This year I’ve been doing quite a bit of streetfishing in Amsterdam, mainly targeting predatory fish such as Perch, Pike and Zander (Dutch: Baars, Snoek and Snoekbaars). To protect your main line from Pike teeth or sharp objects under water, it’s smart to use a leader – a short, stronger section of line attached to the end of your main line.
You can buy ready-made leaders at the sport fishing store (e.g. steel ones), but it’s cheaper to make your own. When you use fluorocarbon, you also gain an advantage: it’s nearly invisible underwater, which helps when targeting species like perch and zander.
Video
Here’s a video showing how to make a fluorocarbon leader. (The video is in Dutch with English subtitles – click the CC-button). It’s simple to make (you don’t even need a snap and a swivel) and it’s cheap.
Materials
- Fluorocarbon line – thick enough to prevent Pike from biting through. I use 0.92 mm diameter.
- Scissors
- Lighter
My streetfishing setup in Amsterdam
I use this setup for all predatory fish – Perch, Pike, Zander – when fishing in Amsterdam:
- Rod: Savage Gear SG2 Medium Game, length: 221 cm, casting weight: 12 – 35 g
- Reel: Savage Gear SG6 3000 FD
- Main line: Mikado Nihonto Octa Braided line, diameter: 0.12 mm, breaking strength: 8.9 kg
- Leader: Savage Gear 100% soft FluoroCarbon, diameter: 0.92 mm, breaking strength: 40.5 kg
For lures, I like to mix things up. My current favorites are spinners for Perch and Pike, and shads with jig heads for Zander, but I also use crankbaits, swimbaits and jerkbaits.
Some catches
(All caught in Amsterdam in 2024).
More fishing links
- How to catch a pike
- Slingshot fishing
- Marc’s fish
- Fishing and bushcraft in the Flevopolder
- More fishing photos on Instagram.
Happy fishing!