Niderlande: Seven tips for boat fishing in the Volkerak

1. base camp and accommodation

Marinapark/Krammerlodges Oude-Tonge. Holiday homes for up to 12 people right on the water with their own jetty. Direct access to Krammer and Volkerak. Slipway. German speaking. Contact: +31/85/078 76 72 , Suisendijk 16, 3255 LS Oude-Tonge, Netherlands. nauticrentals.nl

2. fishing guides in the region

• MS7 fishing guiding: Mario Sing, ms7angelguiding.com
• Anywhere Fishing: Hans Roose, hans@anywhere.fishing
• Marco's fishing trips: Marco Hoszko, kontakt@marcos-angeltouren.de

3. hire a boat, test the waters

If you want to try out the area first before travelling with your own boat, renting is a good option. Basecamp Marinapark Oude-Tonge offers over nauticrentals.nl packages with accommodation and fishing boat (equipped with echo sounder and bow motor) are also available.

4th season on the Volkerak

Late summer and autumn are the "prime time" for predators (forage fish are more compact, pike and perch can be very exciting). In winter, on the other hand, there are strong zander windows. However, the weather is crucial. In spring, the rules play a major role: in the Netherlands, among other things, no artificial bait may be used from 1 April to the last Saturday in May. After that, strong fishing is usually possible.

5. fishing accessories

Fauna Hengelsport in Raamsdonksveer is a big name and well stocked, from tackle to bait. Contact: Elftweg 4, 4941 VP Raamsdonksveer, Netherlands. Tel. +31/162/51 33 08. hengelsportfauna.nl

6. boat and safety

Which boat size fits the Volkerak? The Volkerak is a big water boat. A deep-V or solid, high-sided boat is more relaxed, especially when there is wind. High-performance boats work, but common sense is still a must: if you're travelling under five metres, you can expect to have to take days off if the wind and waves are too strong. This should be part of every trip plan: it's better to have one more buffer day than to go out at the limit and take risks.

7th restaurant tip

Hotel-Restaurant Lely, Oude-Tonge - central, good address "after the water". Also offers room hire. Contact: Kaai 14, 3255 AG Oude-Tonge Tel. +31/187/64 59 09. hotellely.nl

Read more about this:

• Boat fishing: The Volkerak - and what you should know about the area