Following excerpts from 2 recent (mid 07) Magazine articles with useful insights into the equipment and techniques used on our barrier reef trips.
Both, supplied by and with the permission of the magazines below mentioned.
STICK IT TO 'EM reproduced with permission BlueWater Publishing Pty Ltd. The entire article at bluewatermag.com.au
SPIN CONTROL reproduced with permission Sportfishing magazine. The entire article at www.sportfishingmag.com
STICK IT TO 'EM It's not often that a new technique or lure style comes along and turns known techniques on their ear - but the recent development of techniques
with stickbait lures on gamefish may do just that.
... the emergence of several deadly new techniques easily the most exciting of these was the stunning success rate of a very homely-looking
lure that hardly anyone seems to know about - something called a stickbait... nothing more than a fat, cigar-shaped blob with a tow-point at
the front end.
... they look like the most lackluster turn-off imaginable - something you'd walk right past in the tackle store. Yet out in the wild blue
of the Coral Sea, where conventional wisdom must withstand the white-hot testing of countless tackle-smashers, these unlikely offerings are
out-catching just about every other lure and enticing everything from coral trout to marlin to take a bite.
... in complete contrast to the huge white geysers of seawater thrown from the face of the poppers.... the lazy action of the stickbait detonated
under the violent, side-swiping smash of a 30kg giant trevally.
THE BEGINNING OF A REVOLUTION
.... used to use 70 per cent poppers and 30 per cent prototype stickbaits. Now the percentages are reversed due to the overwhelming success
of the stickbaits.
... didn't matter where we fished that week - in the shallows or passes, along the outer reef drop, or out under the birds in blue water -
everything from red bass, green jobfish, giant trevally, bluefin trevally, coral trout and barracuda to yellowfin tuna, wahoo and sailfish
were crushing hand-made stickbaits.
NEW EXTENSION OF OLD TECHNIQUES
Like many other tackle development trends, this rapidly snowballing application of stickbaits to bluewater essentially represents the
expansion of existing technology. Ever heard of a Zara Spook or Mirrolures? These are famously successful for catching snook (Florida's
answer to barramundi), tarpon and other predators in near-shore environments north of the equator and they're simply smaller versions of
the monster stickbaits we're now using offshore. And, like soft plastics, this family of lures had its origins in freshwater, particularly
the North American fishery for largemouth bass.
Stickbaits, like so many lure families before them, are simply bigger, stronger versions of a concept that moved from freshwater to inshore marine environments, and is now being applied offshore. Predatory fish from all environments respond to certain visual and other sensory cues. This means that broad categories of species are vulnerable to similar presentations scaled up or down to suit the circumstances. That's why the right wobble, the right flicker, the right action, combined with sufficiently strong and durable hardware, can result in the successful capture of a huge range of fish on what is in essence the same offering.
BLUEWATER BALLISTICS
Let's return to the very recent emergence of large, modern stickbaits, developed as an alternative presentation to poppers in pursuit of
big GTs, and how this led to the realization that these lures were highly effective for other pelagics too. Poppers undoubtedly draw the
attention of predators from a larger radius than stickbaits, and certainly this lack of subtlety has distinct advantages as underwater
visibility decreases. Given clear, oceanic water, however, the 'lame duck' slow action of stickbaits outfishes the chugging action of
poppers by a mile. Countless times, dogtooth, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, dolphinfish, sailfish or marlin would come rushing in to investigate
an assortment of cast or trolled lures and then suddenly swing off and nail a cast stickbait instead.
... aware of the incredible swimming speeds of these pelagic fishes, the idea of a slow-worked lure seems in some ways counter-intuitive.
You would expect a fired-up wahoo or yellowfin to inhale a brisk, hard-smoking popper much more readily than a lazy, slow, subtle large
artificial that they have plenty of time to inspect. However, now stand corrected after witnessing literally thousands of instances where
pelagics enthusiastically preferred the stickbaits.....
Details Make the Difference
a far superior way of rigging stickbaits, at least 50 per cent more productive than previous..... fit them with Decoy 300lb stainless
steel split-rings attach Owner Jobu 9/0 single hooks.... crush the barbs on the hooks to minimize damage to the fish and this makes it
easier to release them unharmed. These singles far out-catch the trebles. For wahoo, rig on #10 singlestrand leader wire joined via a
small, stealthy black swivel to the wind-on shock leader coming off the rod.
CASTING AND TROLLING TECHNIQUES
...... the finer details of how you troll or cast a stickbait make a very big difference to success. The three basic casting retrieves are:
(1) Cast out. Snap rod tip down and away to get a bubbly, slashing wiggle-dive, then wind up the slack created as the stickbait floats slowly back towards the surface,
bobbing headfirst as it breaks the surface. Snap the rod tip down again to begin the next cycle.
(2) Same retrieve as above, but at a faster cadence.
(3) Mix in with the retrieves mentioned above: a fast, steady-winding retrieve, rod tip up and either twitching side-to-side to
'walk' the stickbait, or held steady to skate it back along the surface in a straight line.
While stickbaits were originally designed for casting, you'll get some incredible results trolling them too. When trolling, slower
is actually better….. troll stickbaits above their most productive speed because of other lures in the spread that require more speed,
but they still work well. However, when working a specific edge with stickbaits as the 'feature presentation', slow way down, between 4
to 6kt, and the strike rate for species across the board goes way up.
Nothing is a Panacea
Despite their near-miraculous effectiveness in many situations, stickbaits aren't a cure-all that outperforms every other method no
matter what. Some days the stickbaits actually under-perform other lures. By-and-large though, stickbaits trolled and cast in the
vicinity of feeding fish get absolutely annihilated far more often than most other lures,…. sailfish and small black marlin have chosen
stickbaits over skirted lures, poppers, and other offerings. While I'm not suggesting you should throw away everything else you have, I
am saying I'll never go offshore again without a full repertoire of these surprising new stickbaits and the right tackle to present them
to best effect.
STICKBAIT TACKLE RECOMMENDATIONS
Rods
Effectively casting a stickbait requires a rod with some degree of flexibility in the tip section, without sacrificing too much fish-fighting
strength in the butt section. Most rods used for this type of casting have a slow to medium taper, and most are made from a combination
of glass and graphite. The way in which the manufacturer combines the glass and the graphite determines the characteristics of the rod.
All rods designed for stickbaits and poppers are a trade-off between casting distance and fish fighting. The primary and most important feature
of these rods is that they need to be able to cast very well and work a stickbait properly. The secondary consideration is how well they fight
fish. The truth is that any rod 7'6" or longer is not a great fish fighting tool compared to a 5'6" shortstroker, so essentially we're concerning
ourselves more with lure range and action than with fighting ability - or angler comfort.
The best trade-off between price, availability, and suitability for a stickbait rod, based on our experience, is the 15-24kg T Curve Bluewater
rod from Shimano. The only comment is that larger guides all the way along the blank would improve this rod dramatically. As far as value for
money goes, these Shimano rods are very hard to beat.
In terms of simply the best rods available, my preference comes down to a choice between the Japanese offerings. The Smith Tokara 60 and
Smith Komodo Dragon are both ideal for working stickbaits. And the Carpenter Blue Lagoon Special, Carpenter WV80XH and Carpenter SP78UHL
are all ideal for this purpose, depending on line strength and angler size. If you are 6'4" and 95kg of muscle you can use a WV80XH, otherwise,
just buy a Shimano or a Tokara 60. Reels
It's a simple choice here: for serious heavy-duty stickbait and popper fishing it comes down to the Shimano Stella 10,000 or Stella 20,000;
or the Daiwa Saltiga 6500 or Saltiga Dogfight. The Shimanos are the reel of choice on all of our charter work in the Coral Sea, and after
years of use, they are, quite honestly, impossible to fault. The Daiwa reels are also an excellent product and it is really a matter of
personal choice here. Line
If you want the best braided line available, to heck with price and practicality, get Varivas GT Special. It's fantastic stuff out on the
water. Unfortunately, however, it does not wear as well as some of the cheaper lines, and needs to be replaced when even slightly fuzzy.
The best value for money, on the other hand, is Tuf Line XP from Western Filament in the USA. This line lasts forever. It's not as thin as
Varivas, but it's a really good line..
SPIN CONTROL
How the Down-Under Kings of Spin Use Cutting-Edge Gear and Tactics to Redefine What's Possible
.... breaking out some serious spinning reels - Shimano Stella 20000s, each huge reel loaded with braided line - to toss big poppers
(as topwater plugs are called in the USA)
Anglers catapulting the huge offerings far out, then ripping them back fast, producing colossal detonations of smoke and white-water
geysers - with every bit as much commotion as a big chugger fast-trolled in a marlin spread would create. Black shadows materialized
from all over; beneath their crushing strikes, reels complained with a deep-throated roar caused by braid torn off spools despite 17
pounds of drag.
Rods bowed sharply, loaded up with incredible pressure, as anglers strained to stop silver behemoths from dashing in and out of the
treacherous terrain. ……..expecting split rings to open, through-wires to break, hooks to straighten, rods to shatter and reel drags
to melt... the dust settled, we'd released several giant trevally to 64 pounds and a 35-pound narrowbarred mackerel.
... the most incredible part: ...we used "only" 50-pound line - we generally spool up now with 80- to 100-pound braid and fish up to
38 pounds of drag; ..... custom-rig lures with far stronger hooks and split rings .... anglers drop metal jigs as deep as 600 feet to manhandle
tough-as-nails dogtooth tuna to 200 pounds, not to mention wahoo, yellowfin tuna, sharks,.... spin-jiggers even land some black
marlin and sailfish!
HIGH-TECH TACKLE: EXPENSIVE AND ESSENTIAL
That extreme gear has helped create a whole new world in which anglers fish spinning gear as never before - casting monster topwater plugs
and stickbaits (think of a Zara Super Spook on steroids), working heavy metal jigs in deeper waters and engaging in heretofore unthinkable
wrestling matches with big brutal game fish in impossibly rugged habitat.
One key technological development in tackle is really responsible for the new spin in the world of fishing: gelspun (polyethylene) braided
line. Commonly called superbraids or super lines, these don't twist or stretch like monofilament, yet they're durable. Their diameter is but
a tiny fraction of that for monofilament of the same strength. This means that the same size spinning reels once unable to hold enough heavy
line for serious big-game pursuits now have ample capacity to take on the largest bruisers.
.... spinning reels, typically loaded up with 80- or 100-pound braid, screwed down drags to 38 pounds, the new high end reels easily survive
the blistering runs by powerful fish day in and day out…….high-tech gear makes this possible now - but at prices well beyond what spinning
gear ever cost until recently. If you have a serious interest in this big-fish spinning sport, you must be willing to spend some serious money,
up to $800 or more for a reel, to begin with, or you're wasting your time.
A number of such high-end spinning reels that have their disciples include those made by Accurate, Van Staal and the new ZeebaaS. However.....
the best bets are the largest Shimano Stellas (20000 and 10000) and Daiwa Saltigas (notably the 6500, though anglers in the United States
will have to go one size down since, so far, Daiwa offers that one only down under).
That brings us to rods and a big-game spinning dichotomy: the need for longer, more flexible rods for casting huge poppers and stickbaits
versus the need for very strong yet flexible short rods for dropping/working metal jigs. And fundamentally, any rod must have the right
combination of fiberglass and carbon and retain sufficient butt strength to handle the tremendous strain of fights with very hefty fish.
The best compromises among price, availability and quality for us have been popping and jigging rods in the 15- to 24-kilogram (30- to 50-pound)
class Shimano T-Curve Bluewater series. If money is no object, you can find Japanese spinning sticks with superior performance - names like
Smith's Tokara 60 and Komodo Dragon or Carpenter's Blue Lagoon Special, WV80XH and SP78UHL. For jigging, the ultimate rod - hands down - is the
Shimano Blue Rose.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Once you've acquired a suite of high-tech spinning gear, you'll need to fill spools. While monofilament can twist if reeled straight onto
the reel from a spool held horizontally, braided line doesn't, so you need only have someone apply tension as simply as using the old
screwdriver-through-the-spool routine.
Fill the spool on a big high-tech reel to within 1/8 inch of the lip; you'll want every bit of line capacity you can get. If you overfill,
however, the braid will spill off the end of the spool and overrun the first rod eyelet; then, when you cast, the weight of the airborne
lure will suck up the extra line and let it out into a big wad. If this happens more than once in the first dozen casts with a newly re-lined
spool, cut some line off and try again.
What about knots and connections? You can use many of the same knots you use for monofilament, but you need to approximately double the
number of turns. For example, use 50 turns for your Bimini rather than the standard 25 or 30. One exception to using standard monofilament
knots is when connecting braid to mono (leader)..
.....a very strong alternative called the "twisty leader" is commonly tied with 100-pound monofilament. Measure off just over double the rod
length from a bulk monofilament spool, and grasp the midpoint. Put this over the bend of a fishing hook mounted in an electric drill. One person
holds the two strands or legs of the "twisty" under loose tension, while the other person pulls the trigger of the drill to wind the leader
into a braid sequentially.
The holder keeps arms apart and dumps tension steadily or in bursts so that the two legs don't become excessively twisted and balled up. If
they tangle, the drill operator pauses while the holder shakes out the tangle; then they resume until the entire length of the leader is
braided. Tie an overhand knot in the end to secure, coil and stow. Attachment to the braid double is easy - it's loop-to-loop, except that
it's important to weave the braid double around each leg of the twisty end loop to spread the load before passing through and tightening.
Otherwise the superbraid would cut through the mono.
This smooth, simple and very strong connection is quick to tie and casts very well, always have a bag full of spare twisties ready to go. At
the end of the twisty uni-knot a short, heavy section of 250-pound monofilament shock leader, or add a short section of single-strand leader
wire (usually #10) by means of uni-knotting the twisty to a minimum-size black barrel swivel.
TERMINAL GEAR: CHOOSE AND RIG IT RIGHT
...cut straight to the chase on the topic of poppers, stickbaits and jigs appropriate for high-tech spin gear. Don't even think about
common/traditional rigging concepts or hooks: The strain on this hardware imposed by high-speed strikes and runs on no-stretch line is off
the scale. Without preamble or boring history, here's what has learned from thousands of encounters with streaking wahoo, massive giant
trevally, explosive dogtooth tuna and much more.
After seeing brands of 300- and even 500-pound split rings destroyed in big-fish fights, 300-pound Decoy split rings as the only reliable
choice, along with Owner Jobu single hooks for stickbaits and poppers, mostly 8/0 and 9/0. Forget trebles - they really tear up the fish,
and the hook-and-hold rate of the Jobu singles is far superior to the best trebles in the world. For jigs, use tandem rigs featuring 600-pound
braid stiffened in heat-shrink, and strong, closed-bite hooks by Decoy, Williamson, Owner and VMC, sized to the jig. The long, recurved conical
teeth of even the largest dogtooth tuna almost never sever this.
For targeting wahoo and mackeral substitute cable for braid or use a single head or tail hook, depending on the size and model of the metal
jig, to defeat the incredible slicing ability of their razor-sharp row of teeth.
Considering the lures used as an integral part of fishing, this high-tech spinning gear represents a vast topic worthy of an entire article....
the short version here. Most hard-core fishing operations tend to settle on the equipment and lures that work…..many lures carry some design or
construction flaws that wither under the heat of intense bite rates and predator size.... Many big poppers, such as Yo-Zuris and Halcos, attract
strikes very effectively, but again, need much stronger hardware than standard.
With metal jigs a variety of production models work just fine - jigs ranging in length from 5 to over 12 inches and weighing from 60 to 250
grams (about 2 to 8 ounces). Many top-shelf Asian jigs that jig-fishing hotshot anglers from Japan and Thailand work fantastically, but for
many of us are a bit too pricey to be practical. Other products get the job done very well.
When it comes to jig size, less is more - that is, dogtooth tuna and other marquee target species pull the trigger with gusto on 5- to 6-inch
metal jigs and superb action with school-size giant trevally (18 to 25 pounds) on such jigs in the vicinity of mid-water bait clouds. Sea Rock
out of Japan, but U.S. manufacturer Williamson Lures is coming on strongly with effective, widely available jigs priced from $7 to $13 as opposed
to $50 and much more a pop for some metal jigs.... mixing sizes, models, colors and retrieves is more helpful when jigging than with any
other sort of fishing.
TIP: HIGH-TECH CASTING
Flinging huge poppers and stickbaits on high-tech spin all day long isn't for the faint of heart or weak of arm. Unlike "normal" spin-fishing,
each cast represents an athletic effort, analogous to a golf drive off the tee. Here's what we've found to be the optimal approach.
Leaving 4 to 5 feet of leader hanging from rod tip to lure, grasp the line with the index finger of your throwing hand positioned so the line
comes straight rather than angled off the spool. Then, orient the rod horizontal with the reel directly belly up to the sky, back over your
throwing shoulder; some anglers even dip the lure in the water in back of them to help load the rod like a catapult. Brace yourself, and with
feet spread, snap the rod forward, driving the foregrip forward with your throwing hand as you release the braid with your index finger at just
the right moment to maximize the power from your loaded rod. Remember that braided line will cut you, so experienced anglers who throw it all
day always wear leather gloves built for high-tech spinning.
HOW TO WORK 'EM
Poppers: For jacks, giant trevally and other very speedy, aggressive fish, a fast retrieve with huge, ripping pops is the way to go.
However, for groupers and snappers, as for tarpon on a calm night, slow it down and intersperse liberally with pauses.
Stickbaits: These are much easier to work properly than poppers. Intersperse fast- and slow-cadence retrieves featuring "down and
away" snaps of the rod that cause swishing, wiggling dives, with surface float-backs as you retrieve line. Alternatively, wind steadily,
rod tip up and stationary for a straight-line, head-out surface trajectory, or maneuver the rod side to side to "walk" the lure in. Note:
You can order stickbaits from the Far Pacific, but to date, not within the United States. Though a couple Keys skippers are using them with
great results, so far stickbaits haven't caught on here - but I'm sure they will "Note .. will."
Jigs: Hit bottom, then bob the jig up and down after only a few turns of the reel handle, wind a bit more, then snap up and down
more. This often provokes bottomfish to strike. Next, wind quickly and intersperse sharp snaps of the rod tip. Mix in some very fast, steady
winding (or just do that). Do everything in between to help keep the action varied. One might, with some justification, label all casting and
dropping endeavors with high-tech spin gear as masochistic, but jigging is by far the worst. However, it just works so damned well.
TIP: DEALING WITH SNAGS
Remember, braided line is almost without stretch: This affords a great advantage for undoing snags as opposed to stretchy mono,
particularly when jigging in deep water. If you hit bottom, then wind up only to find yourself hooked to the planet, position the boat
directly over the snag. Take up slack, and then with the rod tip down and the line loose, bob the tip up and down sharply. Make sure you
have enough line out to put a bend in the rod at the top of each stroke, and leave some slack at the bottom of each stroke (with the rod
approximately horizontal). You can use the same strategy for poppers and stickbaits that hang up on a pinnacle, such as when a swell sucks
water off the top of the coral right after the lure lands.
INSIGHT: ON THE TROLL
.... end up trolling stickbaits both shallow and deep on high-tech spin tackle, thanks to their overwhelming effectiveness. Optimum
speed is only 4 to 6 knots, but even at that speed, the non-stretch nature of the line can cause a larger number of dropped fish
after seemingly solid hookups. Minimize that tendency by fighting fish with a very continuous "tiny short stroke" as the captain
keeps the boat moving forward to help maintain a tight line.
TIP: HANDY HIGH-TECH ACCESSORIES
Leather casting gloves are a must, as noted in the main text. To those add split-ring pliers, especially the new special heavy-duty
style made by Owner. These come complete with neat little picks mounted conveniently in the handle - also very useful for picking out
"hairballs" that form in reels spooled with braid. Also, get a pair of superbraid cutters - regular fishing pliers don't cut braid -
or a pair of braid scissors such as those made by Rapala and add these to your fishing belt.
