What's in your Rucksack for Zander Fishing 

Of course you will need to carry you fishing tackle to the bank, whether you fish from the back of your car or you like to walk miles.  Having a good sizes rucksack will be heavy, but once its on your back, it leaves your hands free to carry something else, or maybe push something. 

A way to carry your rods,  there are two choices.  A full rod holdall, that unzips and allows you to put your folded rods and reels into and bank sticks, landing net.

The other option would be a Rod Quiver, the middle section for your brolly/bivvy, outside pockets for a match rod, banksticks and your rods clip to the side.  A Match rod or Pole for catching baits from the water.

If you are planning a long distance walk and you dont fancy carrying your gear, you could wither use a Carp type trolley with a single wheel, or I like to use a big black hamelin wheelbarrow, it doubles up as an excellent guest seat.

A minimum of a 36 inch landing net with a 6ft handle, and extending lightweight banksticks, with the screw type end and thin enough to hold your drop off indicators on securely.

Once you are settled inside your bivvy, you may fancy a bite to eat or a cuppa.  Therefore you will need something to cook on,  its Gas or Petrol these days, gas bottles however freeze up below zero degrees, but petrol just keeps going.

If I am fishing with a few mates and we are spread well apart and we don't want to waste our mobile phone bills, we have a set of 4 walkie talkies, 2 pairs, and you can use them on the same channel.  These will last 48 hrs on one charge, and have a 5 km range and there is no rental charge.

In my rucksack I keep a set of Avon scales, a medium 40 inch long weigh sling and an unhooking mat, a tub with some paternoster floats, a live bait pump, a camera c/w thumbscrew (attached to sturdy bankstick to make monopod), A tub of leger bombs between 1oz and 3oz. 

I have a standard plastic tackle box, with contains only what I need.  What is the point of carrying extra tackle you are not going to use.  I have a selection of Single Chinu Hooks size 2 to 1/0 for deadbaiting, VB Doubles (which i get from france) and some strong Trebles (Partridge X6 or Similair), AFW 19 Strand wire for livebaiting, ESP Drennan for Deadbaiting, for popping up, I like the cork sticks0/fox pop up sticks.  Im sure there are many more different items in everybodies tackle box. 

Swivels, Snap Links, 5mm and 8mm Rubber and Plastic beads, Rubber Stops, a Spool of Shearing Elastic (wrap around your dead baits, stops the zander pinching them), 1.5mm and 2mm Tubing, Forceps, Wire Cutters, Trace Blades, Trace Tester by JR, Link Leger Beads, JR Butt Grips (excellent in the wind, keeps your rods in place)..  A set of pegs for Bivvy. A sharp knife, for slashing my deadbaits.

Spare batteries for my alarms, and torch.  Head torch (Tesco do a 3 and 5 led for £8).  A small box of Bait Catching gear, floats, shots, hooks and disgorger. Starlights (box of 50 - £10), A Spool of 10lb Line for paternostering, tying the lead on.  Lemon Candles (keeps midges at bay), T bags, Sweetners. Spare pair of thick socks. A wooly hat in winter, warm gloves and a neck warmer. Plus Water proof trousers and 3/4 length Jacket and Thinsulate Gloves.

Obviously this takes time and money to purchase, most of the tackle I have has taken me a few years to get, but if you take good care of it and clean it when you dont use it, it will last years.