It’s not a secret that Cíjara lake is not at his best… I think I’m not exaggerating if I say that it was one of the best reservoirs in Spain for predator fishing, if not the best in its golden age. Even so, it is a reservoir that is slowly recovering and in which we can still enjoy good journeys, even if only sporadically. I haven’t fished too much in Cíjara, a little more than a dozen times, but he was almost always good to me… Here are the lures for Cijara that have worked best for me.
Jig, lures for Cíjara
Cijara is a reservoir that has always had plenty of crawfish so the jig has always worked well. After the decline in the bleak populations, the crawfish has once again become a key part of the predator’s diet. With jigs we can catch black bass as well as pike, zander or even barbel.
As it is a reservoir where stone structures dominate, we can use all types of jigs. Football if we want to fish with long stops on the bottom in areas with few hooks. With a flat triangular head if we want to hook a little less and have the trailer “standing” . But also more compact jigs or even jigs for finesse. Ultimately, depending on the time of year, the area we want to fish and the behaviour of the fish we can vary.
In terms of weights I would generally move between half an ounce and 3/8, as that would cover most of the water layers with enough speed. Of course, if budget allows, tungsten jigs will always be a better option, as they are more compact and go deeper at a higher speed. In terms of colours, Cijara is usually a clear water reservoir, although not as crystal clear as its neighbours García Sola or Orellana might be. I opt for natural colours, which imitate the colour of the crabs at each time of year, although we can give it a more colourful touch if the water has a certain turbidity.
Stickbaits
Although the population of bleaks is not what it used to be, predators got very used to looking “up”, especially black bass and barbels. With rare exceptions, those moments of hunting in which shoals of fish of bearing attacked simultaneously will remain for the memory, nevertheless a stickbait will always be an option to bear in mind.
Cijara’s fish usually have a big mouth in comparison with the body, so we should not be afraid to choose the size (if we think about bass). Walkers from 11 to 13 centimeters will usually be the best option. I prefer models that “splash around” especially if the surface is curly, as they will lift the fish from below. In terms of colours, any imitation bleak will do, although we can opt for both light and dark models in low light.
Vinyl worm, lures for Cíjara
Cíjara’s fish are under a lot of pressure, so vinyl worms should always be headline lures. In the summer months they will always be an excellent choice: with a fine thread, either drop shot, split shot or weightless, depending on the depth and attitude of the fish. Personally, I have found senko type worms in a waky rig or even smaller worms in 3 or 4″ to work very well. However we can also use much longer worms if we fish with a shaky head for example.
As for colours, I return to my theory for a clear water reservoir: natural colours like watermelon, brown, pumpkin are usually a safe bet. However, bleak-type colours or even bright colours such as red can give good results under certain circumstances.
Crankbait
In a reservoir with as many kilometers of shore as Cíjara has, the crankbait always has to be an option, especially if we do not have controlled fish. In both cutting and rip rap areas, a crankbait hitting the rocks with its shovel will trigger bites at almost any time of the year. Besides, we can use them with any predator: black bass, zander, pike, iberian barbel… so it is a very versatile lure.
I have had days in which I saw many fishes, and after throwing them all type of vinyls without success, I have caught fish with crankbait. Of course, the opposite can also happen, but I recommend you to give it a chance frequently. As the reservoir is usually quite steep, I usually bet on models that go down between 3 and 6 meters. The colours are of the bleak or crawfish type, to the taste of the consumer (or rather to the taste of the fish) and with that striking touch when the waters are turbid.
