Plug fishing for Bass

Amate of mine sent me a selection of rapala plugs from the US to try here.
Having never fish them before I need advice please lads.
I would love to try them at a local bass shoremark but am not sure what gear to match them to, how to rig them up and how and when to fish them.Thanks

Hi fastnet,

Typical plugging gear would be a 9 - 11ft rod rated to cast 30 - 60grams. 4000 - 5000 reel loaded with 10 - 12lb mono or similar diameter braid, underfill the spool if braid is your preference.

Alot of the plugging done for bass is over shallow rough ground typically no more than a couple of feet in most cases therefore top water plugs and shallow diving plugs are the norm. The Rapala J13 is often cited as one of the top bass plugs but it dives too deep for me and wouldn't be my favourite at all for example.

Some anglers advocate a 10 - 15ft leader (similar to a shockleader setup you would use for beachfishing only scaled down). This is to prevent chaffing of the line near the lure when fishing over the rough stuff, for casting hevy lures and also as an added security measure when landing the fish. Don't like it cause it creates a weak spot in the setup. I fish a 3ft length of 20lb fluoro next to the lure connected to the mainline by a swivel and and link swivel at the business end allows a quick change of lure. This still offers protection from the rocks if a fish runs across them.

Opinions will vary greatly on this one, but this should hopefully kind of put you right.

Liam

Basic Saltwater Lure Fishing Series

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


Part One


There is no escaping them these days. Just about every fishing shop you go to has stocks and a vast array of fishing lures. As you walk down the aisles they regard you with large holographic eyes and strange tight smiles. When you are at home turning the pages of your favourite angling magazine they jump off the page - the latest and greatest, the softest and the hardest, the fastest and the slowest, the brightest the dullest, the ones designed by scientists, oh and in case I forget the ones that catch the angler as well! How does any angler have a chance – indeed how does any fish refuse such a plethora of ‘foodlike’ metal jigs, plastic and colourful jelly? As a full time saltwater guide I am not afraid to admit it. My name is Jim Hendrick and I too have a large lure collection, including ones that taste like Pernod!

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

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

1. Two or more barbed treble hooks are stuck in the fish’s body.
2. There is a protracted period of hook extraction from the fish
3. There is excessive and uncertain handling of the fish out of the water.

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

Be confident in your control of the fish by thumbing him or by use of a boga grip. This is an invaluable tool that will allow you to quickly get the fish under control, weigh him, remove hooks etc and return him to the sea in less than 10 seconds.
Always try and remove the hooks from the fish while he remains in or at least partly submerged by water. The use of the boga-grip here is invaluable. Place you light spinning rod under your armpit in a tight grip, hold the boga in the same hand as you have the rod under, reach for the fish, grip and control him and remove the hooks using your pliers with the other free hand, release the boga trigger – fish drops into the water and swims away. Twelve seconds – a little room for improvement I think. When you capture a fish that you consider is worth photographing a little planning often helps the fish the photographer and the angler.

I find that I carry a small digital camera inside my shirt pocket all of the time when fishing. The camera is inside my chest waders and often inside my jacket, very safe. The strap of the camera is attached to a neck lanyard (like at pop concerts etc). The lanyard is always around my neck and is long enough to allow freedom of movement with the camera. I can simply pull the camera out of my shirt pocket by the lanyard, it slides out easily and I am then ready to take my photo. I can simply drop the camera back inside my waders after the shot and then return the fish. If you are fishing with a friend alert him before you land the fish that you want a photograph taken so he can be ready and in position to help. It does no harm to discuss and practice fish holding positions etc. Positioning, and remembering important factors like the angle of the sun before you go fishing will prove invaluable – a photograph in the fishes natural environment always looks great. Do not labour over your photographs and time should be kept to minimum. One portrait, one landscape and one change of position should be enough. Remember too that your trophy photograph will last forever and can be shown to hundreds of people, dead fish only last a few hours.

If you are fortunate enough to have found what looks like good lure fishing areas you should think carefully before telling too many people. There are a few points to bear in mind here as to why you should do this: Firstly some species are localised and very slow growing in their habitats. Bass for example take a long time to mature and are often subject to over exploitation. Always take care not to fish some special venues too often. Try to practice good catch and release policies and try to minimise unnecessary stress to fish. Bass, although they are very tough, you don’t want them to endure too many captures. You also don’t want to ‘over lure’ or spook the fish. The fewer lures they see the more likely they are to take yours. Make your own decisions about your sportfishing and exercise practical and thoughtful considerations.

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

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

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

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

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

Finally, in the most enjoyable part of the research-and-development process, for those designers and researchers interested in fishing, the baits are put to the test on lakes, streams and in the sea. It’s possible that amongst the best and most imitated lure manufacturers, for a lure to spend several years on the journey from conception through to final production. This factor should be one of the strongest points in assisting your decision-making regarding lure choice and purchase. Reputable companies make reputable lures. With so much information and choices decisions are difficult to make. In the next article we will discuss lure types, which ones you should use and how to use them correctly.

Jim Hendrick

Basic Saltwater Lure Fishing Series

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



Part Two

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

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

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

In order to improve your catch rate if you are fishing with a metal spinner I would recommend that you try and fish as close to the submerged rocks as possible quite frequently during your fishing session. To avoid or at least reduce possible tackle losses reduce your treble hook to a single. If you are fishing over an area that is covered by high tide then it is often possible to retrieve lost spinners at low water. My grandfather showed me a trick I used as a young angler whilst fishing the Forlorn Point in Kilmore Co.Wexford. Take your spinner then attach your swivel, then attach about fifteen feet of 20-pound test monofilament to your mainline which should be about 12-14 pounds test, you can use a double blood or uni-knot. When you are fishing and then find you are stuck simply pull for a break after making valid attempts to free your spinner. The line will generally break at the knot. When the tide retreats its very easy to locate the ‘leader’ of heavy line which will lead you to your spinner. I once as a boy spent an entire months summer holiday bass fishing in Kilmore with two Jensen Jigs. I lost and retrieved them several times and I fished them until their coatings disappeared.

As I mentioned in part one, most angling shops have a wide stock of what I like to call Lures. These are different from the metal spoons, spinners and jigs, which we spoke about above, and they also have very different fishing methods. The current most popular range within this ‘modern’ type of lure is Rapala, Storm and Duel. The Rapala J13, J9 and J7 are very famous bass lures. They are often called jerk baits. The jointed body allows the lure to swim with a unique action that has been imitated by several other lure manufacturers. The main features you will notice about this type of lure are

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

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

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

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

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

If you do invest in some lures and lure fishing equipment please bear in mind the following. When using braid always purchase a good quality reel that has a slow oscillating feature. This will improve line lay and helps resist burying of the braid on the spool during retrieves. Without this feature especially with less ‘modern’ braids you will experience tangles that the devil himself would be proud of. Always attach a leader length of fluorocarbon or monofilament to the end of your braid. This should be about one metre in length and be of around 20 pounds test. Join the braid to the leader using the allbright knot. This leader will ensure a number of things. Firstly the multiple hook points on your lure will not ‘pierce’ the braid and get tangled whilst tumbling through the cast. Also sometimes whilst playing or striking a fish line can be drawn across a hook barb – braid can be deteriorated by this quite quickly and show no visible signs of wear. This leader will also allow a little shock absorption as remember braid has zero stretch.

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

· Spinners and spoons
· The Kilty lure
· The ABU krill
· The ABU Toby

· Jerk Baits
· Rapala J13, J11 Floating
· Storm thundersticks or similar

· Surface Lures
· Storm chug bug
· Rapala skitter pop
· Duel Aile Magnet

While colour is important I would concentrate at the beginning on buying two fishy type colours of each lure and one bright type like yellow or a red and white combination. You should have a compact yet comprehensive range with this selection allowing you to fish effectively for all major saltwater predatory species in Ireland. In the next issue we will address effective methods and the various techniques required to fish your lures more effectively. We will concentrate on selection; colour and how to target you preferred species.

Jim Hendrick

Basics Saltwater Lure Fishing Series

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


Part three

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

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

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

Ok so lets get to the serious stuff. This could take some time I’m afraid but lets begin. The equipment jigsaw consists of three main pieces, lets start with the reel. You will more likely than not be using a fixed spool reel. The activity of lure fishing means your reel will be in constant use during your fishing sessions. This is not like bait fishing where you cast and retrieve maybe every fifteen to twenty minutes, sixteen to twenty times in a session. When you are lure fishing you could probably be casting and retrieving as much as forty to fifty times and hour or two hundred times a session. This means your reel needs to be of good quality. Its internal workings need to be tough and smooth with correct bearing placement. The outer coating needs to be saltwater resistant and able to withstand the odd knock on rocks.

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

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

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

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

1. They allow you to control and work you lure as effectively as possible
2. They translate the movements of the lure into your hands and arms
3. They allow you to cast a long way when required
4. They allow you to apply power to a big fish when you need to avoid an obstruction and when you need to land the fish quickly
5. They are sensitive and balanced enough to allow you feel the power of the fish

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Hendrick

Excellent read jim..very informative!!

Nice one Jim.Hope the article will give more perspective to the angler on the right tool to use fore lure fishing.Do you need this size of reel for sea bass??no.Do you need this kind of rods for sea bass??no.As a modern 'fishing for fun' lure angler,i noticed a lots of angler using an over kill gear for sea bass which will hampered the fun of lure fishing.Will the light gear that i use will ensure me to land a 12lb sea bass???I never land such a big sea bass yet,but i am damn sure that my light gear is more than enuff for the job in short of time while providing me the sensitivity and fun.As for the specialize gear and lure that come with the higher price tag do we need it???Yes if u re fishing to catch fish for fun and love to explore the wide spectrum of lure fishing.No,u dont need it if u re just fishing for the sake of catching fish. Tackle junkie/tart???Thats is fun fishing all about....good nicely balance tackle to maximize fun.

If you're familiar with metal spinners, remember that retrieving a Rapala (and other diving lures) quickly will make it swim deeper, not shallower!! If you start to get snagged, stop, let the lure float up if possible, then reel very slowly until you're clear of the snag.

The J13S (black and silver) is one of my favourite lures. It's a deep diver and not suited to shallow reef fishing. However, if you do find yourself fishing over a shallow reef with nothing else in the box, try holding the rod tip up high. I've used this technique to fish in less than 1m of water. Not ideal though. Smaller versions (e.g. J11) are much shallower divers.

thats some article jim, full of information, i intend to reread it again in case i missed something

that was a good read jim, thanks

Thanks lads , will let you know how I get on!

Thanks for the positive replies guys - i hope the essays are of some help to people who are beginning lure fishing. There is an awful lot of BS out there about this type of fishing and the beginner can be sent down not only the wrong but often an expensive, time wasting and ultimatley useless path.

Take advice from people who KNOW what they are talking about - there are a few of them on this forum.

Best

Thanks for this Jim- much appreciated - as were the other articles.

are they two-pin or three-pin plugs? oh right...

If you can get a copy of Bob Moss's "The Third Breaker", there's a whole chapter on using plugs and spinners for Bass - it's Kerry-based, but you can adapt the message...

Thank you very much Jim for your fantastic article.There is a lot of valuable
information in it.Never read a better article on lure fishing that nails every aspect of it.
Thanks again. :idea:

No problem G - im glad you enjoyed them and hope they help in some way. If you are interested i will be running a series of articles in Irish Angler in the Spring of 2008 - these will cover

Advanced lure fishing techniques, (stick baits/surface fishing,softies etc) methods and approaches for Ireland, (3 articles)

Saltwater flyfishing and how to approach various locations like estuaries, rocky areas, steep too beaches etc. (3 articles)

I will be posting some new material onto my website in the next few days regarding courses and schools that will run for the next year or so for bass fishing on fly and lure

Jim, excellent articles there, saved them for further reading again! Must get down to Wexford to put some of this into practice now!

Thanks for posting them.
James.

Jim- looking forward to reading those articles in Irish Angler.Checked out your website and I'm very interested in a couple of your cousres in the new year.
Thanks again. :D

Thanks G and CJ
look forward to seeing you in the new year

i will also be running a bass fishing school in 2008 (4 days) - Spring, Summer and Autumn - details soon on my website on the resource page.

Jim

Awesome read Jim, very informative too. 8)

I didn't realise there was so much too bass fishing although most of it should be common sence. :shock: I was surprised to read you use such light rods. :lol: My gear is too heavy when I really think about it. I'm using the Greys sea spin rod with a shimano 10000 gte reel loaded with 20lb braid, but find it tiring after a while and then I find my concentration going. :oops: When that happens the enjoyment goes and the chore of casting and retrieving becomes a pain. :o

I must invest in lighter gear but don't tell the FPO, she'll kill me! :shock:

What sort of gear would you recommend for Mullet fishing? Do you think that your choice of bass gear would be okay to try for the odd mullet? Again I don't want to fish too heavy. If any fish gets off it deserves too, it's not the tackle that will let you down, it will be yourself.

I've had bass to 8lb on heavy beach gear just pleasure fishing but I want to start targeting different species rather than just catching what just happens to grab my baited hook.

Any info would be good.

Steve