They say that mindfulness is the art of living in the moment, enjoying, observing or being ‘what is’. Interesting concept for many of us looking to escape the hustle of the real world, jobs, responsibilities, stress and pressure. It can be the one place that for a brief moment in our lives gives way to just being. While there are people that have transcended this across all of their lives, I say well done, but for us mere humans, let’s just concentrate on understanding the appeal and why it is so special.
We have all had those days on the water, special moments, a remarkable sunset, a moment of rod bending exhilaration, that moment of sudden loss as the line goes slack. Happy, sad or enraged, you are in the moment.
“Wherever you go, there you are.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
It can take a while to work that quote out, but it means that you are wherever you go or what you do, meaning that you are in the present. Confused? Well you are not thinking of what happened yesterday, not planning tomorrow, but living the now. Let’s see if we can relate it to something more tangible?
Can you remember a moment. Seeing that drag scream, hearing the creak of a rod as it loads up, seeing that surface strike or watching that big fish make its final run, only to secure freedom. While you remember the past it seems like you are living the moment again huh!
These are the moments we live for. We try to explain to others, yet the explaination falls short of our recollection. That is because we saw, felt and lived the moment, often others whom have lived a similar moment can identify with it, others just look at you like you are a monkey using tools for the first time.
Science is described as the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment’. Loosely translated, it’s what we can systematically study or work out, prove or disprove, a lot like working out a new fishing spot, targeting a new species or working out who stole your crab pots.
Art is described as ‘the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power’. As you can tell from the deffiniton, art is much more intangible, interpretive and based on emotion and appreciation. Which is the reason this article reflects the art mindfulness aspects of the art of fishing as it is emotion that stirs the soul and gets us excited about the moment we are living.
Living in the now is seemingly a long forgotten art, but it’s one way to disconnect from our busy, relentlessly paced and hectic days. Let’s be honest, we just need a break sometimes. If you practice this appreciation of ‘what is’ while out fishing, your time on the water will be much more enjoyable, the donuts seem not quite as big and you will begin to see that the catch of the day is really that beautiful sunrise or that sunset you cannot forget, and that the fish are an absolute bonus.
The best thing about learning this skill is exactly that, it can be learnt, it can be acquired through the practice of being conscious of your surroundings and living the moment you are in. Being at one on the water will not only make your time out more enjoyable, it will give you that short mental break from everyday living, which is exactly why we seek this solitude and time getting back to nature.
Now, no one is saying that you sit out there meditating fish onto your line, you have to think, pursue and stalk your quarry, just don’t miss those few fleeting moments of gold, whereby you take stock of your life, feel the rise and fall of your breath, drink in the surroundings, hear the chorus of nature and feel the loading of the rod within your grasp. That’s what mindfulness and the art of fishing is!
Go forth and enjoy the moment.
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
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So if you are serious about your sport and preserving fish stocks for future generations? Then check out this article on what you can do to increase fish survivability rates of your catch.
]]>While there is plenty of info out there on catching your target species, perhaps it’s time for greater awareness on how to release your target species fit to fight another day.
There is no doubt that the awareness of catch and release fishing has increased ten fold in recent years. In fact in some circles, keeping fish seems to be frowned upon. While not a theory I subscribe to, we do release a lot more fish these days due to the awareness of catch and release. However, how many of us have actually looked at, and know how to, increase the survivability of the species we catch and then release? Let’s take a look.
Generally there are a number of things that we all can do to increase the survivability of the fish we release. With a few simple tools, the correct techniques for handling our quarry we can give them a greater than 90% chance of survival after their ordeal, sounds like great odds huh?
First of all, the greatest risk to catching and releasing a fish is the method on how it was caught. Deep hooking fish is the number one cause of mortality in released fish. The use of bait is the number one cause for deeply or gut hooked fish. Mouth hooked fish, through the use of non offset circle hooks if you are bait fishing will greatly reduce the number of gut hooked fish. Why non-offset, simply because you want the hook to slide out of their gullet and lodge in the corner of the mouth, something that circle hooks do quite well A guide to using circle hooks. This will increase the number of mouth hooked fish if you are a bait fisherman.
The use of lures however almost always results in a mouth hooked fish and are a popular choice for most catch and release fisherman, however occasionally our fish take a great liking to a lure and inhale it right down.
If you do gut hook a fish, the act of simply cutting off your line as close to their mouth, rather than trying to remove the hook, will increase short term survivability substantially. Do you really need the hook or soft plastic back that bad?
The NSW Department of Primary Industry (DPI) suggests that this simple act increases the survivability rate of most estuary fish like bream and jew from about 12% to greater than 85%, which is impressive.
What’s more impressive is that in a study they identified that about 76% of bream that were gut hooked and cut off as described above, shed the hook within 3 weeks through corrosive breakdown and the fish’s body ejecting the hook through natural process.
Key to a successful release is minimizing the time the fish spends out of the water and how it is handled while you land unhook and take photos of your catch. Here’s a few tips to help you get a more successful release and increase the chances of survival of your catch.
Use of a good quality net is extremely important. As mentioned before, skin damage is a big issue for survivability, so a soft, wet net that provides lateral support for the fish (on their side) rather than meshed in on their head and tangled up. This will ensure less damage to skin, fins and eyes, which are extremely important for predators.
If you can find one that does not have large mesh, this is also a bonus as it tangles hooks less. Check out this link for further information on correct use of the landing net.
For more on Quality landing nets, check out this link.
If you are in a competition or are keeping your bag of fish alive to attempt to upgrade to larger models, then the use of a live well is quite important.
A good flow of oxygenated water is required. When the fish are revived and they will be in an un-natural environment. When stressed, they will use greater amounts of oxygen and will tire quickly. So ensure there is sufficient water flow and oxygen in the system. Try to avoid storage on direct sunlight, water temperature in the live well will also be a factor if exposed to sunny and hot conditions without adequate flow. Increased water temperature can send the fish into shock.
When retrieving fish for release from the live well, do so in a calm and deliberate manner as quick movements will panic the catch and they will stress unnecessarily.
If you are serious about survivability as a recreational angler, then the use of barbless hooks is another way. While this may mean that you lose a fish or two, those that you land would have a greater chance of survival. You can create your own barbless hooks by just simply crimping your hook barb with a pair of pliers, this will crush the barb in and you are good to go.
Being mindful of the use of all of these techniques will also go a long way to ensuring that you are doing your bit to contribute to the health of those fish that you catch so they can provide sport and sustainable to our kids and theirs that follow them.
For more information go to:
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-skills/catch-and-release
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information or checkout out range of fishing gear and lures at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
]]>Fishing, for me has been a lifetime pursuit, it is a one true constant in an ever changing world that just seems to spin faster and faster. Bigger, faster, more being the catch cry.
Which leads me to the question of why do we fish? I can tell you my reasons, but is there something deeper, some more primal in the reasons we are compelled to fish?
Let’s dive in and see if we can unfold a few layers.
Asking your buddy off the cuff as to why he fishes, is likely to give you a variety of predictable answers, such as, it’s just what I do, I love it, it’s my sport. Go beyond that though and you will see there is more to this than meets the eye.
People fish for many reasons, it can be as relaxing or as intensely competitive as you wish to make it. That’s part of the plan really and could explain how come so many people love to do it. Fishing is a sport that is open to people of all walks of life, gender, creed and colour. There is no entry fee, few barriers to access it and with as little as a handline and servo prawns, you are in the game.
Perhaps thats part of the appeal, is it a game, something to occupy us in our idle time? Thinking deeper, gaming is not always a lighthearted and flippant use of our time. It can take on a more sinister role, such as a lot of online entertainment these days. whereby the edges between what is real and not become very blurry. In this world of online, virtual reality, no downtime, constantly wired, slave to our electronic addictions, is this really a game or our unrealized worst nightmare of reaching the end of our path and wondering where it all went.
Comparing fishing to a game is not doing it justice, fishing is real and whilst some might say as addictive in nature as gaming, nevertheless I believe much healthier. Fishing is more a pastime, a hobby rather than a game. I prefer to think of fishing as much more than just a game and so do you, otherwise you would not have read so far.
Our modern society is sanitized and refined, in our single served and pre-packaged for our convenience world, it is little wonder we look for escape to more primitive environments.
There is no doubt that fishing connects us with our primal roots. The days when very survival required us to become master of a technique in order to ensure the survival of not only ourselves but of our families. Catching fish was once a survival tactic, now we (most of us) live in a much more refined world, where fish for dinner involves a trip to the supermarket, unwrapping the plastic shrink wrap and putting the fillet in the pan (unless a waiter brings it to you).
No wonder we long for the cut and thrust of a life and death struggle, only to use advanced tools and efficiently guided technique to land our prize, bleed, gut, prepare, fillet, season and then later cook and consume our quarry. There are some that would decry this barbarism, however that would only serve to mask our evolutionary nature and forget where we come from.
For some, it is the thrill of the hunt, a throw back to our hunter/gather roots. The only way to explain this to someone who has never experienced it is; the excitement you get when you are trying to obtain something that is difficult or challenging. That is when you return triumphant, catch in tow.
Perhaps this is one reason, we enjoy it so much, it connects us to our true self or at least our previous generations and their evolution..
Although the medical and social benefits of doing something you like are immense, the form of stress release that comes from your style of fishing can bring you great benefits also.
Now I will admit to some of my fishing exploits to have been a little shy of a no stress affairs. Well a lot shy actually, but that’s where the good stuff is. The planning, the preparation, the execution and the recovery are all essential elements. Enjoying all of them is the challenge.
We know that in order to operate at our peak, to get the most out of our human experience, we require slightly elevated levels of stress in order to perform. Its ensuring the right kind of stress is applied is the trick. Stress because you left the sounder at home, or that motor will not start are the kind you can do without. Stress to work out the best way to capture a photo of your catch, or how to catch a bigger one than the last three, is the good kind and that’s what motivates us.
For most of us, just the sheer essence of getting back to nature, to share that special sunrise with your mate, spouse or kids (mostly in that order) is a unique form of aqua-stress relief that can only be found in the piscatorial sense. A lot of this depends on our personality and how we approach things in our life, so let’s take a look at how our personality plays a part.
About 30-40% of us are introverts, meaning that introverts require time alone to de-stress, to recharge, and collect our thoughts. We invest in quality time with one or two people and dislike crowds and lots of people for an extended period of time.
As an introvert, I can attest to enjoying my fishing as an escape from my day job and the copious social interaction that comes with it. Many introverts enjoy fishing as a welcome relief to recharge themselves, be at one nature and just be in the now. I usually come back from a fishing trip, physically exhausted, but with a mentally and spiritually refreshed bank account, and can deal with whatever life throws at me. This is my version of a day spa.
Extroverts enjoy fishing too, they revel in the social aspect, enjoy the competition, crowded jetties and beaches. They thrive on and are empowered by being with people, thats why fishing works for them. They will do it with a group and enjoy every minute of it.
Whatever your type or personality you can get what you need to refresh and de-stress from fishing, its just knowing yourself and adjusting your experience accordingly.
‘Many men go fishing their entire lives without realizing that it is not fish they are after’ Thoreau
When I first read this quote, I dismissed it. But it explains more about us fishermen/women then most of us care to really understand. Is it really fish that we are searching for? Or is it the possibility of anything being possible, of the truly miraculous being closer than we think, of moments of beauty being available for the average person to experience on a daily basis, with the possibility of a feed thrown in as a bonus?
My grandfather who was the most avid fisherman, I have ever known always said:
’Anything is possible son, the only thing impossible are some people’ Barra Bill Cahill
He had proven this to be accurately true on more occasions than I care to remember.
There are many and varied reasons why we fish, some a little deeper than others, but nonetheless just as important. Like all hobbies, professions or competitions, you get out what you put in. If you are just after a relaxing bait soak on a Sunday afternoon, well fair play to you. If you are jacked up on the thrill of tornament bass/ bream fishing, then go get em tiger. If you just want to share your passion with your grandchildren and kids, then I say there is not enough of that happening in the world, so good on you.
It takes many forms but these are some of the reasons why we fish. I am sure if you reflect on it, your reasons would not be too hard to quantify either. I have come to believe that the simple act of fishing satisfies something deep within that we do not get from modern day life.
The reasons why we fish are all slightly different, but well known to all of us, how we fish, well thats a whole other set of articles.
But getting back to the why, for me it’s the missing part of the puzzle. It is an escape, de-stress and recharge time. It is about being in the now, being present in the moment and maybe, just maybe making a lifetime memory with my friends and family.
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
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Recently, after many moons of fishing soft plastics, I was introduced by a mate (Mark) to the use of soft plastic vibes. Now I had used hard vibes and even metal ones before and while these worked, they where kind of ...Meah... However, I can well and truly attest now to the soft plastic version.
We where fishing shallow reef on a drift in about 10-12 meters of water. Mark was jigging vertically straight off the bottom, catching fish after fish. While none at the time where record breakers, he was catching at least one every 30 seconds. After about 30 minutes of this and about 50 or so fish, I decided there had to be something in this. I dropped down a soft plastic and began to work it in a similiar fashion not 3 ft away from his.
Yes, I caught fish, but no-where near the number and speed. So, I had to give this soft vibe thing a go.
I bummed a vibe from Mark, with all the tact of a cat on a hot tin roof and proceeded to coat it in Rhino Goo. I figured its a soft plastic right and any scent has to be better than no scent. From there things got real interesting, real quick. Before I knew it every reef species seemed to swarm that poor little lure. There was no respite, there was no break, there was just a constant bend in the Shimano Raider.
It even became apparent after that having put on a similar size vibe to his, that the catch scent was making a difference as well. I seemed to be out fishing his previous blistering pace with hookups. The only real difference was the use of scent.
The quality seems to improve also, with some nice cod and grassy sweetlip coming over the side. While no record breakers, we assembled ourselves a respectable feed of reef fish and caught well over a hundred fish easily in a matter of a few hours.
I even managed a large flutefish, which astounded me as its mouth hardly fitted the treble inside.
It was then I began to realise what I had been missing. I had been fishing estuaries for so long and given the number of prawns available at that time of the year, had been using similiar colours. The water clarity was not as good as I had seen it there, but it was pretty good in comparison to closer to the coast. I had not ‘matched the hatch’, there where no prawn out on the reef, well not at that stage anyway. The target food source was clearly smaller fish and the vibe was a natural mullet type colour and with the wiggly jig and drop straight down from the boat the fish could not resist.
The added addition of catch scent was sealing the deal as the fish got in closer, so much so that many fish were caught with the rod in the rod holder and not much else being done.
Just like a high school holiday romance, I became quite attached to that little lure in our short time together. Even to the point of going the extra mile to retrieve it when I snagged it on the reef good and proper. After that many fish however, it is a shadow of its former self, but I reckon it’s still got some life left in it yet.
While we had plenty of fish for a feed each and had had a good day out. It became clearly obvious that ‘getting Jiggy with soft plastic vibes’ is something I intend to do a lot more in the future. Don’t get me wrong, traditional soft plastics rock and will continue to be a staple lure choice for me into the future, but I am ‘digging the vibe’ and can’t wait to unleash these on larger specimens, deeper water and perhaps even hit up my local flathead hides to see how they stack up against my hometown hero softplastics.
The moral of the story really comes back to not being afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Try something new if your old faithfuls fail to fire and be curious to know why.
While I am not a 10% fisherman (you know that catch 90 percent of the fish), I am convinced that learning the skills of observation and being curious to know why something works on one day and not another is essential to growing as an angler. So if you have not already tried getting ‘Jiggy with it’, I highly recommend stretching your comfort zone to give it a whirl.
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
Check out the range of soft vibe lures in stock.
]]>This blog was inspired by a suggestion from Daniel Ingram on the Soft Plastic Anonymous Facebook Page.
So as we use our plastics, overtime you come to rely apon a number of go to colours, ones that catch fish consistently for you. It is only natural that some of these reach the metaphorical equivalent of a superhero, you know, one that saves the day when all seems lost and you are destined for the dreaded doughnut. But why do these work when the chips are down? Is the colour, shape, action, behavior or all the above right for the conditions. Or is it that you use it 90% of the time and therefore every fish you catch on it makes it a self fullfilling phropecy?
So lets talk colour, asking this question amongst 10 anglers will give you in excess of 12 suggestions. The truth is there is no one gun colour, sure some of our super lures work in a variety of situations, but why is this?
In all liklihood, we as anglers, like our quarry, are creatures of habit. What do I mean by that? Well many of us go fishing when the weather is good, sun is shining, light winds, clear conditions, good water quality and the right time of the tide.
Only the most committed can be found out there in windy, rainy, murky conditions. So it stands to reason that if you fish similar conditions and find a lure that works in those conditions at that location, chances are that this lure will work consistently under that same conditions. But how many of us stop to understand why? Perhaps it might be worth considering the next time you are out.
But what happens when these Superlures stop working, the bite is slow or the barometric pressure is through the floor. When your Clark Kent lure comes up against these Kryptonian conditions, what next?
Time to think it through. Most likely the conditions are slightly different, something has changed. We just need to work out what that was and adjust to counter it. A lot of the time that can mean a colour change to our lure.
Water clarity has a lot to do with this also. In clear conditions, your quarry can see your lure better and are less reliant on just hitting anything out of reaction and vibration and are more reliant on picking what they feel like eating. You need to get them to the point that the feeding reflex is triggered by making your presentation colour and behavior of your plastic as overwhelming as possible. When that feeding reflex kicks in they will be on your lure like lightning.
The challenging thing about fishing in general is cracking the code on the day. We all fail to do this at times.
However perseverance in the face of adversity is even sweeter when it pays off.
We know that water is denser than air, we know it can suspend partials, we know that as depth increases there is less light that penetrates the depth. Without light, colour just does not exist, so the deeper you go the less colour you have.
Some makes it through, some does not. Going deeper and deeper, the wavelengths of different colours begin to fade and then go grey because of the lack of light. For instance, at about 6m depth, red disappears, at about 10m orange goes, yellow at 20m, approaching 25m green craps out and at 30m blue has problems but black goes ok through 35m.What does all that mean and what does it have to do with me? Well your colour choice needs to be dependent on the depth of water you are fishing. if you are trying to fish 30m or water with your bright red and yellow whiz bang Super plastic, then it better have something else going for it like a strong action or a wicked scent or you are just playing with shades of grey.
Most definitely. As before, we talk about making the strike happen, we need everything going in our favor for this. Visual appeal is one thing to attract attention, but other senses are the trigger to elicit the strike at close quarters.
Picture this, you are hungry. You see a delicious hamburger wandering all alone (bear with me), it looks salivatingly good. You stalk it, it’s not even aware your there. You get close, you can see the detail and it looks good, it’s your favorite type. You come up from behind it but are still not sure what a delicious tasty morsel is doing out here. You are motivated as hunger drives you forward, but something’s not right. All of a sudden, you smell it, that rich deep hamburger aroma, might even be special sauce on there, you have to have it, you are overwhelmingly compulsed to grab that thing and chomp it down, so you jump on it. You grab it and bite into it, you taste that deliciousness, so you smash it down, only to find...
Now picture the same scenario, but as you get close, it smells like a rubber dog toy, would you still have the same compulsive reaction. You might stand back and poke it with a stick right. Fish do the same (proverbial) thing. Anything that can help you get that compulsive reaction to strike and hold the soft plastic is gold.
All scents are not created equal either, find one that works for you and use it regularly, you might be surprised how much this makes a difference. I prefer the Rhino Goo from Rhino Lures, like all scents you would not know what’s in it, but as long as it continues to get me strikes, I am using it on all lures, soft or hard, it’s that good.
Not really rocket science, but if your soft plastic, does not look like what’s on the menu, then chances are it will get passed up. Being aware of what bait species is so prolific and that your target is eating is key. Matching the size, shape (profile) and colour of the bait can make a world of difference, more on that here.
In clear water, choose a detailed, natural pattern, match your bait species as close as you can. With better visibility, you need to get them zeroing in on your lure. Use scent to get them hooked, adjust your retrieve to mimic the bait fish and don’t be afraid to experiment, when you find what’s working, stick to it.
Use your educated guesses on colour to start out with. A natural colour or a plain white (this mimics the flash you see off of bait as they move, which is also handy if the water is less than clear).
If there are a number of you in your hunting party, its optimal to use differing colours until you find what is working on the day. You can then use this to capitalise on what works best and racking up your catch.
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
]]>This weeks blogs inspiration came from discussions on the Soft Plastics Anonymous page
Well the term stems from its use in fly fishing. Our wafting, wand waving brethren, get all excited and twitchy when there is an insect hatch happening. This usually means greater insect activity on the surface of the water. So they are expert at working out the type of the insect that hatched so they can ensure their dry fly matches the insect hatchlings. Hence the term, ‘matching the hatch’.
Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash
The 5 inch paddletail is the right size, although perhaps a little lacking in depth, but is the wrong colour to replicate the hatch.
The Rhino Lures paddeltail in a Ghost colour seems to more accurately match the colour profile, but still lacks in depth which will always be an issue for replicating this baitfish specie.
Till next time Skulldraggers, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@Skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
]]>This weeks topic inspiration came from Daniel Ingram from the Soft Plastics Anonymous page
One of the great things about fishing in general is that it takes us away from what many of us consider as an ordinary environment (such as work) and gets us back to nature, sometimes a little more than others, depending on how remote you want to go. This weeks blog focuses on the environment in which we fish. Whether it be an urban creek, the beach, reef or ocean. Each environment is different and needs, most of the time, to be fished a little different.
The most important factor to consider when working out how to fish your environment is what species you are targeting. For instance, chasing tuna at the same location you can target flathead in the open ocean requires two very different techniques for the same environment. Bearing this in mind, you need to consider this when discussing the points below.
When you talk about different environments, you need to take into consideration weather also. Fishing a beach in 40kt onshore wind may not be optimal, simarily rock fishing may be a Darwinian lifestyle choice in those conditions. So perhaps we should consider weather also in our deliberations on different techniques for different environments.
A rocky bottom presents a real challenge for bait fisherman, especially using sinkers. This is one area where Soft Plastics excel over most other types of fishing. The lure is on the move, so less likely to be on the bottom and snagged up, you can keep it off the bottom with varying your retrieve and rod tip height.
I like to use a high rod tip ( keep the tip right up during the retrieve) action when fishing these areas, this simply keeps the angle to the soft plastic at a greater angle, meaning that during a lift and drop, the plastic may pop off the bottom or structure a little more cleanly rather than foul or hook rocks, which I am most adept at hooking, but not landing.
So it is enevitable that you are going to contact the rocks at some point, it makes sense to safe guard about that as best you can.
The beauty of soft plastics is that if you get bricked and lose your lure, it is far less of a financial issue then losing that freshly bought $30 brand name wizz banger that you had to mortgage the house for.
The beautiful thing about the flats is that there is a lot less obstacles and obstructions and sometimes less run. This lets you lighten your jighead, fish slower, right on the bottom and pause whenever you like.
This will prevent sand ingress into your reel or accidentally dropping it into the water. It gets enough water exposure as it is without baptizing it several times a trip.
Fish are perfectly adaptable to their environment, because their life depends on it, hiding the majority of what they can see of you can only work for you in the long run.
If you are boating and covering the sand banks, then consider your drift. If you have a selection of target areas then consider the following.
This will ensure you do not spook your targets in shallower water and give you the best chance of fully working the area as you slowly and quietly saunter on by.
So how do you find them, well using a fish finder is the easiest way to do this, but what if you are shore based or don’t have one, well it can’t be done ‘old school’ by observation. If you check out the bank contours of your fishing environment these can sometimes be dead give away. Deeper holes will normally align with washed out banks on a hard corner of a river. They normally form where a water course try’s to make a hard turn and the water turbulates as it pushes through hard, scouring out a deeper hole than the surrounding area. Obviously, softer bottom structure like mud or sand makes this more likely to occur. Look for areas where your tidal run slows down, this will normally indicate a deeper section of the river, the old adage that ‘still waters run deep’ is an apt description.
So how to fish this with an soft plastic?
If you think of it as a place where all the nutrients and river fodder is collected, a lot like water going down a drain, it flows into and settles in the deeper holes, which attracts baitfish there. Predatory and scavenger species of fish will sit just inside the lip of the hole, or at the bottom of upstream edge waiting for the bait or delicious morsels to waft over the edge into the hole. They expend far less effort by siting in the eddy, below the tidal run across the top of the hole.
With this in mind drifting back over the lip into the hole with either your plastic fished directly down in a jigging style can be productive. Slow hops and gentle lifts can seal the deal, however make sure that you allow for enough slack when enter the hole or you are jigging in mid water. Watch your line and let it sink right down right down to the bottom.
With any deep hole your lead head weight will be critical, not enough lead and the plastic will be subject to the line drag through the water and not make it to the bottom.
Sometimes you can experience some of the most exciting fishing from break walls. They are often at the mouth of rivers and estuaries. Most are man made to stop erroision or provide a safe harbour. You will find they routinely made of rocks and concrete.Tthe crevices provide shelter and security to many bait and predatory species. They are, in themselves, a self contained reef. Fishing them can be tricky, as let’s face it, they are mostly lure magnets. So be prepared to rig up a few times. However running a large bait profile soft plastic along the wall can lead to some pretty exciting strikes. If you are fishing from the wall, it will be harder to extract fish like jacks and bream as they tend to fight dirty and head back towards you from open water to the structure, so get up them early.
From a boat you at least stand a chance to extract dirty fighting target species away from the structure. Drift along the rock wall and cast into the wall and upstream from you position, work your lure back in either a lift and drop or slow roll depending on depth and species targeted.
Marinas are a lot like break walls, plenty of structure and most are along private property and therefore much easier to approach by boat or yak. However please be mindful that may marinas have people living right on the water, so be mindful of their quiet and privacy. Lest you be harassed, and nobody wants that. They can be a haven for jacks, bream, trevally and many other species.
Casting you plastic into the jetty or marina berth and letting it sink slightly (depending on your weight) and retrieving back out from the structure is a good method for calling out all those species that use these floating platforms as a ambush point.
This will imitate a baitfish going about it’s business and tracking along with the current, past the likely vegetated and very scary structure. If there are predators there, they will ambush from out under the structure into the open water, and hopefully spray there while you show them the net.
Some of these predators will go straight back to structure and it’s best you pull them away out into the open water and keep them there... if you can.
While great sport, be mindful of other people’s property, I am sure you would not like other fishos firing lead slugs at your expensive boat moored to your jetty. This would rightly upset just about all boaties.
Looking to where fish hold in any river system, especially if you are new to the system, can be challenging. So start with the easy areas to get some wins on the table and this will increase your confidence and knowledge of the river system.
These areas are like a ringing dinner bell on a falling tide. Bait species, which are feeding on the outflow, are pushed out into the main system and deeper water, which makes them easy targets. Normally the predators will sit in the eddy of the outflow, where the water runs less. These can be identifed by swirling bubbles and debris. This allows them to holding station without expending large amounts of energy.
This is a difficult one to quantify, but I will attempt to clarify a few areas. The open ocean can sometimes be surreal, calm and flat. This tranquility may underlie chaos and a hot bite down deep that’s not clearly visible on the surface. Sometimes it is however and this should be like music to your ears/eyes.
Targets species in this mode of fishing are mostly pelagic fish, such as mackerel, tuna, kingfish, Aussie salmon and even the humble tailor. These species get more exotic the further out you go.
Keeping an eye out for these winged eyes in the sky will sure set you up for some exciting fishing. At times it can also be downright chaotic, but if you see the birds high in the sky the bait is normally down deeper. With their birds eye view, they will track the bait and so will your quarry, but from underneath. Most of the time the bait will explode at the surface because the predators have pushed them up from underneath and trapped them against the surface and then the feeding begins.
While notoriously difficult to do so, getting ahead of your quarry will mean that you can kill the motor and watch the enduring mayhem pass through your position, hopefully signaled by screaming drags.
Having a similar lure to the bait profile the predators are chasing is essential, so is being rigged and ready to go when the school passes you by. Pelagics move like greased lightning, so be ready to throw down, rather than being caught with you pants in the same manner.
If you are the skipper, your job is paramount to pick the direction they are headed, diving birds mean the bait is on the top and fish underneath, birds high and following indicates the general direction. If you are the rod man, your job is to imitate the fleeing bait, make long accurate casts and to try to stay in the boat.
All in all, fishing has many facets to it but we should all be mindful of the risks of our favorite pastime. These environments as discussed have a wealth of risk, to each of them. From oyster covered rocks, the state of the water, to the creatures that live in it ( biteys and stingys). So first and foremost, remember that the environments carry their own risk and you should be aware of them before you enter into that environment. Life is dangerous and no one gets out alive, but it would be nice to stick around a while longer. After all, exposing ourselves to the environment and doing things that others dare not is part of the fun. For all you kids, be warned, you may just experience things you can’t get from the comfort of your couch and Netflix.
Till next time Skulldraggers, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@Skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
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Well as usual it all depends on your application and what you are targeting. If you are chasing southern NSW offshore blue spot flathead in 40m of water, getting down there with a thin gauge needle point hook might be a lot more important than a slowly sinking finesse type application, therefore a heavier jig head is better.
Chasing snapper on an inshore reef in shallow water might require the smallest jighead weight in your tackle box to lightly float your offering down to mid-water where they hang out, while still retaining a strong hook to avoid them crushing in the gape, or worse, straightening the hook. There are so many variations, but let’s look at the components and environments to consider for your application.
The hook size can sometimes be a factor, that can cause missed opportunities to convert a take to a catch. Too small a hook with a soft plastic can mean, way more plastic than getting straight to the point. However, too big a hook and you risk putting off the fish visually. Hook size can also be a factor when fishing weedy or snaggy areas, more hook sticking out, more chance of a tree. However you look at it, the hook size needs to be large enough to stand a good chance of the fish getting the point, yet not particualy oversized to the fact that they will notice them. In highly visual conditions, clear water or slowly fished scenarios, I would suggest a slightly smaller hook may be less visible. This however needs to be balanced up with the strength of the hook as described next.
Having a strong and reliable hook to set into your quarry is important, but so are a number of other factors. Particularly for me, I look for a hook with good penetration, especially for lighter entry species like bream and flathead. When fishing light for these guys, there is a lot less likelihood of straightening the hook as you are not exercising high drag settings. So thin gauge, high penetration is what I look for with these.
Jacks in structure, or snapper in the rubble, whole other story. When dealing with the smash and grab tactics of a jack, you need brute strength and a strong reliable hook to stop the initial and subsequent runs to structure. This will surely test out every tackle system. Snapper and other fish with big crushing plates will simply turn your thin gauge penetrator hook into a wire loop with little or no chance of hooking anything ever again. There is nothing more demoralizing than getting you plastic back after a scorcher of a run with your hook looking like a secondhand earring. So strong 3x hooks if you can for these guys.
So where do you start as a beginner, it’s all too confusing and just a little overwhelming!
Yes, yes it is. But you start by identifying your target species, work out it habits, what it eats and how it hunts and then go fish. Try a set jig weight initially and then scale up or back as required. Experience can be a hard teacher, but treat every dounut ( where you don’t catch anything) you bring home as an experience, you may not have caught anything, but you brought home experience... that is, if you paid attention!
Start on one species, take your small wins and learn from the mistakes and experiences. Hone the craft and think it through. Read more, learn more and realize that every video ever posted to social media is normally there because they catch something. Virtually none exist where they wrap up with a dounut.
However, reframe your experiences out there, by that I mean enjoy the learning journey in soft plastics. Each dounut is just one step closer to cracking the code. Then there will be no stopping you. Then you are ready to apply your new found skills to the next species and then the next.
So consider your jighead weight, it’s effect on the presentation of the SP and look to nature for the behavior of your targets food source. Above all, get out there and fish, do the miles, get the smiles.
Till next time Skulldraggers, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@Skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
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How many times have you set off for an impromptu session (which are often the best) only to realise after you hook the fish of a lifetime that you are not as prepared as you thought you were?
Yeah, happens more than you think, huh.
Getting your fish back to your feet after an epic life and death struggle with frayed leaders and time running dangerously out, but with no way to collect your prize from the water?
Yep it happens to all of us, we get so wrapped up in going, we forget the what if’s. Sometimes this can have disastrous consequences, to our ego’s anyway.
One such example that almost ended in tragedy was a trip to Fiji a few years ago where (on a family tourist day out at and island) we were offered an hour or two of fishing from a dingy in the reef lagoon. Sounded like a bargain. So loaded up with an Okuma 2500 reel and a Shimano Travel Raider rod, I threw on a $5 BCF special diving rattler and off we toddled on the troll. 20mims later the rod was almost yanked from my hands. Line began to rapidly leave the spool (thank god for braid and the extra line on the spool), between a mixture of hand signals and excited gesturing, we gave chase with about 1/4 of the spool left and I gradually worked some line back onto the spool. As we neared the reef, the fish did a 180 and headed back the other way at speed, this time faster than ever, line began to peel off again rapidly, we gave chase again but I kept losing line, not game to crank up the drag on the 10lb braid, I was down to 1/2 dozen wraps on the spool when it finally relented. Still chasing, we went round in circles until I gained slowly on what I was sure was a decent GT.
As we got to close quarter combat a large pelagic missile showed himself on the surface. I had little rod authority on him and we went round and round getting closer to the reef. Our driver said that we had to get it on board soon or the sharks would get him at the reef, I looked around...no net... no gaff... then there was that revelation that I was going to loose a fish of a lifetime due to not being able to land it.
Our heroic driver was at the ready and after 7 or 8 attempts to tail the fish with a T-shirt wrapped around his hand, about 20kgs of solid King Mackerel came over the side and as it hit the deck, my mighty $5 savage gear bargain fell onto the floor. The extended fight had torn the hook holes into his mouth and the lure just fell out when the slack line allowed it.
It made my day, holiday and was an angling milestone for me. Moral of the story? Was I lucky, yep, was I prepared, hell no, but I was supported somewhat by our fearless driver ( at least when he finished his smoke sitting on the fuel tank). The moral is, always take a way to land your fish or lose a trophy, mind you it would have needed to be a big net, gaff may have been more appropriate at the time.
These days dropping any fish at my feet (either land-based / kayak or boat) is regarded as a dismal failure. A net, even a small portable one is what is required. Big enough to take a solid fish but portable enough to be able to carry it with you is essential. Theory is, a small net is better than not carrying one at all.
Using it however, is another thing. We all have that special mate, who try’s to knock off your fish with the net when it gets close, or so it seems. There is nothing more disappointing when you are that ‘special mate’ and you loose your mates good fish after 5 swipes at it with the net and it departs the scene. Awkward... ok give him some space. Minimum distance 20m, not so easy in a boat huh and sure to test friendships.
So let’s go through a little about technique. This applies equally to the angler as well as the net person.
Its important that the angler plays the fish out until it is exhausted, as a half done fish in the net can be a recipe for disaster. However, I remember losing a 1m+ flathead at my feet and countless other large specimens when the landing net is less than 20m away in the boat while wading, why did I not carry it? Portability for one and ease of use another. Most nets are bulky, hard to carry and not particularly designed to be portable. Not carrying one however, is something I have come to regret more times than I care to remember. This of course is easier in a boat, as long as you remember to bing the net.
Tip 1 is always carry your landing net, which is better than dropping your prize at your feet while trying to drag it up the sand or rocks. I have been seen countless times dropping everything and pouncing on a fish in ankle deep water in the vain attempt to stop it’s well earned escape, mostly adding injury to insult. Please carry a net. It will look after the health and well being of those fish you intend to release and not require everyone to apply the 20m rule.
Bringing your fish to the net is the most intense time, notice I said ‘bringing your fish to the net’ not the other way around. Swiping at a fish underwater with a net full of water is not going to work, yet most people do it. Swimming the fish gently into the net is much more optimal. This might mean risking playing them out a little longer, at least that is controlled. If the fish is too ‘green’ meaning not exhausted enough. Putting them in the net prematurely can be a very bad idea. You can end up with a snappy, angry fish bouncing out of your net and if you are lucky, into the boat with you, or perhaps ripping through the net and back into the water. I have seen this happen and you end up with a whole bunch more problems with a landing net threaded around your line. Most often it ends in tears.
Tip 2, hold your net in the water, relatively flat and shallow, about 10-20cms under the water, guide your fish head fist into the net. As the head passes over the leading lip of the net simply tilt it back or lift it up and your fish is not going anywhere. Their reaction is to dive and they can’t do it with the net under them. This keeps your line clear of touching anything during the fight also.
Tip 3, avoid any sharp movements or swiping at the fish with the net, this will panic them and they will power away, sometimes permanently.
Do not attempt to hold the net vertical and swim them in head first. Fish are perfectly adaptable in the water and even big fish can turn on a dime, or power through your net.
Tip 4, the secret is to get them on the top, into that half/half area of the water surface where they have only half their body in the water and are unable to get any power down with their tail or body. If you play out your fish well they will come to you on the top, ready for the net. For most deep sided fish like bream, snapper, trevally etc, this will mean they are on their side on the surface as you lead them to the net. This makes life so much easier and they will not be damaged by the net from thrashing around. Flathead will normally headshake as you lead them in, so hopefully your leader holds.
It is important also to ensure that you take good care of the fish to ensure their best chance of survival on release, or optimal taste in the plate if you are chasing a feed.
So to wrap up
Invest in a good quality net and make sure where your rod goes so does it. I particularly recommend getting s small, strong, portable version. Again, the net is only good if you carry it and I prefer one I can carry either on my back or in a quiver if I am wading for easy access and use, like the Sidearm.
Designed to be ultra portable, strong enough to carry a 5 kilo fish and easy to use from the water wading or kayaking, they are the goods. With variable carriage options, check them out in the link above.
So regardless of what type, do yourself a favourite and carry a light, portable and strong landing net, I can assure you that you will be glad that you did when that once in a lifetime fish comes along.
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
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This topic was suggested by Tink Newsome from the Soft Plastics Anonymous page.
Well for some people its not much, for others it a world of difference. This article is to explore why this is so and what's better for Soft Plastics fishing.
Let look at how its constructed first as this may help us to understand the differences in its capabilities.
Mono or monofilament as it is known is made by the melting, mixing and extrusion of a copolymer mixture through small holes. The term mono is a Greek term meaning alone, single or one. Filament refers to the long strand of polymer extrusion. So we can reasonably deduce this means a singular strand of line.
Braid on the other hand refers to a complex structure combining three or more interlacing strands of material. Believe it or not, braided fishing lines is how this whole fishing thing started as there was little natural material of sufficient length that could be used by itself, up and until the invention of Mono in the 1950's you brought your fishing cord in 30ft lengths. Thankfully the technology has come a long way since then and the advent of modern day braided fishing lines has revolutionised a few forms of fishing, soft plastics lure fishing is one of them.
Lets break it down and look at a number of areas to consider the differences and the pros and cons of each.
Affordability - Lets face it if you have ever stared at the wall of your local fishing store, you are definitely spoiled for choice ,if you have no limit on your credit card. However for many people this is a factor worth considering. Mono is substantially cheaper and has been catching fish since the 50s, it has a few things going for it, the first is the price. It can be up to 60% cheaper than an equivalent quality braid product.
Braid on the other hand is at the other end of the spectrum. Its smaller and stronger and hellish expensive. Now take into account that you can pack a least another 50% of the line length on the spool when using Braid, it can be a costly exercise to fill up even the smallest of reel spools.
Line memory - Mono by its construction, atomic bonding and material is more likely to retain spool memory, or try to stay in the same shape as the spool it was wound on to. Braid on the other hand, due to it's multi-strand make up is less likely to retain memory, this becomes a factor when we begin to talk about cast-ability later.
Shock absorption - Mono has stretch built in and therefore some shock absorption, once upon a time this was such a desirable trait as old school solid glass rods lacked the shock absorption and reels back then had less than optimal drag systems that were fairly stop start. During a high stakes encounter, often these whale clubs, sticky drags and low tech mono, tearing a hook out was a fact of life, so stretch was desirable. With new generation fishing tech this is so less of an issue.
Density - Mono floats, does absorb some water but is mostly neutrally buoyant, where as Braid is not and will sink, this is not always a bad thing for soft plastic fishing as we are not always fishing the surface for long.
Strength- Due to the way Braid is constructed with numerous fibres it is stronger for a thinner diameter. While Mono blended lines are getting better in their technology, they still cannot match the smaller diameter to strength relationship that Braid enjoys. Braided lines retain strength over time and are not as subject to UV degradation like their Mono cousins.
Diameter - As discussed above, strength and diameter are used together to describe each type of line. The benefit of Braid is that you can pack more onto a reel to make it a real fish slayer than you can with Mono. However, how much do you really need while chasing bread and butter species?
Braid is thinner and cuts through the water easier due to the reduced diameter, meaning that in deep water with current there is less belly in the line making contact with your fish or lure just that bit better.
Typically the diameter for one pound of Braid is the same for every 6 pounds of Mono. This means that running lesser diameter but stronger line is a distinct advantage.
Knot tying- In terms of tying the knot, Mono is much easier to handle and has an increased knot strength than braid due to its non-stretch ability. With Braid, this puts a greater emphasis on knot strength as it is the weakest link in the chain. If you are using Braid then you need to get your knots down-pat.
Stretch - Mono has more stretch and therefore in some environments may have benefit over Braid, especially in higher poundage applications and high shock environment. However the high stretch application is great for shock absorption, it affords less control and power in a close quarters battle of life and death.
Sunlight - Mono can be affected by sunlight and needs to be washed or it can exhibit wear and tear. Braid will fade over time and use, however this is more to do with the fading of the dye than degradation of the Braid.
Wear and durability- Braid is less likely to wear through use and repeated casting, however cheaper brands may have the propensity to wrap line over the tip. But generally the wear is negligible and the durability of Braid is markedly better than that of Mono. Mono does wear/scratch and chaff and requires greater care with cleaning to remain top notch. Braid will generally exhibit frays and good visual indicators to wear, prompting you to replace the line before you involuntarily have to. Mono is a little harder to see this and for those of us getting older, it is better picked up by running your fingers over it to feel for frays. You are less likely to feel this with Braid.
Tackle Technology- New generation reels and rods provide better cushioning and therefore the criticality of zero stretch line is reduced with smooth drags and shock absorbing graphite/carbon blanks. In earlier years, or if you are fishing with lesser quality rods and reels, then you may wish to use mono as this may reduced issues with larger fish and gives you a bit of line stretch to cushion impact.
Cast-ability- Thinner diameter/line thickness reduces friction through the line guides during casting and this coupled with low memory means that extra distance is possible with Braid over Mono. This can be one of the greatest advantages of Braid over Mono. 20% extra distance can mean the difference in reaching fussy or spooky fish on the edge of cast range and this can increase your catch rate considerably. Remember this is a numbers game and the greater amount of water covered the greater chance of hook up.
General fishing - For general fishing, bait or otherwise, mono is great, cheap and affordable, easy to tie and as long as it is looked after with the occasional wash is great for general use.
Soft plastics fishing - Braid definitely has the edge when it comes to multi-use, but is more at home with specialist fishing types, like soft plastic fishing. Braid has good cast-ability, durability and capability for storing lots on the reel , this in turn makes it the best pick for us as soft plastic fisherman.
But be warned, with greater capability also comes risk of injury. Braid, especially thin diameters and high strength can cut like a hot knife through butter and any one who has experienced this will testify that it is something to watch out for.
But the benefits far outweigh the negatives when it comes to using Braid over Mono for our style of fishing. Be aware however that not all Braids are created equal and that cheap Braid that looks too good to be true, probably is. Look for a reputable brand with a high strand count and it should be soft, supple and as smooth as possible to the touch.
All in all Braid is best suited for soft plastic fishing, but it all comes down to cost. If you can only afford Mono then this will not stop you one little bit from getting out there and bringing home a feed.
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media. @skulldragindustries See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
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Well I still do it and truth be known, so do all experienced plastic fisho’s. This article will attempt to walk you through the steps of picking your plastic for best effect.
So we so we all have our favorites, the ones we have blitzed out on and used until the plastic is its former shadow of its once less battle scarred self. Truth be told, you are a little superstitious about it and it’s always been your Go-to pattern. This is normal for most people.
But when you think about it, 100% of the fish we catch, is on the lure we use. So if you only use one type or colour, well you get the picture, it’s kind of self affirming.
What we need to do is work out how to catch more, to work out the bite on the day and to increase our catch rate based on the type, retrieve, colour that seems to be working best.
Lets start with a little 101 on colour.
So to start with we need to put aside lures designed to catch the fisherman, not the fish. We are looking to imitate a bait specie, or trigger a feeding response.
In my experience, a lot of the time your colour selection depends on the amount of light and the water quality, maybe just maybe there is some science to it. Start by taking a minute to observe these. If the water is clear and clean, then use natural colours to imitate your bait species. The good water quality means your quarry gets a good look at your offering and may shy away if it does not look right, or if it isn it the colour or shape of what they are feeding on.
When you are confronted with darker or more murky conditions, then swap out for a darker colour. But why?, well science, let me explain.
When I was at school, science always seemed to ruin the fun. So I will try to keep this as simple as possible.
So let’s talk colour and how we see and interpret it. So our eyes work on a similar basis to fish, colour is made up light at different wavelengths, so it stands to reason that the less light, the less we see colour.
Let’s do science.
When light penetrates water it slows down, did you know that only about 1/4 of all light penetrates deeper than 20m. Some makes it through, some does not. Going deeper and deeper, the wavelengths of different colours begin to fade and then go grey because of the lack of light. For instance, at about 6m depth, red disappears, at about 10m orange goes, yellow at 20m, approaching 25m green craps out and at 30m blue has problems but black goes ok through 35m.
What does all that mean and what does it have to do with me?
Well for most creeks and shallow bays, not much. Your colours work as they do as long as there is plenty of light. But for deeper fishing, your favourite red lure is just shade of grey of its former self, catch the drift? Told you, it’s science ruining the fun again.
If we put a torch down there and re-introduced light, back comes the colour, facinating, huh. Same concept as underwater photography needing flash at depth, just more light.
Let’s talk visibility
Visibility also effects our colour and how we see it. Take a foggy day above water for instance, our visibility is reduced and colour harder to pick out detail until something gets real close right?. A dust cloud, haze or even rain are barriers between our eyes and the colours we see. So sub-surface, we know that in the water, storm runoff, algae or sediment will have the same effect. Suspended particles cut down the amount of light penetrating the water and hence effects colour the same way as depth, it’s just less light.
But one thing to remember, as mentioned before, colour fades at depth because of the amount of light reducing with depth. If you have sediment suspended, the visibility is effected both vertically and also horizontally. The double whammy.
So flashy colours work well close up in shallow dirty water but less noticeable in deeper systems or darker days. I know, mind blown.
So now think about fishing at night, fishing dead black, with no light. You guessed it, darker colours to black. But at night under bridge lights or piers with service lights, well light will show up the colour right? The more light, the more colour shows up.
Enough science, what do I pick?
Well if you have clear conditions and plenty of light, go as natural as possible, pick a colour close to the bait profile around at the time.
If you have dark or murky conditions, or both, then pick a darker colour. It will be shiloetted against the background and easier to see, that’s the reason.
In the practical sense, take all this into consideration but ensure that if there are two or more in your fishing party, you all try different colours until you find what works and then swap to that. Go with what is working, you can think it through all you like, but there might be a variable you have missed or something different on that day you had not considered. So use this knowledge to get you into the balk park and guide your colour selection but take notice of what works and try to understand why, what’s different, that’s how we fill up the pot of experience before we empty the pot of luck.
So the next time you reach for the soft plastics bag to consider what colour, perhaps maybe you should consider the shape action and design of the lure and how that might trigger a strike instead. It may make all the difference, coupled with your educated colour selection.
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
]]>Learning to recognise and read the signs of the water and fish activity is a skill that we all need to learn if we want our catch rate to be consistent. This article, takes you through the skills involved and points out the stages of development in learning to read the water. There may even be a few tips in there as well, so take the first step and...be more like Yoda.
]]>So this article is not about any divine art, or natural talent, it’s a skill that can be learned over time. Learning to read the water is a skill that every fisherperson should learn. When you first start off, you basically just go to the water and throw in your line right, well that works too. But to get the most out of your time on the water let’s look at targeting areas that may be more predictable.
I say ‘may’, because you never really know until you have given it a go. What looks like a spot that could hold fish, can be barren one day and a hot bite on the next, there are lots of factors that effect this, but for starters let’s just look at the location.
So there are a few stages that you go through when starting out reading the water;
Stage 1- that’s the 'throw and hope' stage I mentioned earlier, and there is nothing wrong with that, but to be more consistently productive long term, its probably worth looking at stage 2.
Stage 2- Is the ‘I have half a clue stage’, were you begin to understand the tide movement, how the formation of sandbanks, rivers and weed-beds have occurred by looking at the water flow. You begin to notice baitfish patterns and where the surface and sub-surface activity is likely to occur. Take the picture above, from the ground it’s not quite as clear that the secondary sandbank is so extensive. So Tip number 1: check out the area at low tide.
You begin to understand that predatory ambush fish such as flathead, jacks and jew will normally sit into tide to watch what baitfish are being brought to them, expending minimal effort for a reasonable meal. So at this stage, you tend to have developed the eye for a ‘fishy spot’ but are not sure why.
Stage 3- The ‘I know what I am doing but don’t ask me to explain it’ stage. You begin to notice bait fish behaviour in more detail, where they are nervous coming off the flats into deeper water or which areas they seem to avoid. Tip number 2: you spot the eddies and structure that sit on the edge of the current flow. You know that predatory fish will take advantage of this water flow by positioning themselves to use minimum effort to maintain station and are ready to dash in and secure an easy meal. You’ve had a few wins, caught some fish, and are gaining confidence in you water reading ability, but you are not really able to explain it to anyone else. You just know.
Stage 4- The ‘Silent assassin’ stage, also known as the ‘I am killing it, but be dammed if I’m telling anyone else’ stage. By now, you have an idea of where to look and position yourself for catching fish, you even know how to explain it, but you choose not to, as people seem to notice how you instinctively find the fish and you kinda like it. You're able to plan your trips in advance, by looking at the tide charts and remembering when you caught fish at you favorite spots previously, what the water conditions were like and you begin to consistently apply this prior experience to build your catch rate. When you get there, you can judge water clarity and adjust your plastics choice depending on the water color. You can appreciate factors that make a particular spot more productive, like time of the year, water temperature and other factors like breeding season and how this effects your target species.
You have built a situational awareness to your fishing, one which pays off. Tip number 3: you spend a lot more time, just watching and observing a spot before you start casting, as you know it’s going to give up its secret. You just need to gain more information, like baitfish and predator activity in likely spots, speed of tidal run, as you know his will effect the position of the eddies. You look for debris on top of the water and where this forms backwashes and slack water out of the main tidal flow. You look for consistent disturbance, such as water swirling around submerged obstacles and where the bait fish are funnelled to run a gauntlet through a narrower pass. You get far less snags and lose far less lures. You are adaptable and nimble at adjusting your approach to the local conditions, you are the water reading ninja, silent but deadly.
Stage 5- You are the water reading guru, you have reached the ‘Yoda in board shorts' stage. You can take your water reading knowledge and ability and apply it to different types of water, from fresh to salt , ocean to river and you can instantly decode a location based on a few quick glances. You feel the ebb and flow of the water, like the Force, you feel its swirling lifeblood. You are able to factor in wind effect, season and temperature. You know your targets level of motivation, based on temperature and barometric pressure. You know their weak spots, you adjust retrieve speed to peak their interest, you know where they are, you know what they are thinking, they can run but they cannot hide, you are a predator.
Then you wake up.
Seriously though we all 'want to be more like Yoda' but we are human and there is a lot to learning this skill. But that is the key, you can learn it. You just need to open your eyes, close your mouth and just observe. Watch what is happening all around you and be in 'the moment', that's when you start to see things you did not before, that's how you learn to read the water. Plus the added bonus is you get to feel a bit more 'one' with nature and surely that can't be a bad thing. They call this mindfulness and it is one of the reasons we fish, it’s what draws us in and let’s the stress of modern day living fade to black while we truly live in the moment.
No, its not speed reading, and no you will not be an expert overnight, but the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, so take that step the next time you go out on the water and...
Be more like Yoda...
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
]]>Well I used to think so, but as I am more time pressed these days and the brownie points are sometimes hard to come by, I don't want to burn them up on a trip with ordinary conditions and outcomes. Sure its great just to get out, or maybe I'm just getting wiser in my old age, but I want my time on the water to be more productive.
So we are here to discuss weather. So by that I mean, wind, cloud and rain and sun. What conditions are best? Well again it depends on your fishing, deep-water soft plastics are probably less reliant on weather conditions up top, at least for the fish. But in most cases it is what is safe and comfortable for the angler to fish in.
Lets start with wind, well I dislike fishing in wind, it makes me cranky and I have less patience to stick out at a spot if I am being buffeted around. One of my old mentors said that you should never go fishing in strong winds as the fish don't bite. Well I am not sure about that, but I know that it is sometimes the case, many lessons have been learnt after coming back with just experience and no fish. Maybe it just unsettles them too.
Some wind on the other hand is almost essential, especially in the more tropical locations to at least be little comfortable. I always find a gentle to moderate land breeze, a good condition to fish as it generally promotes calmer water, some air movement and generally bring less rain. But light and variable winds are best as they allow you to target more areas where the fish might be rather than where you want to be.
Cloudy conditions can sometimes bring out the best in predators. If you think about fish anatomy, they do not have eyelids, so staring directly into the sun close to the surface on a sunny day will not be pleasant. It does stand to reason however that fish may be more active in lower light conditions such as dawn and dusk as the light conditions are not a bright, especially for surface predators, like mackerel, tuna and the like. Cloudy conditions can sometimes replicate this and can often extend the morning and afternoon bite periods.
Rainy conditions, well I don't know too many anglers that like fishing in the rain. Rain normally means there have been unsettled conditions and a low barometer that can be more the point. However the weather change before the rain can be a hot bite, see our other articles on barometric pressure . Fishing after the rain can also bring out the predators with new food being swept down drains and channels into the main water body can promote a hot bite. Similarly you can get good results for Jew and sharks at the river mouths after a lot of rain as the fresh pushes out the bait and other stuff to the ocean predators for their consumption, its all about perspective really.
Sunny conditions on the other hand bring their own challenges, such as hot conditions, sunburn and the like, they do however tend to radiate heat and increase the water temperatures ever so slightly that can sometimes affect your target species behaviour. The hottest bites I have had with flathead have been at about 3:30pm on a falling tide with cloudless conditions with a high barometer.
The big old flathead (and the young ones too) wander up into the shallow water at high tide and progressively edge their way off the flat as the tide recedes after becoming supercharged in the warm water up in the shallows. They liven up and will go anything that looks remotely like it moved and if it didn't, they might give it a nudge anyway to make sure. This can be spectacular fishing with soft plastics.
In summary- Weather to fish?
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
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High tide or low tide, when is best to fish your secret spot, we each have our favourite time of the the tide, but why, why does it work at one spot and not another, maybe this article will shed some light.
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So it’s not really rocket science to work out that we all seem to live busy lives these days. For many of us getting out to go fishing is a stress relief and way to recharge after a busy week, catch up with mates or get the family away from anything remotely electronic and ‘online’ with nature. Catching some fish is also a real bonus.
So as quite a lot of fishing is done in the saltwater, let’s discuss the tide and it’s effect on our fishing. So if you are going to maximize your time on the water it makes sense to pick times when weather, barometer and tides are all working in your favour.
I should qualify my comments by saying that any approach to working out your plan for the day should centre around the target species you are targeting. I like flathead, they are easy to catch, widely found, easy to target ( when your in the know) and are a sucker for a Rhino Lures soft plastic lure, which is a good place to start for beginners to soft plastics. They can be caught in real shallow water and as a result are accessible to boat and land based fishermen.
So what does this have to do with tide? I find there is nothing more relaxing than wading a sandbank, flicking a lure and catching fish. If there is less water there are less places for them to hide right? Well yes and no. Less water yes, more predictable, definitely.
Like all creatures, a lot of the time flathead are driven by their hunger and a falling tide, draining sandbanks and gullies are like ringing a dinner bell to our scaly friends. Their prime food sources are funnelled into a handy stream of goodies cascading off the sandbank right into our ambush predators hidden location and ripe for the picking.
That's why I like falling tides and particularly the last two hours of the run out and the first two hours of the run in. I find that the run out is in full swing, the fish are switched on and will feed readily up and until the change of tide.
This lower tide generally gives walking access to large areas of sandbank normally underwater and can even help you to see where they may have been laying in the sand. I usually plan to target this time as I find the fish tend to be more predictable and less spread out.
Now this is not to say that you cannot find them at other times of the tide, it’s just the location is critical.
Take high tide, I know numerous fisho's that like to target high tide in deep holes for larger specimens, this works too. But it is fishing blind essentially and while it does work, it can be frustrating at times and not always the best place to start when you are looking to refine your technique and gain some experience in soft plastic to begin with.
High tide can also be good to target shallow sections of sand bank in between weed beds and other places where their prey is concentrated into a confined area. Large flathead can even be found in shallow water of less than 20cms at times, so working your lure right to the end of the rod tip can sometimes yield great results.
Its all about the bait and thinking about where it is and where it is going, you can then be sure you will find your quarry.
Best of all low tide does not always require a boat to access and some great fishing locations can be found only a short walking distance from your car park.
To wrap up the blog, here is a summary of how to plan your trip to take advantage of the tide;
To summarise:
1) find a tide that will be suitable for your intended fishing location
2) look for a window two hours either side of low tide
3) find a safe pace to wade and look for draining channels and drop offs
4)take a good quality landing net, your Rhino Lures and a positive attitude and prepare for a great time out on the water.
5)come back and post your photos to facebook/skulldragindustries
Until next time Skulldraggers, have fun, fish responsibly and remember to take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
]]>Man, way to much pressure, or not enough! We lift the lid on what all this air pressure stuff means to our fishing and trip planning, hopefully it will leave you on a high.
]]>So a lot goes into planning your trips out on the water and if you are anything like the rest of us, your time is relatively constrained by family or work commitments. So you really want to maximise your time out on the water and by picking a day that is going to give you the greatest bang for buck right?
So lets look at a fairly routinely overlooked element of a lot of fishing trips and that is barometric pressure.
So what is it and why should you care?
Well think of the barometer as just the pressure of the air all around us, now this will fluctuate daily, with temperature and more importantly with the weather patterns. Ever wondered what those squiggly lines are on the weather chart on the news, well they are isobars and these are just really lines of pressure on the map.
Low pressure in Australia generally means more unstable weather conditions and this means it sometimes is harder to get out there and fish. Higher pressure generally means, more stable conditions and better weather conditions.
it just so happens that this barometric pressure tends to affect fish behaviour and drives their feeding patterns also. Many fish around Australia have a float bag (the white thingy in their gut section near their spine) and this helps the fish maintain buoyancy in the water. Guess what?, the barometric pressure effects this buoyancy and the fish behaviour.
The school of thought is that when the barometric pressure is low, the fixed pressure in the float bag of the fish will expand against the lower air pressure (and consequently lower sea pressure) and this expansion of the float bag puts pressure on the fish's stomach and makes them feel fuller, makes sense right!
When the pressure is high, the reverse happens and you end up with hungry fish and the need to eat, which means they are less cautious and ready to pounce on your lures. The best bit is, this is generally when the weather is also good.
So pay some attention to this the next time you go out and see if this makes a difference. You do not need a fancy barometer, there are plenty of Apps out there that can provide it directly on your phone.
Ah yes, you say. What about fish without float bags like pelagics? Well ever heard the saying, 'find the bait, find the fish', well many fish are driven by the behaviour of the species they hunt and if those species are more active then it stands to reason, so will be your target species.
Food for thought when considering your next expedition, this will sometimes limit your days on the water when the baro is low (so bank the brownie points), but it will dramatically increase your catch rate when you are out there.
Till next time, have fun, fish responsibly and remember take only what you need and post the rest to social media.
@skulldragindustries
See more information at www.skulldragindustries.com.au or Skulldrag FB
Join a FB page dedicated to soft plastics fishing Soft Plastic Anonymous
@Skulldragindustries
]]>I can assure you that here at Skulldrag Industries, we will never claim to be experts as we are still learning ourselves, but we can share with you some of the techniques that may well put a few more fish on the table, Instagram or Facebook for you.
Everybody loves accessory sports and fishing can be no exception at times, but this series is about getting you started in soft plastics with a minimum of fuss, cost and tackle to start enjoying the great outdoors.
To the Mums and Dads out there, this might be just the thing to get your teenager out from behind the playstation and into the real world for some 'facetime' with a fishy friend or two, can only be healthy right?
Over the next few weeks we will try to post some interesting articles on what you should consider when getting out into the great out doors to chase some quality fish.
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