Tips for shallow water fishing
Shallow water fishing with sinking lures is mega-successful during late winter – but not easy. Arnulf Ehrchen gives his tips on how to find the right weight balance for 3D River Roach, 3D Real Eel and others.
There are two characteristics I want to obtain with my lures during this time. I want to fish slow and I want to fish shallow - No easy match. Especially when I have big faith in big lures for late winter. Just before spawning, we must give those big mamas a good reason to open up their mouth. My favourites are the classic 3D Real Eel in 30cm and the 3D River Roach in 23cm. A big meal, which is easy to catch is what the pike is looking for.
No matter which lure I attach to my trace, the weight balance must be right. The pike snack should not run just below the surface and at the same time should not collect dead reeds from the bottom. The distribution of each gram now counts, and you have to be careful where you put the weights.
The 3D Real Eel runs stable with a Corkscrew Head of just 3g
I choose between two options: Corkscrews with or without push-in-weights and Corkscrew Heads in very light versions. Rubber lures run ultra-shallow with Corkscrew and just two trebles under their belly. Some lures need one or two push-in-weights (Savage Gear Balance Spikes) in their belly to run stable, which means not to flip over during spinning. Rubbers weighted like this sink horizontally. Despite their tail not working on the drop, it will often trigger bites, just when the lure sinks. But do not overdose it: One or two spin stops per cast should be enough.
When putting our Corkscrew Heads in use, the lure sinks headfirst, which is perfect for fishing on small drop-offs. The two lightest versions, with just 3 and 5g, are good tools for shallow water fishing in the cold. They allow for slightly deeper fishing and even an increase in speed if we want to tempt a fish following.
These Savage Gear parts cover shallow water fishing with rubber lures perfectly
As I want to cast even the bigger 3D River Roach in 125g with force, I use a really strong rod: the Savage Gear MPP2 in 2,59m with casting weight up to150g in the trigger version. Its perfect partner is Okuma's Komodo 364LX.
Arnulf's January-pike struck in only knee-deep water.