Pike fishing in the waters of Holland is hugely popular among German anglers. Here we share tips and tricks on the best lures for fishing the narrow polder canals in the north of Holland. A great many predator anglers from Germany try their luck exclusively on the large waters close to the border. Some of those spots are now overcrowded and heavily fished.
Where to Find Pike in North Holland
Further towards the coast, in the region around Medemblik, you'll find plenty of small to medium-sized canals holding plenty of big pike. Angling pressure here is far lower, and there are hotspots everywhere. The region also offers great-value holiday parks and insider tips for extra-large pike — such as the lake 'Groote Vliet' right next to the IJsselmeer, and the harbour at Medemblik near the boat hire. We're completely sold on the polders and are happy to share our recommendations for successful lure choice.
Fishing the Polders
It takes a little faith to fish a canal that's sometimes only four metres wide — or perhaps just two — and around 1.5 metres deep. Those of you from the older generation will almost certainly remember the name Jan Eggers. He showed us the way and introduced us to polder pike and the specific techniques needed to catch them. His nickname, by the way, is 'The Pike Pope of Holland'! In this article you'll find everything he covered with participants over three days of pike seminars.
Polder Pike Spots in North Holland
Lure Choice for Polder Pike
The most important point on lure choice right away:
In the polders, you fish with lures that run very shallow — or with surface lures, the topwater baits.
The most successful lures are:
- poppers,
- spinnerbaits,
- and plugs with shallow diving bills.
At the slightly deeper spots in front of a weir or on the 'Groote Vliet' lake, crankbaits and soft lures also work well.
A take in one of the small canals is an experience every single time. Pike often grab the lure right at your feet. The golden rule for lure fishing applies here too: never neglect that last metre of the retrieve. An extra tantalising loop with a lure directly under the rod tip has accounted for many a surprise.
Poppers for Pike Fishing
Poppers are the top lure choice for fishing the polder canals. The retrieve, though, is something you need to practise. You have to work the rod hard and vary your retrieval speed constantly. You create the 'plop' with a sharp sideways flick of the wrist.
The sequence when fishing with poppers looks like this:
- Cast out.
- Alternate 'popping' left and right.
- Take two or three turns of the reel handle between each rod flick.
Irregular pauses between the steps round the whole thing off nicely.
Here's a video showing the successful retrieve technique clearly:
If no pike has shown after a few casts with a popper, we always like to switch to a spinnerbait. On some days, the flash of the spinner blades provides an extra trigger that a popper simply can't offer.
Spinnerbaits for Shallow Canals
In the shallow, often weedy canals of North Holland, plenty of big pike have been caught on modern spinnerbaits. The models with two spinner blades are particularly recommended. The combination of a spinner blade on one side and a hook with rubber tails on the other is often the key to a big polder pike. Fishing with spinnerbaits is relatively straightforward — cast, retrieve slowly, pause every now and then, and don't forget that extra loop right at your feet.
Using Shallow-Running Plugs
You can identify a shallow-running plug by the size and angle of the diving bill relative to the 'body line' of the plug. Picture a horizontal line running along the body of the plug.
If the angle of the diving bill to that line is shallow, you're looking at a shallow-running plug — perfect for hunting polder pike. A short diving bill also means a shallow running depth, typically less than a metre. Retrieve the plug slowly, wait for it to rise back to the surface, then repeat. Here too, you can vary the retrieve by working the rod tip from side to side.
Pike Fishing Tips for Holland
Concealment
One important tip alongside the right lure choice is staying concealed at the water. We're not talking about camouflage paint on your face — we mean keeping the sun in mind. Ideally, the sun should not be at your back, so you don't cast a tell-tale shadow onto the water. A personal tip from professional pike angler Jan Eggers himself.
Reducing Surface Glare
To cut through surface glare while lure fishing, use a good pair of polarised sunglasses. Only then can you follow your lure through the water properly and track the line far more easily than with ordinary sunglasses.
Carry a Good Pair of Pliers
A decent pair of unhooking pliers is another essential that you should always have within reach. In our shop you'll find, for example, specialist pliers with an extra-long jaw section. When unhooking, we always aim to keep the pike out of the water for as short a time as possible.
The photo session after removing the hook should also be kept as brief as possible at all times.
A photo of a big pike before returning it is just as satisfying to us as a grip-and-grin shot on the bank.
Follow the Rules
On the Dutch canals you can use your usual tackle. A rod with a firm backbone and a medium-sized fixed spool reel loaded with 0.30 mm line will cover every situation.
It's very important to us that you also support the strict no-kill policy. In Holland, catch and release is the traditional rule for pike! Only because of this have stocks been able to grow over the years and provide us with such excellent pike fishing today.
A Friendly Greeting
Greet fellow anglers at the water with a friendly:
'Hoi, hoe gaat het?'
'Petri Heil' is rather less appropriate.
Pike are called Snoek in Holland, and when nothing wants to bite, you say: 'Dat komt wel goed he'. Spend a little time with the language and you'll quickly notice that many words are very similar to German.
Fishing Permit and Water Database
In short, it is prohibited to fish for pike and other species with lures or bait during the following periods:
1 April to the last Saturday in May / IJsselmeer: 16 May to 30 June. The best time to fish for pike in North Holland runs from the end of September through to early February. As long as temperatures stay above zero, the canals are always worth fishing. In very cold weather, we head to lakes or deep spots at the locks.
We wish you a fantastic time on the water and look forward to reading your catch reports.
Why not share your personal favourite polder pike lure with us in the comments?
