Bass Fishing Wexford - On the Lure

Bass Fishing Wexford - On the lure

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To Bass fishers everywhere

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Contents

Saltwater Lure Fishing P10 of 21 - Catch & Release 5

Salt Water Lure Fishing - Part 1 of 21 - Surface Lure Fishing I 7

Salt Water Lure Fishing - P2 of 21 - Retrieves for early springand... 8

Salt Water Lure Fishing - P3 of 21 - Fishing Ultralight Lures 9

Saltwater Lure Fishing Fundamentals for beginners 10

Salt Water Lure Fishing - P4 of 21 Surface lure fishing II 13

Salt Water Lure Fishing - P5 of 21 - Micro lures for sea trout 14

Saltwater Lure Fishing - P6 of 21 - Surface lure fishing III 15

Saltwater Lure Fishing - P9 of 21 - Surface lure fishing IV 16

Saltwater Lure Fishing - P8 of 21 - Timings 17



Saltwater Lure fishing Tips - Part 12 of 21 - splash, bubble andPO... 25

the best 26

Saltwater Lure Fishing - Part 13 of 21 My Spring setup 26

Rigging Soft Baits for Bass 27

Saltwater lure fishing - Part 14.1 of 21 - Rigging Softies 28

Saltwater lure fishing - Part 14.2 of 21 - Rigging Softies - Wacky... 28

Imafraidnot ! 29

Saltwater Lure Fishing - Part 14.3 of 21 - Rigging softies -Weight... 29

NEVER judge a book by its cover 30

Saltwater Fly and Lure - choices and decisions for bass fishing 31

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A perspective - the 'value' of locations 32

im a frayed knot........ 33

An early birthday present 33

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Saltwater Lure Fishing P10 of 21 - Catch &ReleaseTuesday, January 01, 2008

Catch and Respect

There is skill in a proper release.

Please limit your kill rather than killing your limit.

Catching a fish is a skilful process, releasing one successfully back to the sea alive andhealthy also requires skill and good techniques.Before you start fishing look closely at the area where you are angling and search for liesthat you suspect a fish may run to for cover and use to his advantage for escape orpossible hang up.Plan regularly as you move and consider how you will play land and return your fishunder the circumstances you are in. Check for your safety and a path to bring the fishthrough.

Some helpful tips for successful catch and release

Handle the fish as little as possible and try to keep the fish in the water when removinghooks.Avoid lifting or touching the fish if you can.If you do need to touch the fish make sure your hands are wet.If you do need to lift the fish make sure he is supported evenly.Avoid lifting the fish out of the water unsupported.If you are using lures and are nervous of hooks consider using a boga grip.

It is often not necessary to use a boga grip when fishing single or barbless hooks, cutdown or eliminate its use as you grow in confidence.

Have a plan for releasing a fish before landing it

Because time is crucial in keeping a released fish alive, work quickly and eliminate anyover exposure to air.Avoid using landing nets.Do not drag fish over dry sand which clings to its slime.

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Handling the fish with wet hands helps to avoidremoving the beneficial fish slime.Remove treble hooks carefully and quickly using pliersand try to avoid lip or flesh ripping, also avoid anycontact to the red gill plate area.When taking photographs make it very quick andalways plan ahead.Revive an exhausted fish in the water by pointing thefish into any available current until the fish recovers. Trynot to recover the fish where water is muddy or sandy.

Points to Consider

Cut down on the number of hooks on yourluresDe-barb your treble hooksDe-barb your single hooksTry to land fish as quickly as possible toavoid over stressing themOverplayed and overexposed fish die afterreleaseA quickly landed bass will still have a lot ofenergy and is very inclined to shake hishead from side to side – a dangerous timefor both fish and angler for potential damage especially with multi hooked luresLonger lures with multiple treble hooks cause greater damage to fish than shorter ones

If you intend to kill and keep a fish from time to time then carry the proper tool do the job.Don’t leave fish gasping and flapping on the shoreline but use a salmon priest to dispatchhim quickly.If keeping a fish consider keeping one that has spawned a number of times > 45 cms.Try not to kill the fish that everyone wants to catch i.e. return bigger fish.

A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

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Salt Water Lure Fishing - Part 1 of 21 - SurfaceLure Fishing I


Monday, March 31, 2008Of all the types of fishing an angler canexperience in Ireland surface lure or‘topwater’ lure fishing is without a doubt oneof the most exciting, enjoyable, addictiveand may I say simple techniques forcatching predatory fish and especially bass.

It is certain that if you are seeking theultimate bass fishing experience, then

surface lure (or fly)fishing is the way to go - the awesome visual action of fish strikes andattacks that happen very regularly are unforgettable. The added visual appeal andresponse that comes with surface lure fishing is very powerful in terms of anglingpleasure. It’s very often that the result of a missed strike when a bass swims awayunhooked after that mighty attack and hit is enough to produce a satisfactory experiencefor the angler – its an adrenaline rush and very addictive so be warned!

Using lures that float on top of the water is what makes surface fishing more of anexciting angling experience than any other style of fishing. Lures that are primarily usedare specifically known as ‘topwater’ or ‘surface’ lures. These types of lures are quitesimple looking; many are produced in realistic, baitfish type patterns with lifelikeappearances and colouring to appeal to fish’s sensory receptors. Most surface lures arehollow-bodied and made from hard durable plastic or wood with a standard tail treblehook, and in some cases, two other treble hooks. Debarbing and reducing the number ofhooks will help your fishing and protect the fish and YOU from unnecessary damage.

So what are the tactics for surface lure fishing? Any angler despite their anglingexperience can attempt and even master the basics of surface lure fishing quite easily.It’s a little bit of work at the beginning, but it’s really worth the effort. The concept issimple, and basically involves being able to fish on the surface of the water. The trickthough, is being able to manipulate the way one’s lure acts, floats, swims and reacts onthe water’s surface.

What you need to have is a decent ability to coordinate your rod, line retrieve, and thetiming of each with specifically hand eye coordination. Surface lure fishing starts withyour eyes and ends with your wrists and hands. You must watch the lure (particularly theway it reacts) as your retrieve and fish it. Secondly, using your wrists and retrieving linehand on your reel to control line pull, tug and twitch, and thus create lure action oranimation. When the lure is swimming successfully on the water’s surface it is thisenticing element that the fish beneath the water is fully drawn to. Techniques for fishing ina surface manner can vary from popping the lure to walking it or twitching it in a lifelikemanner across the surface.

All the above cannot be done with out proper line tension and control Without doing this,the way the lure reacts will not appear natural or act in the correct manner for which itwas designed. Thus slack line in your cast and retrieve will yield sloppy and non-realistic

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fishing action. Keeping a ‘realistic’ fishing action as much as possible with your surfacelure presentations is crucial, especially since bass react very positively to lifelike luremovement.

Next month () - retrieves for early season lure fishing. A little bit of fishing in your day -Jim

Salt Water Lure Fishing - P2 of 21 - Retrieves forearly spring and...Tuesday, April 15, 2008Since I've posted on SWFF tactics for cold spring water I would like to mention todaysome ideas for SWLF at this time of year. I have already mentioned 'weather windows'and this post is not specifically about watching weather patterns and then meeting withsuccess (i'll do that later) but its more about a few ideas as to how. One thing is definitehowever and that is the amount of effort you will need to make at this time of year isconsiderably greater than the easy fishing of summer and early autumn when fish aremore aggressive.

At the time of writing sea water surface temperatures are roughly between 9 and 11degrees at the moment and this is just over the effective operating temperature for bassfishing. In other words fish should be somewhat active. Again i can only speak out ofexperiences here at Wexford for the following water temp ranges as described to mesome time back by a fisheries biologist as best as i can remember

At 5 degrees its the minimum acceptable temp for their existence or rangeBelow 8/9 degrees they seem to enter a state of suspension - slower metabolism (softlures, suspended lures)Between 10-12 degrees you can catch them on DR diving lures and sinking fly linesBetween 12-15 degrees you can catch them on surface lures and flies and most otherluresAbove 16 degrees oxygen starts to becomes an issue and they are not present/ or feedin cooler waters

However winds have been predominantly Northerly and North easterly over the last fewweeks and surface temperatures of the sea are a little down. I have a few notes from thearchives that indicate my first surface bass fishing wouldnt generally begin withconfidence in numbers until early May, and then its time to stop as the season is closed!

Traditional methods of fishing at this time of year involve casting and retrieving - castingand retrieving with lots of different types of lures - tobies, krills, rapalas etc. But what if wewere to cast and not retrieve or at least retrieve much more slowly and EFFECTIVELY - itcould take us three minutes or more to retrieve our lure. So what are we doing? We arepresenting the opportunity to the fish to strike the lure for much longer periods of time.Rather than casting and pulling lures at speed past slow and often sluggish fish we aregiving them the opportunity to take at their operating factors and not ours.

In order to achieve this we can fish with suspending jerk baits. These lures do not float orsink but rather suspend at the depth to which we fish them. We make our cast, tighteninto our main line and feel the lure engage - a few deliberately slow turns of the handle

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will get the lure to swim and dive - and then we stop and wait and.........wait, butmaintaining contact with the lure - gently we fish it home. Adding a little speed will drivethe lure deeper and as we make the stop again and again the 'active roll' of the lure whensuspended is enough to entice a cold water take.

Then of course theres always soft plastics...coming soon

Next month (May) - fishing ultralight

A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

Salt Water Lure Fishing - P3 of 21 - FishingUltralight LuresFriday, May 30, 2008Fishing ultra light lure gear doesnt mean ultra weak - dispense with that other theory too -big fish big lure - yes its true on occasions but big fish also eat little fish if given theopportunity. Heres another one - light/small lures restrict my fishing - take that one with abig pinch of salt too! The biggest opportunity for the saltwater lure fisherman whochooses to fish ultralight is that it creates access to many more species. Seatrout,wrasse, bass, mackerel, pollack, garfish, even mullet can all be taken on ultralight tackle -by confining your fishing to larger heavier lures and gear you may be limiting yourexperiences and opportunities for enjoying these other species.

Ultralight lures also transfer to fresh water for perch, pike, brown trout and salmon

How many quality seatrout have you caught on saltwater lures intended for bass - someperhaps, but by scaling down and adjusting your lures and lure tackle not only can youcontinue to target bass but you can also put seatrout positively in the frame! And so manyother species too. By opening the box of micro lures your fishing becomes instantly morecreative more active and more involved.

So what is ultralight? To me ultralight fishing is done with lures less than 10 grammes inweight - rods are often shorter than eight feet - reels are small in the 2500 or less style ofthings and braids are kept light too , less than 5kgs.

My current ultralight set up is of the following

Rod -Smith Bayliner boron - casting 2 - 10 grammes - length 6'-6"Reel - Shimano stradic 2500Line - PowerproTippet - Varivas fluorocarbon

No swivel or clips are used.

With this setup its possible to cast a 6 gramme lure 50 metres and more. Light lure fishingdoes not restrict your fishing, with the correct setup it enhances it. Nor does a balancedand light setup mean excessive 'playing' of fish. The technology invloved in modernultralight lure rods allow you to/or

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1. cast sufficient distances with micro lures2. work the lure properly3. work across a range of different lure types4. land fish quickly and efficiently5. fish comfortably for long periods6. provides access to many different species

Next Month (June) - Choosing ultra light lures for differnt species


Saltwater Lure Fishing Fundamentals forbeginnersSunday, October 12, 2008Saltwater Lure Fishing Series - First published Irish Angler 2004

1. Improve your saltwater lure fishing introduction.2. Lure and tackle choices.3. On the big blue.

Part One

There is no escaping them these days. Just about every fishing shop you go to hasstocks and a vast array of fishing lures. As you walk down the aisles they regard you withlarge holographic eyes and strange tight smiles. When you are at home turning the pagesof your favourite angling magazine they jump off the page - the latest and greatest, thesoftest and the hardest, the fastest and the slowest, the brightest the dullest, the onesdesigned by scientists, oh and in case I forget the ones that catch the angler as well! Howdoes any angler have a chance – indeed how does any fish refuse such a plethora of‘foodlike’ metal jigs, plastic and colourful jelly? As a full time saltwater guide I am notafraid to admit it. My name is Jim Hendrick and I too have a large lure collection,including ones that taste like Pernod!

Over the next few months or so I hope to be able to help you in many aspects of yoursaltwater lure fishing. We will look at your lure choices and decision making, tackle andequipment that will help you achieve the maximum enjoyment from your fishing, anddiscuss many angling tactics to improve your catch rate. One of the key factors insuccessful lure fishing is understanding your target species, where they are and whattheir regular feeding, breeding and moving patterns are. With this knowledge and theinformation you can garner from these few articles you can successfully apply competentand efficient lure fishing techniques to your fishing.

There are a few things I would like to mention at this early stage regarding protection ofthe fish and indeed the angler when lure fishing. Most modern lures carry at least two andmore often than not three treble hooks. These hooks are incredibly sharp and penetratevery easily. One lure can effectively be armed with nine hooks. When a predatory fishstrikes or hits these lures its often with a lot of force. As a result of this attack hooks canbecome embedded in other areas of the fish other than the mouth region. This oftencauses unnecessary damage and death to the fish because of the following

1. Two or more barbed treble hooks are stuck in the fish’s body.

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2. There is a protracted period of hook extraction from the fish

3. There is excessive and uncertain handling of the fish out of the water.

If you are considering lure fishing please also consider the following in order to nurturethe saltwater sportfishing ethos. Remove all barbs from your treble hooks by flatteningthem with a pair of pliers. This will allow a very fast hook extraction with no pulling orripping. Time spent extracting the hook from the fish is reduced to almost zero. Get intothe habit of always carrying long nosed pliers. When you land a strong swimming specieslike a sea bass they will often thrash and splash around. Do not use a landing net – thereare too many places for hooks to get tangled and you guessed it - stuck back in the fishwhile you try to get the lure free. Unsuitable landing nets remove slime and often damagefish. Uncertain and nervous reaching for the fish to control him will often lead to hooksbeen stuck in an anglers hand as the fish shakes his head to free himself of the lure. Debarbing the hooks will help you in this instance.

Be confident in your control of the fish by thumbing him or by use of a boga grip. This isan invaluable tool that will allow you to quickly get the fish under control, weigh him,remove hooks etc and return him to the sea in less than 10 seconds.

Always try and remove the hooks from the fish while he remains in or at least partlysubmerged by water. The use of the boga-grip here is invaluable. Place you lightspinning rod under your armpit in a tight grip, hold the boga in the same hand as youhave the rod under, reach for the fish, grip and control him and remove the hooks usingyour pliers with the other free hand, release the boga trigger – fish drops into the waterand swims away. Twelve seconds – a little room for improvement I think. When youcapture a fish that you consider is worth photographing a little planning often helps thefish the photographer and the angler.

I find that I carry a small digital camera inside my shirt pocket all of the time when fishing.The camera is inside my chest waders and often inside my jacket, very safe. The strap ofthe camera is attached to a neck lanyard (like at pop concerts etc). The lanyard is alwaysaround my neck and is long enough to allow freedom of movement with the camera. I cansimply pull the camera out of my shirt pocket by the lanyard, it slides out easily and I amthen ready to take my photo. I can simply drop the camera back inside my waders afterthe shot and then return the fish. If you are fishing with a friend alert him before you landthe fish that you want a photograph taken so he can be ready and in position to help. Itdoes no harm to discuss and practice fish holding positions etc. Positioning, andremembering important factors like the angle of the sun before you go fishing will proveinvaluable – a photograph in the fishes natural environment always looks great. Do notlabour over your photographs and time should be kept to minimum. One portrait, onelandscape and one change of position should be enough. Remember too that your trophyphotograph will last forever and can be shown to hundreds of people, dead fish only lasta few hours.

If you are fortunate enough to have found what looks like good lure fishing areas youshould think carefully before telling too many people. There are a few points to bear inmind here as to why you should do this: Firstly some species are localised and very slowgrowing in their habitats. Bass for example take a long time to mature and are oftensubject to over exploitation. Always take care not to fish some special venues too often.Try to practice good catch and release policies and try to minimise unnecessary stress tofish. Bass, although they are very tough, you don’t want them to endure too many

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captures. You also don’t want to ‘over lure’ or spook the fish. The fewer lures they see themore likely they are to take yours. Make your own decisions about your sportfishing andexercise practical and thoughtful considerations.

Travelling light is one of the key benefits of lure fishing, little more than a small rucksack,two lure boxes, a bottle of water, suntan lotion and your rod and reel – what more do youneed, some spares perhaps? Because you can often travel further and into places youwouldn’t normally venture when angling make sure you always tell someone where youare going and at what time you expect to return. Bring a mobile phone too in a sealedwaterproof bag. A slip or fall in a remote area could prove fatal so always fish safely. Beaware of the state and heights of the tides, have an accurate idea of the weather forecastand never take chances on cliffs or rocky promontories. Always try and fish with a friend ifyou can.

So back to the lures – you’re walking down the angling shop aisle when you spotsomething that looks like a cast off from the latest Star Wars film. Its long, has flashyyellow spots over a light purple body and has two propellers back and front. You wonderdoes it take batteries and how hungry does a fish have to be to eat it? As it turns out,hunger is only one of the huge numbers of factors that drive a fish to attack a lure.Research into fish behaviour has been revealing other ‘triggers’ that fish find hard toresist, ‘triggers’ that lure designers might and often must use to blind a fish to the sharptruth about what really awaits it on the end of an anglers line.

With huge amounts of money been generated in the recreational angling arena, somelure manufacturing companies rely on science and computer design, rather than a simple‘lets make one and see what happens approach’. In their quest to develop the mostalluring of lures many companies will go to the far extremes of Computer aided design,colour physcology and visual spatial analysis. Many of the industry researchers'investigations focus on fish behaviour to guide the development of lures and theirbehaviour in or on water. Many other companies focus on the angler and force himsubliminally to purchase lures based on what’s appealing to him or her. And as for tryingto understand what goes on in anglers' minds when they're choosing and purchasinglures . . .. Well that discussion is probably more suited to a different type of publication!

To determine what turns fish on companies develop prototype baits in a variety of sizes,shapes, materials, and colour schemes, these prototypes are often given to trustedguides to test in various fishing situations. But before looking for live reports from thefield, however, the designers put each lure through an assortment of lab tests. First, theyexamine its motion in a tank of flowing water, a fluid-filled version of the wind tunnels thataeronautical engineers use to test aircraft and automobile components. Slow-motionvideo recordings taken from several angles reveal a lure's movements in threedimensions and show, for example, how much a lure wobbles, or doesn’t, how it twists,stops hovers, sinks and how fast it swims back and forth, up and down

Often after tank trials come tests with live fish. Sometimes the artificial baits are towedpast fish in a long, straight tank. In other tests, they're hauled around in circuits for aspecified period of time at different times of the day. The researchers then compilestatistics on how well a lure grabs a fish’s attention, or how a fish reacts to different luretravelling speeds and ‘swimming’ behaviour, colour and appearance.

Finally, in the most enjoyable part of the research-and-development process, for thosedesigners and researchers interested in fishing, the baits are put to the test on lakes,

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streams and in the sea. It’s possible that amongst the best and most imitated luremanufacturers, for a lure to spend several years on the journey from conception throughto final production. This factor should be one of the strongest points in assisting yourdecision-making regarding lure choice and purchase. Reputable companies makereputable lures. With so much information and choices decisions are difficult to make. Inthe next article we will discuss lure types, which ones you should use and how to usethem correctly.


Salt Water Lure Fishing - P4 of 21 Surface lurefishing IITuesday, January 20, 2009

Often imitated, impossible to duplicate, theSuper Spook is just as deadly as theoriginal Zara Spook introduced decadesago. Oversized eyes and the trademarkwalk-the-dog action make everything frombass to redfish attack with a vengeance.Fish don't simply bite a Super Spook, theyattack it. HERE

Thats some of the blurb on one of the mostsuccessful lures of all time. When youconsider that the lure was first created back

in 1939 by the Heddon company and calledthe zaragossa 6500 it was made fromwood. Following the development of theplastic version Heddon changed its name tothe zara spook 9260. It has continued toevolve for nearly sixty years with a 4 inchthree hook version released in the midnineties - its still marketed by the Heddonbrand after all this time.Available for less than 10 dollars it hasproved time and again an indispensablelure for my cutomers and I. Due to its longexistence its often overlooked in favour ofmore 'advanced' lure types and is often considered 'obsolete' or 'forgotten'. The biggestmistake you can make is to forget to add it to your collection. The lure has occupied aplace in my top 10 for many years now.

Its unique 'clunk clunk' sound and wide walk the dog action creates a target that manybass simply cant refuse. The lure is not the worlds greatest caster but it more than makesup for this with its own unique credentials. When water is colder and a little 'off' and fishare not responding on the surface - then reach for the spook - it can often be the one thatgets you the adrenaline rush of a surface hit that you might hve missed.

Remember your fishing with a lure that started life 60 years ago and has remained very

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little changed since then. Some things dont need fixin'. A little bit of fishing in your day -Jim

Salt Water Lure Fishing - P5 of 21 - Micro luresfor sea troutWednesday, January 21, 2009

Before you begin fishing for seatrout withthese lures I would ask you to considerreplacing the treble hooks on these lureswith single barbless hooks.


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Saltwater Lure Fishing - P6 of 21 - Surface lurefishing III


Wednesday, January 21, 2009Cutting up the surface clock.

There is a technique used in fly fishing called fancasting. Imagine you are standing at the watersedge and rather than making your first castsstraight out in front of you and then retrievingback, you make a short cast almost parallel tothe shore line to your right hand side and thenretrieve. Lets call this the three o clock position,you then cast again to your right to the samedistance but at an earlier position on the clockface - some what before the imaginary little handis on three. You continue in this fashion fromright to left past two o clock, past one and twelvewhich is straight in front of you and continue

across to your left, past eleven and ten to nine o clock, always at the same distance.

Where there is no current running you could begin to cast again at nine and at a slightlygreater distance and work your way back to three and then back again to nine, again atan increased distance - slowly working you casting from right to left and left to rightfurther out to sea with each pass. If there is current on your location lets say flowing fromright to left I find that generally fish point into the current if holding, so casting from nineback to three is often less effective.

This technique allows you to cover all of your fishing ground in front without going into thewater, to a range of say 30 metres. The next phase involves you stepping into the wateraway from the shore line for about two metres and beginning to fan cast again, right toleft, wade a little, then fan cast right to left and continue until you reach a safe wadinglimit. If you have done this slowly and carefully a cast behind you is often worth a try.Return to shore, have a sit down and then move down the location a little and beginagain.

So how do I apply this to my lure fishing? Of course casting with a lure is considerablyeasier but that doesnt mean you should be less patient or less careful. Simply flippingyour first casts to thirty metres along the shore and working out and around in the fancast fashion works equally as well from a lure perspective. In fact you may be suprised tolearn where fish lie, and covering them like this gives you the opportunity to find themwithout spooking them off.

NEXT - Tidal timings and our presentations A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

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Saltwater Lure Fishing - P9 of 21 - Surface lurefishing IVWednesday, January 21, 2009What time are the fish?

In the diagram to the right the anglers cast is madeperpendicular to the beach. There is a current flowing fromright to left and in the next three diagrams lets assume thecurrent flow and speed remains constant. The anglers lureis represented by the small black oblong shape and thepath of the lure is indicated by the large blue arrow. This isthe path the lure will take with a constant normal retrieve.The important thing to remember in this situation is thediection and motion the head of the lure is taking - take alook at the red arrow. This is CAST A.

In the next Diagram or CAST C all things remain the sameexcept the speed of retrieve the angler imparts on his lure.In this instance the speed of retrieve is slowed down andthe path that the lure takes is much wider. Take a look atthe red arrow in this instance and the difference is clear.The head of the lure is travelling in a different and widerpresentation. This is CAST C.

In this last diagram again the current remains constant,but this time the angler increases the speed of his retrieve- the presentation is different as the head of the luretravels differently and the path taken is much tighter tothe perpendicular. This is CAST B. Simply by varying thespeed of the retrieve you can make three simple but verydifferent presentations. Not only is your lure swimmingdifferently but its sound will also be different. In thissimple situation all things remain constant but in reality itsnot that simple. As tides rise and fall so the speed atwhich they run and flow increases and decreases, thedirection in which they flow changes over many hours, the type of surface wave activitychanges constantly as it interacts with local wind speed, direction, barometic pressureand even the type of ground which the water is running over.

If we were to take CAST A over a normal tide rise and fall where the angler doesn't varyhis retrieve but we applied local tide flow, the path of the lure would be different atdifferent times during the tide.

The following rule may help you determine maximum flow of water over any time of tideat a location during that tide. Fish activity and especially that of bass will coincide with thiswater flow at different intervals .

In the first hour of the tide 1/12th of the total tide or water would move.In the second hour 2/12ths of the water moves.

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In the third hour 3/12ths have moved.So after the first three hours a total of 6/12ths of the tidehas moved. For the remaining half of the tide the systemworks in reverse -during the fourth hour another 3/12th of the water movesin the fifth hour 2/12thsand in the last hour 1/12th moves.During Spring and Neap tides this volume can be greateror smaller, speeds are reduced or increased, and rangesare wider or narrower.

It is interesting to note that at the end of the fourth hour3/4s of the TOTAL tide has pushed through. How does thisaffect our virtual angler who hasnt changed his speed ofretrieve?

For the first and early second hours of the tide the lure would travel in a path resembingCAST C for the later part of the second hour and early part of the third it might look likeCAST A. As the tide moved into the late third and fourth hours it would look like CAST B,and for the remainder of the tide it would begin to resort to CAST C.

So not only is this tidal flow timing affecting our presentations it also affects the timingand the behaviour of the fish WE want to catch and also the behaviour of the fish THEYwant to catch too!

Understanding how our target species behaves in this sequence is a vital part of yoursuccess and this is based around how their prey behaves, swims, hides, feeds, movesaround and generally behaves in the tidal sequences, flow and movement of water. Varyyour retrieves and presentations to match that of prey rather than simply pulling luresthrough or across the water. In other words small fish like gobies in some locations mightbe active in the first two hours and the last two hours of tide - during the rush hour theyseek cover from strong currents. Thats two different presentations you will need to make.

NEXT - Which of the twelfths is the best for fishing? A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

Saltwater Lure Fishing - P8 of 21 - TimingsSaturday, January 24, 2009Two weeks goooood - two weeks baaaaaaad

This is not a miss-quote from some talking farm animal but it is a very accurate indicatoryou can use for bass fishing in Ireland. In fact you dont really need to know much morethan the following short list

1. Spring tides fish better than neap tides2. The new moon often produces more fish than the full moon3. Good weather conditions means good bass fishing4. Fishing is better when the water is clear or clearing5. Fish early in the morning or late in the evening6. Fishing will deteriorate over time if the wind blows from the east

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What this doesnt mean

1. You cant catch fish on neap tides2. You cant catch a lot of fish when the moon is full or at any other stage3. Bad weather produces no fish4. You wont catch fish in dirty water5. You cant catch fish at 15:30 on a hot bright summers day6. All easterly breezes are bad

Below is a chart of the tidal instances between the 4th and 11th of July 2009.

Saturday the 4th of July to the 11th of Julyis currently reserved here at SEAi by agroup of three Dutch flyfishers. They expect5 days of good bass fishing with a sevennight 6 day stay in Ireland. Arriving late onsaturday we will begin fishing on Monday -which is period 7 on the x-axis. This planhas already been discussed with the groupin detail several times. In other words these

customers are here at a very good time to fish for bass (point one above). During thisperiod there is a full moon (tues 7th) (point two above). July is the middle of summer(point three above) so conditions are normally good (point four above). Clients are morethan willing to experience a work free environment that allows them have wonderfulencounter that often go beyond fishing. (point five above). I cant influence the weather(point six and three above).

During the five days of guided fishing, plans will be made initially for the week, and thenoften re-made as weather and conditions dictate. Discussions and decisions are madeafter and during each guided session. What I like to do during a five day period like this isto introduce people to venues early in the week when we are not fishing - I walk themthrough locations creating 'visibility' and discussing location 'development' over tides. Asthe week progresses we return to these locations ready to fish - flies, lures,presentations, locations, timing of effort, safety concerns, positions have already beendiscussed and clients are ready and eager to fish. I try to emphasise advice afterall isonly advice and people are free to take or leave it - the only time I am particularly 'tough'is when safety is an issue.

Each day that I guide I am attempting to place people into safe locations where they havethe maximum opportunity to catch fish! This is done in respect of weather, tidalconditions, equipment and experience. In other words I don’t simply bring people fishingevery day, I hope to guide them into situations where they can learn and achievesomething from their angling experiences in Wexford – i.e. They successfully catch andreturn a number of bass! I can’t make them catch the fish but I can assist anddemonstrate and facilitate but ultimately it’s down to the angler to take full advantage ofthe situation.

If as an angler you are continuously adding more variables into the equation that onlyserve to restrict your fishing and fishing times rather than enhancing them then you arelearning nothing. There is one only one-way to boost your chances and that’s to do it andlearn the craft for yourself. Bass fishing is not about an ever-increasing number ofexacting situations that prevent you from going fishing. It’s not about counting fish; it’s notabout catching the biggest fish, and I hope it never becomes competitively fished for in

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this country. Yes there are many, many factors involved that influence the fish but on anygiven day, on any twenty different locations, during a spring tide in summer withreasonable conditions you can expect to catch bass!


Saltwater Lure Fishing Fundamentals forbeginnersWednesday, March 11, 2009Saltwater Lure Fishing Series - first published Irish Angler 2004


Part Two

I am often asked the question ‘Which lure is the best Jim?’ I always answer ‘The onewhich you think is the best.’ This is not Jim trying to be smart or quipping but it is oftenthe case that an angler will feel more confident with one type or make of lure thananother. He will often feel that it is the best lure available and will go to extremes to hide itfrom other anglers. He sometimes catches fish on this lure but there are times when hedoesn’t. When he goes fishing again he fishes with the same lure, often in the sameplace and with the same method. He may or may not catch fish. Lets look at the range oflures available to the modern saltwater angler and why some are more popular thanothers.

Metal spinners or jigs like the famous Kilty lure are now famous in Ireland. Other lures inthis range are the ABU krill and Toby. The renowned German bait is still oftenindispensable and the simple but deadly Dexter wedge is a good fish catcher. This is therange and type of lure that most saltwater anglers are familiar with, spinning for sea trout,bass, pollack and mackerel with these lures is commonplace and widespread in Ireland.Anglers use medium to heavy spinning rods of various lengths and spinning reels loadedwith monofilament line. The spinners are attached to the line with a simple swivel.

The activity of ‘spinning’ is relatively straightforward when the angler is fishing over cleanground. The spinner is simply cast out and retrieved and then re-cast. Varying the speedof retrieve allows the angler to speed up or slow down the lure and hence change itsposition in the water ‘table’. When fishing over rough, rocky or broken ground with ametal spinner, things often become more difficult. There is often a subconscious fear thatthe spinner is fishing too deep and close to the rocks and the angler may beapprehensive about loosing the spinner by getting it caught. As a result the spinner willbe retrieved rather quickly and higher in the water ‘table’ where fish may fail to react to it.Fish are often secure closer to the cover of rocks and weed.

In order to improve your catch rate if you are fishing with a metal spinner I wouldrecommend that you try and fish as close to the submerged rocks as possible quitefrequently during your fishing session. To avoid or at least reduce possible tackle lossesreduce your treble hook to a single. If you are fishing over an area that is covered by hightide then it is often possible to retrieve lost spinners at low water. My grandfather showed

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me a trick I used as a young angler whilst fishing the Forlorn Point in KilmoreCo.Wexford. Take your spinner then attach your swivel, then attach about fifteen feet of20-pound test monofilament to your mainline which should be about 12-14 pounds test,you can use a double blood or uni-knot. When you are fishing and then find you are stucksimply pull for a break after making valid attempts to free your spinner. The line willgenerally break at the knot. When the tide retreats its very easy to locate the ‘leader’ ofheavy line which will lead you to your spinner. I once as a boy spent an entire monthssummer holiday bass fishing in Kilmore with two Jensen Jigs. I lost and retrieved themseveral times and I fished them until their coatings disappeared.

As I mentioned in part one, most angling shops have a wide stock of what I like to callLures. These are different from the metal spoons, spinners and jigs, which we spokeabout above, and they also have very different fishing methods. Some of most popularrange within this ‘modern’ type of lure is Rapala, Storm and Duel. There are many otherslike lucky craft, Smith and Jackson too. The Rapala J13, J9 and J7 are very famous basslures. They are often called jerk baits. The jointed body allows the lure to swim with aunique action that has been imitated by several other lure manufacturers. The mainfeatures you will notice about this type of lure are

1. Its fuller profile – it has a more realistic shape, colour and form than a metal jig2. It may well have a diving vane at the front3. It may have a rattle inside and you may feel or hear objects moving inside4. It will feel light5. It will be indicated on the packaging as to whether it is a floating, or sinking lure.

Lets take a closer look at each point. The fuller profile of the Rapala type lure is differentto your metal jigs. Its form suggests a ‘fishy’ presence in the water and its colour will becompletely different than a spinner. The vast amounts of colours available within a lurerange should not put you off and we will discuss this later. The second thing on our list isthe diving vane of clear plastic situated at the front of the lure. This vane forces the lure to‘dive’ when retrieved and it also causes eddies around the lure causing it to swimactively. The deeper the angle and the longer the vane the deeper the lure will swim, ashallow swimming lure will not have as steep an angled vane. It is important to mentionthat on the lure packaging the lure diving depth is often indicated.

When you are examining the lure closer you will often hear objects moving about inside.These generally serve two or three purposes. Take a storm chug bug for instance, whichis a floating lure and shake it. It has a very loud and distinctive rattle that can be heardvery easily. This is caused by several ball bearings inside. This rattle acts as a fishattractor. The other purpose these ball bearings serve is in casting. When the lure issuspended in the cast the ball bearings drop to the bottom of the lure. This creates aweight distribution, which is far easier to cast. With more complex lures like the AileMagnet the distribution of weight is a key factor in maintaining the balance of the lure andhence a natural appearance when it is been fished.

On the packaging of the lure it is generally indicated as to whether the lure is a diving orsuspending version. This is an important factor in your fishing decisions. By been able tomake several different presentations with your lure at various depths you can fish very,very effectively. Take a Rapala J13 floater for instance. You cast the lure and it floats ontop of the water, when you retrieve it, it swims and dives to its indicated depth usually oneor two metres. When you stop retrieving it will return to the surface if it’s a floatingversion. If it’s a suspending version it will simply remain at rest moving slowly in thecurrents until you begin to retrieve it again. Deadly effective.

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These lures will feel light in the hand when held, especially in comparison to your metaljigs. Fishing with heavy mono will not be effective for your fishing. It will restrict yourability to cast any distance and it will have adverse effects on your lures swimming action.I would suggest that you fish with a high quality monofilament of about 10-14 pounds testor if you can afford to I would strongly recommend fishing with braid. A braided line of 30pounds test has the equivalent diameter of 8 pounds test monofilament.

If you do invest in some lures and lure fishing equipment please bear in mind thefollowing. When using braid always purchase a good quality reel that has a slowoscillating feature. This will improve line lay and helps resist burying of the braid on thespool during retrieves. Without this feature especially with less ‘modern’ braids you willexperience tangles that the devil himself would be proud of. Always attach a leaderlength of fluorocarbon or monofilament to the end of your braid. This should be about onemetre in length and be of around 20 pounds test. Join the braid to the leader using theallbright or reverse allbright knot. This leader will ensure a number of things. Firstly themultiple hook points on your lure will not ‘pierce’ the braid and get tangled whilst tumblingthrough the cast. Also sometimes whilst playing or striking a fish line can be drawnacross a hook barb – braid can be deteriorated by this quite quickly and show no visiblesigns of wear. This leader will also allow a little shock absorption (as well as your rod) asremember braid has zero stretch.

So what range do you need to carry from a beginner’s point of view? To allow effectivepresentation of baits and lures across the widest range to predatory fish I wouldrecommend the following -

· Spinners and spoons

· The Kilty lure

· The ABU krill

· The ABU Toby

· Jerk Baits

· Rapala J13, J11 Floating

· Lucky craft flash minnow

· Storm thundersticks, yo zuri's or similar

· Surface Lures

· Storm chug bug

· Rapala skitter walk

Duel Aile Magnet

While colour is important I would concentrate at the beginning on buying two fishy typecolours of each lure and one bright type like yellow and white or a red and whitecombination. You should have a compact yet comprehensive range with this selection

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allowing you to fish effectively for all major saltwater predatory species in Ireland. In thenext issue we will address effective methods and the various techniques required to fishyour lures more effectively. We will concentrate on selection; colour and how to targetyou preferred species.


Saltwater Lure Fishing Fundamentals forbeginnersSaturday, May 02, 2009Saltwater Lure Fishing Series - First Published Irish Angler 2004


Part three

So here we are at part three already. Lets talk a little about techniques. Remember frompart two that we said traditional metal spinners like the Abu Toby are simply cast andthen retrieved at various speeds. This is an effective way of catching fish no doubt. With alure you can achieve so much more. By using the correct techniques you can impartmore ‘life’ into a lure that a metal jig simply doesn’t have. To be really effective at lurefishing you need to develop two things – understanding how to locate the fish andensuring you are using the right bait and techniques.

There are times during the day that are better than others, in fact there are two times,which are generally considered to be – early morning before the sun rises, and eveningtime, just before and after sun down. There is also a number of tidal factors to considerthat may or may not correspond to this timing but from a beginners point of view I wouldadvise you to try and determine the dates when rising tides coincide with a rising sun (notexactly of course) or, when rising tides coincide with a setting sun. These two co-incidences are proven times for fish catching, the change of light creates a huntinginstinct in most predators. But don’t become restricted to these times only – there areother hours in the day too!

Regarding your search tactics for locations its up to you to put in the hard work and slog itout I’m afraid. It can take some time and effort. Getting up early, travelling long distances,trying various states of the tides. Expenditure on equipment and lures can run high.Sometimes it can be frustrating but eventually you will be rewarded. After your hard workyou will have determined the patterns and success is yours to enjoy.

Ok so lets get to the serious stuff. This could take some time I’m afraid but lets begin. Theequipment jigsaw consists of three main pieces, lets start with the reel. You will morelikely than not be using a fixed spool reel. The activity of lure fishing means your reel willbe in constant use during your fishing sessions. This is not like bait fishing where youcast and retrieve maybe every fifteen to twenty minutes, sixteen to twenty times in asession. When you are lure fishing you could probably be casting and retrieving as muchas forty to fifty times and hour or two hundred times a session. This means your reelneeds to be of good quality. Its internal workings need to be tough and smooth with

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correct bearing placement. The outer coating needs to be saltwater resistant and able towithstand the odd knock on rocks.

There is also one factor worth bearing in mind especially if you choose to use braid asyour mainline, which I would recommend. When you retrieve braid onto your spool theline needs to be placed in neat parallel coils, this is achieved by a ‘slow oscillating’mechanism within the reel. If you are purchasing a fixed spool reel for lure fishing look tofor this or similar methods of line lay. The Shimano range is particularly suitable for this.

Your choice of mainline is one of two – traditional monofilament which is not tooexpensive or the more expensive option which is braid. I’m afraid I favour the latter for anumber of reasons. Despite the initial outlay, if looked after properly braid will last three orfour seasons. It has a much thinner profile than monofilament and hence will cast a lotfurther, there is another added benefit to this thin profile, it will help in the lifelike action ofyour lure. Braid has no stretch so there is a unique experience in fish and lure contact.This allows you to control your lure in ways that monofilament never can. When fishingwith braid I would recommend that you use a short length of clear mono of fluorocarbonof about one metre at the end of your line. This allows for a little shock absorption whenstriking fish and prevents wear and tear on the braid from a lure or when fishing in rockyareas. Powerpro, spiderwire, Dynacable are all good brands that work really well. Whenusing new braid take it easy with casting at first until you ‘break it in’ over one or twosessions. It is prone to wind knots at first but these will soon disappear.

The last piece of the jigsaw is your rod. A much talked about, and hotly debated topic.Lets look at the fish we are aiming to catch, sea trout, bass, mackerel, pollack. Notexactly huge fish are they. Ok so each has its particular strengths but these are not thehard fighting toothy species of the tropics. So matching your rod to the species you intendto catch will enhance your sporting experience. I have spent a considerable amount oftime looking for suitable lure rods that fit the species to be caught in Ireland and generallyI use two very light specialised saltwater rods. They are both of the same make. The firstrod is an eight footer that casts lures between 10g and 30g, the second rod is just overnine feet and casts lures between 30g and 75g. It is important to mention that these arenot classed in the traditional sense of the spinning rod. These are specifically designedsaltwater lure fishing rods. Rings are Fuji sic and the carbon is of a very high modulus.Each rod has a specific line strength recommendation

The reaction that most people have to these rods is a how remarkably light andsomewhat stiff they are, they then follow it up with the question how can you land a bigfish on one of those? And herein lies a lot of information. These lure rods are constructedto do a number of things,

1. They allow you to control and work you lure as effectively as possible2. They translate the movements of the lure into your hands and arms3. They allow you to cast a long way when required4. They allow you to apply power to a big fish when you need to avoid an obstruction

and when you need to land the fish quickly5. Is sensitive and balanced enough to allow you feel the power of the fish

You don’t need a heavy spinning rod for fishing saltwater in Ireland. Travel light and enjoythe sense of freedom rather than becoming bogged down under the weight of yourequipment. Enjoy the feeling of being in touch with your quarry and the sense that youreffective equipment will put you closer to the fish and your fishing. This will allow you toenjoy your surroundings and learn from what you are witnessing in a more intimate and

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productive way.

I think we couldn’t finish this series without returning to the lures and some techniques.I’m afraid that in a short series like this it is simply not possible to cover every tactic ortechnique. The choice of lures facing the angler is huge so how does he select thecorrect one. Understanding the feeding habits of the target species will help, for instancesea trout are known to feed on sand eels at sea and in our estuaries. They are very waryof ‘artificials’ so a small light lure that resembles a sand eel closely and one that is fishedn the correct manner will give you a lot of success. There is no point in targeting sea troutwith large red lures that are designed for toothy critters.

Sea bass on the other hand are often aggressive and voracious hunters. They willrespond to a number of stimuli and the ‘trigger’ points in many lures take advantage ofthis. Lures that splash and pop on the surface will attract bass, lures that flash and diveunder cover will attract bass, and lures that bounce and crash into rocks will attract bass.Bass generally have no problems attacking large lures with big eyes that make lots ofnoise. If you have experienced a surface smash take by a big bass then you haveexperienced what makes this sport so addictive.

Learn to make you lure move realistically by watching bait fish in their naturalenvironment. They don’t swim constantly in a straight line now do they? What colours ofnatural bait do you see watched up after the mackerel have attacked them? What kind offish live under or close to the rocks where you are fishing, what colour are these guys,how do they behave, what does an injured fish look like in the water? What are the ternsfeeding on? It’s a case of constant observation and a applying what you see to yourfishing.

Ensure you have a deep diving lure, a mid-water lure and a surface lure at all times.Animate your lure to enhance its swimming motion. Be confident in your lure choice andconcentrate on what nature is telling you. Fish with a frame of mind that tells you - youwill catch a fish on the next cast or the next or the next. Don’t mind the guy up the beachscreaming at the bass he missed – its now swimming in your direction!

I must warn you that, and I’m sure you probably don’t need to be reminded of this thatlures are an obsession. I have a few lures here at my house might I say, when I say a fewI mean a large number. The fact is I only ever fish with about six or seven. The few that Ifish with are firm favourites. They have all caught me a lot of fish, and they all havehundreds of fishing hours on them. On the odd occasion that I might loose one of themit’s a tragedy. There follows a little ceremony and a period of mourning whilst I decidehow and with what I will replace my lost friend! Sad I know, but it will happen to you too!SEAi does provide counselling services for loss of loved lures!!


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Saltwater Lure fishing Tips - Part 12 of 21 -splash, bubble and PO...Sunday, June 21, 2009

Theres more to poppers than you mightthink! Certainly casting a popper andworking it back in the much described'erratic fashion' does work, but do you findyourself wondering why some days arebetter than others?

Traditional technique - simpy cast youpopper and let it land. Tighten down to yourlure by winding a little line and when yousee your lure moving a little then simplymove your rod tip in a sharp pull - providedyou are using braid and a reasonablystiffish rod you lure will generate a 'bowwave'. This bow wave is related to the typeof movement you make with your rod armand the size and shape of the concave faceof your lure. Shorter snappier movementsmake different waves than longer strokes.Experiment with movements and lureshapes. Of ten an exaggera ted oruncontrolled motion will see you lureturning end over end and fouling upon themainline, with braid minimal movementscreate the most effective fishing.

Stop and go - Combining these movementsabove with periods of stopping the lure givethe fish the opportunity to locate the sourceof all this disturbance. Constant poppingwith constant retriving whilst on occassiondoes produce fish will also cause you tomiss many opportunities. Adding a stopcreates a longer retrieve time and henceyour lure is fishing for a longer period - timefor fish to find it! Add stops for as long as

twenty seconds if you can stand the suspense!

Bubble stream generation - Creating a bubble stream can often produce results wherepopping wont. A buuble stream is simply a long pull of the lure through the water causinga 'whoooshh' followed by a stop often just subsuface. Bass locate the lures through theirwell tuned senses and this technique creates both longer and different sounds coupled toa visual stream of bubbles. Can you 'walk' a popper? - If you own the new generation ofpoppers then not only can you perform all of the above but you can also combine it withthe 'walk the dog' technique. Some poppers are more difficult to walk than others, someare downright impossible but when you can achieve the combination of walk and pop its

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often unbeatable. Not all poppers are created equal - The concave face of your popper isunique to the particular model. The angle that this face is presented at is also differentacross ranges of lures. Owning one popper doesnt mean 'you have a popper and dontneed any more'. Sounds, shapes, splash types, even static presentations all makedifferences to your fishing on the day. A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

the bestThursday, January 14, 2010A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

Saltwater Lure Fishing - Part 13 of 21 My SpringsetupFriday, April 16, 2010Since my posting about my basic set up forbass fly fishing in Wexford -What do I bringand what do I fish with? I have had lots ofquestions regarding my Lure fishing set up.So in answer to your queries the followingis a list of my basic personal Lure FishingBass Setup - Please click on the links formore details and diagrams/animations/help-

If all of this is new to you why not considerattending a dedicated Lure FishingWorkshop

The Basics

The Reel – Shimano Twin Power 3500The Rods – From SMITHBS-90RS 9' 650mm 8～20lb 10～40g 245g 2 pieces - 141cm BS-86SPL 8'6" 500mm6～16lb 4～15g 173g 2 pieces - 134cm The Line – Power pro 9kgs and 5kgs – with RioFluoroflex tippet

The Detail

I have pre-loaded 20 lbs BS Dacron fly fishing backing on both spools of the Shimano asI only carry 135 metres of braid (both spools loaded with different BS)Bimini twist on the line end of the backing with a doubled over closing knot to providedouble loopsMainline powerpro braid tied to the backing using an Allbright knot to the double loops ofthe bimini

14lbs Fluoroflex is tied at the end of the mainline braid using a Reverse Allbright Knot

The leader BS and mainline BS depends on the rod / lure/ presentation I am making to

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the fish

I will place a rapala knot at the end of a one meter (varies) leader of Fluoroflex to attachto my lure

My go-to hard lure on a typical Spring day (depending on water clarity) would be a LuckyCraft pointer 78SP - view in full screen mode for best effect

I will fish with the BS-86 at this time of year (spring) with small soft lures and smaller sub-surface or surface lures and change up to the BS-90 only when necessary

The Gear

One small Fishpond waist Pack containing ALL of the followingTwo small lure boxes one containing surface lures the other containing sub surface luresOne small lure box containing soft lures and various jig headsOne Fishpond nippersOne Stream works forcepsSpare tippet materialOne spare spool loaded with alternate braided lineOne pair of Polartec Sunglasses – Tan or yellow - NEVER leave without themSmall tube of sun factorOne waterproof camera

Under / Wader Wearall the following are breathable

Hellyhansen base layer - warm for this time of yearPatagonia insulator pants (maybe) and Redington FleeceVision Extreme Waders and JacketVision felt/stud boots A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

Rigging Soft Baits for BassMonday, May 17, 2010

Later today and during the week - how to get the bestfrom your soft baits for bass.

Rigging -

Jig Heads -Weedless -Tactics and techniques - A little bit of fishing in yourday - Jim

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Saltwater lure fishing - Part 14.1 of 21 - RiggingSofties


Tuesday, May 18, 2010Tools for rigging soft baits

Senko worm or wave wormSplit ringsNail weightsWorm HooksJig HeadsAR RigsAcoustic barrels


Saltwater lure fishing - Part 14.2 of 21 - RiggingSofties - Wacky ...Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Wacky Worm Rig

Senko wormNail weights (optional)Gamakatsu circle

Alternative rig

Place a split ring over worm(smaller diameter)

Move to mid point of wormPlace hook under split ring

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Imafraidnot !Thursday, May 20, 2010I cannot recommend this knot highly enough HERE A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

Saltwater Lure Fishing - Part 14.3 of 21 - Riggingsofties - Weight...Friday, May 21, 2010 A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

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NEVER judge a book by its coverSunday, June 20, 2010

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1. Older lures in your box dont just stop catching fish2. Newer lures dont catch more fish3. Loss of a lure 'finish' doesnt affect a lures catch rate4. Loss of a lure 'finish' may in fact, enhance a lures catch rate5. Expensive lures are not neccessarily better than cheaper lures6. Price is not indicative of effectiveness7. Do not confuse 'lifelike' with 'realistic'8. Trigger points exist9. 'If it ain't chartreuse it ain't no use'.......what colour is the sun?

10. YOU are the lure A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

Saltwater Fly and Lure - choices and decisionsfor bass fishingThursday, July 28, 2011

Bass go about their business on a day byday basis and during the time they spendclose to our shores their search for food isof prime importance to their survival. Theystore this bounty that they catch and eat asa lipid reserve to help them survive overwinter in less than ideal conditions. Lowerwater temperatures during wintertimecauses a slow down in metabolism andother processes, whilst during late winterand early spring physiological changes in

preparation for spawning further reduce appetite.

They are opportunistic feeders the vast majority of the time and in a good example of therange of sources that they can consider as food a recently caught fish contained a largecuttlefish, a giant sandeel and two hard backed crabs and was also in the process ofeating a 7” senko worm which he considered as another item on the menu!The capture and storing of ‘living’ energy is a full time job especially if you havecompetition from other members in your group trying to do the same thing!Swimming along in a shoal of equally hungry fish their senses highly tuned to the captureof prey, the response to feeding opportunities is based around the following (not in any

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particular order)1. Movement (or behaviour)2. Shape3. Size4. Colour

Each of these elements ‘trigger’ a possibility of food. During opportunistic feeding timeswhich is the vast majority of the time, bass will simply eat anything that is presentedcorrectly, i.e. moving at the correct depth! But we all know that this is not always the case– how many of us have felt the frustration of fish, follow after follow with no take.In this (selective) instance fish are responsive to movement and take up positions to eatbut then refuse to do so – other elements in the make up of ‘prey characteristics’ becomepart of the decision to eat or not – that secondary trigger might be any one of theelements above – shape size or colour.Fish see colour during daylight hours only – their eyes have evolved to perceive contrastand movement in ways in which we cant – detail is not perceived. I often hear anglers sayI cant catch something on a ‘hot pink lure’ but this is only because we are limited to – ‘thisis how we see it in our world’.Fish living in the multifaceted and fractured world of an underwater environment may onoccasion perceive ‘hot pink’ against an underwater background or light much easier thana grey or an olive. It gives you an angling colour contrast edge. During opportunisticfeeding times you as an angler are not necessarily trying to present lures or flies that are‘naturally realistic’ in terms of finish, there’s no harm in this but its not always necessary.During opportunistic times if fish can see something better or more obviously against anunderwater background and current light conditions by virtue of contrast and you thencombine this with good movement and animation you are on a winner. Remember prey isalways trying to hide, be invisible, you as an angler are trying to present prey that is moreobvious to predators - don’t make it more difficult than it already is.

• Predatory fish respond to movement• Predatory fish perceive contrast better than detail• During opportunistic feeding times fish competing for food rely on less of the stimuli

to eat your fly or lure• Conditions will affect the way and where fish are feeding• Behavioural movement imitation can be significant• Make things easy for bass to eat your fly or lure


A perspective - the 'value' of locationsThursday, August 18, 2011

'I don't mind sharing hard-won information.In fact, I relish it. So many steelheaders aretight-lipped regarding most every aspect ofthe sport. I am not necessarily going to tellyou the exact spot to fish - that knowledgeneeds to be earned. But giving otheranglers the tools and confidence iscommon, sportsman's courtesy. There isstill a lot to be figured out through personaltrial and error.'

From - A passion for steelhead - Dec

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Hogan A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

im a frayed knot........Friday, September 02, 2011A little bit of fishing in your day - Jim

An early birthday presentSaturday, December 17, 2011

A search is over. Considering that Dec 212012 is the speculated end of the worldAND my birthday and the winter solstice,this could be the best (and last) birthdaypresent I have ever received! A little bit offishing in your day - Jim

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Bass Fishing Wexford - On the Lure

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