Closed Season Zander Quest PT46 – Gobbler’s Knob

During the 131st celebration of Groundhog Day fat and fury Punxsutawney Phil left his cosy burrow in Pennsylvania's Gobbler's Knob near Pittsburgh, saw his shadow, and broke the news that the locals are doomed to another six weeks of winter weather rather than treated to an early spring. Every Bill Murray fan knows the basics.

Legend has it that Punxsutawney Phil communicates his yearly forecast in the language "grondhogese" to the head of what's known as the Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, who just so happens to be fluent in the ancient, animal tongue. The Inner Circle members actually decide ahead of time.

What a load of balls....then again I’m all for keeping up traditions....

We also like to talk about the weather in the UK also don’t we. Thing is I’m always amazed those that are moaning about the cold weather we are having seem to have forgotten about the season we are in, we have just come out if winter after all.

But then the early 90’s film and namesake Groundhog Day maybe has some similarities to ones fishing you see. Murray plays Phil Connors, an arrogant Pittsburgh TV weatherman who, during an assignment covering the annual Groundhog Day event finds himself caught in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again.

Maybe that’s where the similarity ends though, as after indulging in hedonism and committing suicide numerous times, he begins to re-examine his life and priorities.

I’m not ready to partake in those pastimes just yet, but this pursuit for a ‘Cut Double’ does seem to be very much Ground Hog Day.

You see it can feel very samey and monotonous if you will, especially when retracing ones steps to find the transient lunker when the only returns to grace the hook are the same sized schoolies.

It would be enough to break even the most pertinacious.

Luckily I’m very much pig-headed and nothing thus far has made me stray from this needle in a haystack challenge. Well I say that, looking at the recent Leamington Anglers newsletter where a ‘double’ figure Zander turned up at the canal stretch it’s surprise me how lean the fish looked as all the larger Zander I’ve caught have all been extremely rotund and clearly not shy round the Roach buffet.

It’s the transient nature of canal Zander I’m intrigued with as their river cousins don’t seem to be that way inclined from what I can see.

This early morning session is a new stretch a mile above the Laryngeal Prominence, so before treading a familiar path to start the self inflicted drudgery all over again I decided to see what was about, it certain looked a nice stretch looking at google maps and a few likely holding areas of big Zander.

Now usually I can tell what the session is going to be like by the colour of the water and with the sky clear and the sun coming up I knew it would tough....

The odd small knock on the lure, one schoolie type run on the deadbait it was hard going.

I bet if the boats started moving then I would suspect things my be different and there is plenty of shelter here for fish to hideout so maybe if it's clear when the light start to go they will start moving. What was odd though there was some undertow and the drilled bullets were struggling to keep station so even without boats moving the floats were difficult to keep station.

Maybe a running set-up is the way to go here....

I decided to move down the stretch to an area of cover and after an hour with the baits untouched it was back the starting point.

A foul hooked bream saved a blank but there you go, it's not as easy as you think these Zander.

I'm back to trying to work them out with a bang, but then thats why I love fishing for them.

Don't want it too easy, I could fish a carp filled lake if I wanted that....