Read the article with FishingTheSpot: the zander fish
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See the fishing tripsThe Zander fish
From May to December
50 cm
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The zander fish belongs to the Percidae family. The Zander is a fish that can reach a length of 100 cm (maximum 130 cm) for a weight of 20 kg and an age of about fifteen years (maximum 20 years). Spawning takes place between April and August. Fertility is high with nearly 200,000 eggs/kg of female. It is caught from May to December.
Its body is slender and fusiform. The head is elongated. The back is greenish grey and has slight dark vertical stripes. It has no transverse stripes and the flank is clear. The belly is whitish except in the male during the breeding season when it is darker. No thorns on the gill cover. Its two dorsal fins are separated. The first is spotted and thorny. The caudal fin has 17 soft rays. Its mouth is armed with many teeth and large "canines" that are visible when the animal is motionless due to breathing movements.
The Zander fish lifestyle
When the Zander fish is still a fry, it feeds on plankton, larvae, mollusks, worms and insects. When they reach adulthood, they will be more interested in larger fish between 5 and 10 cm in size. Dead, wounded or sick prey will be more important to old Zander without abandoning fish that are easy to catch. It has the particularity of staying for days without eating after having fed relentlessly for a certain period of time.
Sexual maturity is achieved between 2 and 4 years at a height greater than 35 cm in males, and between 3 and 5 years at a height greater than 40 cm in females. Spawning occurs between April and August, at a temperature around 10 to 14°C, on a gravel substrate (a hard bottom), at a depth of 1 to 3 m but which can reach 17 m in lake. Ideally on a background with large roots. Before spawning, the male prepares a circular nest: it cleanses the substrate by removing all traces of mud. Egg laying is done at night. The female lays the eggs in packs at the bottom and the male fertilizes them immediately. The eggs adhere to the substrate. After spawning, the male protects the spawning: it hunts intruders, aerates and cleans the eggs. There is some mortality of females after spawning. About a week after laying, the eggs hatch and a larva with a yolk vesicle emerges. As yolk resources disappear, mouth and teeth are formed and fry feed on planktonic crustaceans and then benthic insects.
The Zander fish habitat
It appreciates calm, temperate waters with no muddy bottoms, especially rivers and large lakes. It can also be see in canals and small ponds. This fish has the ability to adapt to a wide variety of water types, except in high-altitude lakes and rivers. Since the zander fish does not like light very much, it will be much more visible at depth, especially in shaded areas.
It can be found in Europe, Asia, North Africa, United States.
The Zander fish angling
It can be fished with worms, live fish, but also with lures. To fish it, we can use both soft and hard lures according to our preferences. To attract the zander, do not hesitate to vary the colors of the lures used. As far as the most effective techniques are concerned, zander can be fished both manually and with a zipper. The technique of dead fish on the bottom to fish for zander can also be considered. For angling technique, it is recommended to use a braided line to feel the strokes.
