Rudd are among the most stunning of coarse fish species, but they can be notoriously finicky. Try these tricks to stack the odds in your favour…
1. USE BREAD
In summer and autumn, floating crust takes some beating. Feed several loose chunks then, as the fish start competing, freeline a fresh chunk towards them.
2. TRY A POLE FLOAT
Lightweight carbonstemmed pole floats are excellent for fishing for rudd onthe-drop because they tilt slowly as each shot settles, making for excellent presentation and bite indication.
3. SPICE IT UP
Maggots work well for rudd on their own, but flavoured ones can pick out the better stamp of fish. Fruity flavours tend to work best in summer, while spicy ones are generally better when the temperatures drop.
4. LOW LIGHT
Dusk is the best time to target rudd. When light levels are low, they will feed particularly aggressively and with less caution than in bright daylight.
5. LOOK FOR BUGS
Where possible fish into the wind as rudd will follow the insects that are blown on to the surface.
6. RUDD ON THE FLY
Fly fishing is a rarely used but highly effective way of catching rudd on the surface. Try to match the fly to the insects that the fish are feeding on.
7. FINE IT DOWN
Big rudd are very shy creatures and can soon sense a hook buried in bait, or line that is too thick. If you find some rudd feeding at short range, do away with floats and weights and freeline bait on the surface instead.
8. CHECK COVER
The most likely place to find big rudd in rivers is among yellow water lilies or bulrushes just beyond the shallow marginal shelf.
9. ADD CLOUD
A little condensed milk added to a fine groundbait makes a superb milky cloud in the water that will linger for ages. This is a brilliant way of attracting rudd.
10. CATCH HIGH
Fish up in the water to catch rudd, feeding little and often to get them competing.
11. CHECK THE DEPTH
Rudd will spend spring and summer in areas of shallow water but will move into deeper water once autumn arrives.
12. LONG LASTING HOOKBAITS
When feeding casters up-in-the-water, put a castershaped piece of worm on the hook. This enables you to catch several fish on the same bait before it needs changing.
13. ADJUST SHOT
If you’re getting lots of small knocks on the float but no proper bites, try moving the dropper shot away from the hook to offer the fish less resistance.
14. TRY OLD CASTERS
Don’t throw away your black, dried out casters. They are a brilliant bait for fishing shallow.
If you require any more tips or information on rudd fishing, please contact the Angling Active team. We are more than happy to help.
