Asp

Asp lures at Charlie's Fishing: surface pencils, poppers, spoons, casting jigs and fast minnows for asp

The asp (Aspius aspius) is the sprinter among European predators. It hunts by sight in open water, pushes small baitfish to the surface along groynes, bridge piers and weirs, hits them in a short, loud splash and is gone again. Catching asp therefore comes down to two things: reaching the fish, often 40 m or more out on a big river, and moving the lure fast enough to look like something trying to escape. This page brings our asp lures together: walk the dog pencils and poppers for fish feeding on top, spoons, casting jigs and spintails for distance, dense sinking minnows and twitchbaits you can crank at speed, and lipless crankbaits, blades and spinnerbaits for coloured water. It is for anyone fishing the Rhine, Waal, IJssel, Maas, Elbe, Danube or Vistula, the big canals that connect them and the lakes they feed, with lures from Rapala, BlueBlue, Abu Garcia, Fiiish, Nays, PXS, Savage Gear, Stucki Fishing and Jackall. Below we explain which lures for asp to choose for each situation.

Surface pencils and poppers for asp feeding on top

When asp are visibly hitting bait, nothing beats a lure that stays on the surface and can be walked fast. The Rapala Precision Xtreme Pencil Saltwater (10.7 cm, 21 g) is our first choice for big rivers: a floating pencil with a sliding internal weight that makes it cast a very long way and keeps it stable in a crosswind, and a Dual Frequency Knocker that gives a high and a low pitch in turn. Its product page names asp chasing bait in the big rivers as one of its jobs. The smaller Rapala Precision X-Treme Pencil 87 (8.7 cm, 12 g) has the same through-wired body and knocker for canals and smaller baitfish, and the Rapala X-Light Pencil (5 cm, 4 g) is the finesse pencil for calm, clear water and cautious fish on light tackle. From BlueBlue we stock the compact BlueBlue Chupazo 60 (6 cm, 7 g), a fat pencil that pushes a lot of water on a slow walk, and the BlueBlue Inemun 60 (6 cm, 6 g) with a subtler walking action for pressured stretches, plus the big BlueBlue Gachipen 130 (13 cm, 30 g, through-wired, two size 1 trebles) for the moments when the baitfish are bigger and the asp are too. Poppers call fish up from further away. The Rapala Skitter Pop Elite (7.5 cm, 10 g) is weighted in the tail, so it casts far and gives loud, deep pops; Rapala designed it for big perch, asp and pike. The classic balsa Rapala Skitter Pop 7 cm (7 g) and Rapala Skitter Pop 5 cm (6 g) can be popped, walked or skittered across the surface. The Swiss Stucki Fishing Mini Bubble 35 (3.5 cm, 2 g) and Stucki Fishing Bubble 55 (5.5 cm, 7.7 g) are small poppers made for perch, asp and sea bass in spring and early summer, when the fry is still tiny. The Chasebaits Drunken Mullet JNR (7 cm, 11 g) adds a double pop and fizz tail for maximum noise. Read our blog Topwater Fishing for Pike, Perch and Asp and see all Topwaters.

Spoons, casting jigs and spintails: distance first

A dense metal lure casts further than anything else in your box, and on a wide river that alone catches asp. The Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 15 g and Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 20 g (both 7.5 cm) are the classic asp spoons: a slim, slightly curved body that wobbles and flashes like an injured baitfish and stays stable even when you wind as fast as you can. Take the 15 g for canals and the 20 g for the river and a headwind. The Savage Gear 3D Jig Minnow 20 g (7.5 cm) is a compact jig minnow with a realistic baitfish profile and a tight action that works both on a straight retrieve and with sharp lifts when the fish hold deeper below a weir. The BlueBlue SeaRide Mini 15 g is a small metal jig with a treble and an assist hook that falls slowly and horizontally; fish it with lift and fall along a groyne head where the current pushes bait together. The Rapala Rippin' Spin (3 cm, 9 g and 4 cm, 16 g) is a metal spintail with a blade on a swivel that keeps turning on the drop; the 16 g is the one for long casts to feeding asp on open water, windy days and running water. More in Metal Jigs and Spoons.

Fast sinking minnows and twitchbaits for asp

A sinking minnow is the most versatile asp lure you can carry: count it down, then crank it back fast with the rod tip up so it runs just under the surface, or let it swim a little deeper on cold mornings. The BlueBlue Ballist 90s (9 cm, 21 g) is the long caster of the group, built for wind and current with a tight, natural action that stays stable at speed. The BlueBlue Blooowin 60S (6 cm, 4 g, about 1 m) has an internal tungsten weight that shifts for the cast, so even this small minnow reaches a boil, and it combines a tight wobble with an S-shaped slide. The BlueBlue Snecon 90s (9 cm, 15 g) swims in wide S-curves on a plain retrieve and gets livelier in stronger flow, which makes it a good lure for the current seams below a groyne; the tiny BlueBlue Snecon 50s (5 cm, 3 g) does the same job in finesse size. The BlueBlue Arvin 60s (6 cm, 6.5 g) runs just below the surface with the rod tip up, a subtle option when asp are feeding on very small fry. The Jackall Live Darter (5.2 cm, 4.5 g) darts sideways and up and down on short, sharp twitches, with a tinsel tail that keeps moving in the pause. For a bigger baitfish profile, the Rapala Max Rap 11 (11 cm, 13 g) casts a long way thanks to its MaxCast mechanism and suspends on the pause; rip it for a darting, searching action or wind it straight for a hard-flashing wobble. Twitchbaits that run 0.5 to 1.5 m deep cover the canals and harbours: the Toppies Primos (7.5 cm, 9 g, suspending), the Probaits Twitchaholic 80 Shallow Runner (8 cm, 9.8 g, rattling, with a magnetic long cast system), the slow floating Nays CRNK FLT (7.5 cm, 10.5 g, 0.8 to 1.5 m) and the small BlueBlue Zepper 40F crankbait (4 cm, 4 g). Read BlueBlue Fishing Japan: four lures we tested in Dutch waters and see all Crankbaits & Twitchbaits.

Lipless crankbaits, blade baits and vibration lures

Compact vibration lures cast like a spoon but add a tight, high frequency vibration that asp pick up in coloured water and in deeper runs. The Nays LPR is a sinking lipless crankbait in 5.5 cm (9.9 g) and 7.5 cm (20.6 g) with a loud rattle, and the Nays LPR Silent is the same lure without the rattle for pressured stretches; both start working at a slow wind and stay stable when you speed up. The Fiiish Power Tail Evo 50 (5 cm, 8 g) is a dense, streamlined vibration hardbait made to cast far and hold its action in fast current; Fiiish names perch, trout and asp as its targets. The Fiiish Power Tail Evo 40 (4 cm, 5 g) and Fiiish Power Tail Evo 30 (3 cm, 2.5 g) match smaller fry on lighter rods. The BlueBlue Narage 50 (5 cm, about 12 g) sinks fast in a spiral so your line does not tangle, ideal for deep current lines and drop-offs. The BlueBlue Shalldus 14 (6 cm, 14 g) and BlueBlue Shalldus 20 (7.5 cm, 18 g) are blade baits with a willow leaf tail that keep vibrating even at a slow retrieve, for searching canals, rivers and harbours just under the surface or in mid water. More in Vibration Baits.

Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and spintail softbaits for coloured water

Along snaggy edges and in coloured water, vibration and flash do what a plain minnow cannot. The PXS Guppi SP Spinnerbait (10 cm, 9, 11 and 14 g, 2/0 hook) runs two willow blades that keep flashing at speed. The PXS Copper Head Blade (8.5 cm, 10.5 and 12 g, 5/0 hook) and the smaller PXS Copper Head Blade Junior (7 and 8 cm, 7 and 9 g, 2/0 hook) are chatterbaits with a high pitch blade and a hand-tied silicone skirt. For a softbait that still flashes, the Fish Arrow Flash Jerk Spin 4" (10 cm) and Fish Arrow Flash Jerk Spin 3" (7.5 cm) carry a foil insert and a spinning blade on a slim baitfish body; rig them on a BKK Hyperlatch Round Jig Hook in 3/0 and 1/0. More in Chatterbaits & Spinnerbaits.

Where, when and with what tackle: groynes, big rivers and canals

Asp live in large rivers, the canals connected to them and open lakes, and they concentrate where current pushes baitfish together: the heads of groynes, bridge piers, locks, weirs, harbour mouths and the seam between fast and slow water. Watch for splashes and scattering fry. Early morning and late evening are usually best, and the main season runs from late spring to early autumn; in the Netherlands lure fishing is closed from 1 April until the last Saturday of May, so the asp season really starts in June. A spinning rod with a casting weight of about 10 to 40 g, a thin braid and a fluorocarbon leader of 0.30 to 0.40 mm covers almost all of it. Asp have no teeth, so you do not need a wire trace; a fluorocarbon leader is enough and keeps the presentation clean. Retrieve fast, faster than feels natural, and keep winding through the take. The same lures and the same spots also produce chub and big perch, so look at Chub and Perch as well, and read River Fishing: 9 lures we always bring. Leaders are in Lines and Leaders.

Which asp lure for which situation

• Asp splashing on the surface along a groyne: Precision Xtreme Pencil Saltwater, Skitter Pop Elite or Gachipen 130, walked fast across the boil.
• Calm water and cautious fish feeding on tiny fry: X-Light Pencil, Inemun 60, Mini Bubble 35 or Arvin 60s.
• Fish out of reach on a wide river: Toby Spoon 20 g, 3D Jig Minnow 20 g, Rippin' Spin 16 g or Ballist 90s.
• Canals and harbours: Toby Spoon 15 g, Toppies Primos, Twitchaholic 80 or Blooowin 60S.
• Current seams below a weir or groyne head: Snecon 90s, Narage 50 or SeaRide Mini 15 g with lift and fall.
• Coloured water: Nays LPR with rattle, Shalldus 20, Guppi SP Spinnerbait or a Copper Head Blade.
• Pressured stretches: Nays LPR Silent, Snecon 50s or Live Darter on short twitches.
• Cold mornings and fish holding deeper: Power Tail Evo 50, Narage 50 or Max Rap 11 counted down. See also Seabass: many of these lures do double duty on the coast.

Why buy asp lures at Charlie's Fishing

We stock asp lures from Rapala, BlueBlue Fishing, Abu Garcia, Fiiish, Nays, PXS Pitch and Strike, Savage Gear Lures, Stucki Fishing, Jackall, Toppies, Probaits, Fish Arrow and Chasebaits, picked for casting distance and for how they behave at speed. Everything ships from our stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to help you choose the right pencil, spoon or minnow for your river.

What is the best lure for asp?

Something compact, dense and long-casting that keeps working at speed. A casting spoon such as the Toby 20 g, a sinking minnow such as the Ballist 90s and a walk the dog pencil such as the Precision Xtreme Pencil Saltwater cover most days; switch to the pencil or a popper as soon as you see asp hitting bait on the surface.

When is the best time to catch asp?

From late spring to early autumn, with early mornings and late evenings usually the most productive. On warm, calm days asp often feed at the surface in short, intense spells, so be ready to cast the moment you see a splash.

Do I need a wire trace for asp?

No. Asp have no teeth, so a fluorocarbon leader of 0.30 to 0.40 mm is enough and gives a cleaner presentation. Only add a wire trace if you are fishing water with a lot of pike.