Gancraft Egi Range - The Evil Fish

Gancrafts new EGI (Squid) lures are quite possibly the hottest looking squid jigs to hit Australian shores. They have taken jigs to a whole new level of realism with the likes of the Evil Fish and much more.

Gancraft have opted to go with out the traditional cloth outer skin on their Evil fish jigs, rather trying out a newer smooth surface. Research suggests that they are more likely to hold onto the jig with a smooth skin as it mimics the hard small smooth scales off a bait fish.

They have also gone away with the stabilizing side feathers thanks to a new “hydrodynamic” keel weight. They are perfectly balanced to sink realistically while still keeping the ability to dart on retrieve.

One thing that caught my eye is the fact that Gancraft manufacture all hooks in house. These days using third partys is all too often the norm. The stainless steel hooks fitted on the evil fish jigs are oversized and offset, creating the perfect weapon against passing squids tentacles.

If these jigs work as well as they look, I’m sure these will quickly become a hot favourite among EGI anglers.

Zipbait Rigge 56F Review

With the overwelming popularity of smaller bream lures its great to finnally see some bigger divers breaking through onto the shelves. This larger Rigge measures 56mm and weighs in at 3.1 grams which at first assessment seems abit light on for the size but given the profile of this lure casting is not an issue.

Fished at slower paces the Rigge has a gentle but captivating side to side roll. Combine this with a few very very short twitches of the wrist and the lures bevilled bib shape allows it to present along the bottom very naturally.

The colour pallet that zip baits has provided for this lure is also of interest. In this particular “Smolt” pattern, Zipbaits have very cleverly juxtaposed a brighter colour with a duller one producing a smaller silhouette. Apart from that the lure is also availible in an array of great naturals all with custom coloured eyes.

I myself have already shared some great success with this lure, flathead especially seem to appriciate it. But whatever system you call your local I urge you to give this one a go its destined to produce results with those larger lazier fish.

Tight Lines,

Cal.

Ecogear PX45 - Popping with prawns

At first glance the PX looks like something that belongs in a stir-fry rather than a tackle box. Ecogear have really nailed the prawn presentation with the PX. The lure presents a very narrow profile combined with a tiny concave lip right at the tow point. To add to the unique nature of this lure are two rubber feelers that trail off the rear treble.

On the water the body design and weight of the lure comes into its own. The bullet designed profile casts accordingly allowing big long casts over the flats. Now this lure can be fished very effectively in a variety of ways, however this lure really comes into its own when retrieved with a softer actioned rod.  A constant steady downward flick of the wrist causes the lure to dart erratically from side to side at a consistent pace, just be mindful to drop the lure back to those fish coming in for look, this is where I believe the PX shines. When you drop the lure back  it allows the rear of the PX to sink on a 45 angle.  This is particularily effective  on Bream and other flats species, and combined with the rubber feelers, makes one hell of an lure.

In terms of colours Ecogear has released the PX in a variety 8 colours. From a good range of naturals to a few juicy looking brighter greens and oranges. No matter what colour you tie on this is definitely one surface lure you cant afford not to have in your box… Ecogear you’ve done it again.

Good vibes…IMA Japan’s VIBE 80 review

“Vibe” lures have been around for a long long time, but it was not until recent years that resurgence in newer, more modern vibes gained popularity. One such modern day vibe on the market is made by IMA Japan, and it is quite simply named the “Vibe 80″.

The Vibe80 weighs in at one ounce(28 grams) and is what I would consider a medium sized vibe. Most of my success on vibes in the past was previously reserved to smaller vibes such as River2Sea’s Baby vibes and TT Switchblades, but the Vibe80 quickly changed that.

We rumours of Southern Bluefin Tuna popping up all over the metro area, I thought just incase we came across a school while bottom fishing I would keep a few lures handy. I packed an arsenal of metal slices, poppers, minnows and vibes.

I’ll be honest, my first lure I put on was the old faithful Halco Twisty 20 gram. A proven tuna catcher surely it would not fail me this time around. But after 10 or so casts and no hook ups at a school of tuna, a change of tactics was in order.

This is where shining away in the corner of my eye was the IMA Vibe80. With its blue and silver chrome finish it certainly had the colours of a baitfish but I was weary about the size.

As it turns out match your hatch does not apply to bluefin tuna, at least in this circumstance. First cast with the vibe80 I was connected to a fish. My guess would be that thanks to a tight vibrating actions, it gave off the appearance of more than one fish, a mini-school if you will. Tuna being the hungry, stuff-your-face kind of fish they are scoffed it down with out hesitation.

A rapid retrieve induces a hypnotizing pulse from the Vibe80 catching the attention of any fish in ear shot. This sound combined with the above mentioned “illusion” of baitfish made for an awesome tuna lure and outfished others on the boat 3 to 1.

I must say I did not expect to use this for a species such as tuna ,but the versatility of the Vibe80 made it too hard to pass up. It casts well, trolls well, looks good and most importantly catches fish!

If you haven’t got an IMA Vibe80 in your box I suggest you get one. I won’t be going offshore again with out it.

Reidy Lures jumps on the bay jigging band wagon

Reidys lures, who are more traditionally known for their Barra lures, are jumping on the bay jigging band wagon with a hoard of new lures.

They are mainly comprised of the generic bay rubber moulds that we have all seen before, but I will give them points for keeping the tails/dressing down to a minimum which I believe is crucial to getting the most out of the jig. Over doing the dressing with cheap bass spinner bait skirts has been the down fall of many competitors jigs.

Reidys has named the range “Seabugs” and they come in 7 different styles. With out trying one for myself I cant comment on performance, but like most other jigs like this…they just work.

While I give them points for trying, I feel it may be a case of too little too late. That being said I have always been a fan of the Reidys barra lures. If thats anthing to go by then I’m sure the new range of seabugs will keep aussie anglers happy.

McArthy Baits 3″ Finesse Minnow night session

I just got back from hot, spur of the moment night session using the new McArthy Baits finesse minnows. The trip was not planned and because of that I was unfortunately not packing a camera. I did manage a quick snap on the phone so I apologise in advance about the quality.

Bream in the Swan can be fussy at the best of times. Let alone trying to fish for these guys after dark. After a quick look at the local jetty on the way home from work I noticed some sheepish black bream hiding amongst the pylons. Not prepared at all I decided to try out out of the McArthy Finesse minnows on an unweighted worm hook, I figured it was worth a shot.

Immediately the Finesse minnow was smashed by a little Black Bream. This started a feeding frenzy and I managed up with 5 Bream before they shut down. To say I was surprised was an understatement. A fussy black bream, after dark, on a plastic just does not happen. But it did tonight. Albeit the fish where only just on legal size but fun never the less.

For those interested I was using the McArthy Finesse Minnow 3″ in “Goldfish” colour.

I’ll definitely be giving these a whirl during the day sometime soon, hopefully a bit better prepared second time round. If your after some thing different to try, why not try fishing unweighted McArthy Finesse minnows after dark. Hopefully you will have as much success as I did!

Berkley Power Egi scented squid jigs

We all know the Japanese have got it down pat when it comes to egging(squid fishing). Berkley have enlisted the help of these talented folk to help design their new Power Egi Squid jig range. They have sculpted these perfectly balanced squid catching machines and are now available in tackle stores around oz. Not only are they designed well, these jigs also have a few more tricks up their sleeve.

It was only a matter of time before Berkley combined their power bait scent with a squid jig. This gives fussy squid the icing on the cake when it comes to striking a jig. Previously they may have shied away from Power Egis rival’s, but with added Powerbait scent you will be up to your arms in cephalopods before you know it.

TT Lures “Ghost Blade” Preview

Blade lures have grown in popularity a lot recently and TT lures are doing well to stay ahead of the curve with the release of their new “TT Ghost Blades”.

These lures stick to the tried and true “Switchblade” design but differ in that they’re manufactured using polycarbonate. This affords them a light weight of just 1/12 of an ounce or 2.4 grams in spite of their 44mm length, 1mm longer than the 1/4 ounce metal “Switchblade”.

In shallow areas the light weight will make for a more natural drop, as opposed to an unnatural plummet, which will aid in tempting wary or skittish fish to hit. In deeper water, assuming current is at a minimum, the lure will sink quite slowly which means much more time spent in the strike zone.

In line with the classic “Switchblade” they’re supplied with quality trebles, rings and a very useful quick clip.

Colours available are: Pink Spook, Orange Spook, Brown Spook, Peacock Blue Ghost, Hey U Green, Purple Glim Ghost, Aussie Green/Gold, Green Spook, Golden Nog Ghost and Golden Ghost.

All in all these “Ghost Blades” look like an absolute winner and I for one cannot wait to get my hands on one…. Or five.

McArthy Saltwater Baits preview

A good friend of mine recently informed me of a new range of Saltwater soft plastics he has been using that is coming out from South Africa. With nothing but positive things to say for the soft baits I decided to check them out for myself.

McArthy’s saltwater baits are still a relatively new company but making big news in SA and across the globe. All design work is done in house and they have developed an extensive range of soft baits to cover just about any situation.

I have managed to get my hands on a few different types and must say they look very impressive. New sizes and colours(including some great lumo/glow patterns) that have not been seen before, as well as those favorites like 5″ Jerk Shads and 3″ Minnows.

I’m still in the processes of testing these out but initial reports are promising so stay tuned..

For more info check out www.mcarthybaits.co.za

Mold Craft Billfish Juice - Drugs for fish!

Ok well maybe its not as extreme as the title suggests but Mold Crafts new Billfish Juice series is certainly a head turner.

Basically what Mold Craft has done is design pusher/skirted lure that has a compartment to place a scented pill in. By having a pill in the head this allows for a constant stream of all things fishy to be flowing from behind the skirt. Particularly handy when fish are cautious of lures and often hold off striking, sitting back and tapping the lure with their bill, until now that is.

Scenting Skirts may not be all that new, in fact Chumline used to(not 100% if they still do) manufacture a pusher that had a nozzle hole for the angler to spray a squirt of Chumline scent directly in it. Of course the lures themselves were not that flash and the scent dispersed relatively quickly. These tablets are designed to last a while longer, recommending anglers check them every 30 minutes or the longer lasting 1 hour tablets.

Billfish Juice combined with Mold Crafts award winning lure design could be the next big thing in game fishing. Its not often that things change much in the Game fishing world so its great to see something relatively new and innovative like this pop up.

These 30-minute formula tablets now included in a specially designed series of
MOLDCRAFT SOFTHEADS™ and Daisy Chains.

Billfishjuice™ tablets contain highly concentrated synthetic attractants scientifically formulated to mimic natural prey rinse. These compounds dissolve at a controlled rate, and appeal to a broad range of pelagic fishes, and can dramatically increase your hookup percentages in trolling lure applications and boost the attract ability of your teasers.

In controlled trials conducted in Costa Rica by our staff with identical teasers on both sides of the boat over 70% of the bites came to the teaser with Billfishjuice™ tablets.

In another scientific hook bait trial conducted in Australia, strike percentages where increased by as much as 4 times.

In a static demonstration at the I.G.F.A. in Dania Bch. Fl., Dr. Ben Diggles the scientist responsible for the development of the formula, sprinkled a few crumbs into a fish tank with Snook and Redfish. The fish instantly went “On Point”! Looking for the source.

Tags: billfish, juice, lure, marlin, mold craft, moldcraft

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