14. These are fine-wired and very sharp.
“There are lots of options of lure pattern that will produce. Most of the ones I use are brightly coloured, but black can be a great catcher, particularly in bright conditions, or when I’m fishing very clear or murky waters.
“My rig does differ from a standard drop shot set-up. Instead of having the hook fixed on the line, as it is in most coarse fishing scenarios, I tie it on with a simple figure-of-eight loop. This gives it a little bit of extra movement, which makes a huge difference in amplifying the bites from delicately feeding silverfish.
“This can also enhance the lure’s range of movement. You can try different-sized loops, too, all of which offer subtle variations in pre
