Flounder Fishing Tips and Methods

Try these tips to catch more flounder

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Somewhere back in my years I got hooked on flounder fishing. I guess it may have been the way my wife prepares the real butter sauteed fillets with toasted sliced almonds and lemon juice. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it! At any rate, flounder are one of my favorite fish to catch. And it took a while for me to learn to catch them.

Spending most of my younger years in South Florida, I missed out on flounder fishing, because the flounder population there is sparse. They prefer cooler waters I think.

Flounder Migration
One particular flounder trip I was on put me in some nice fish, fish that were making their fall migration to deeper water. It was out of Mayport, Florida, and we were fishing the intracostal waterway in and around the mouth of the St. Johns River.

Flounder make a regular migration to deeper water, and settle in the sandy bottom as far as 25 to 30 miles offshore. They will lay in the sand around any natural structure, or around any of the numerous artificial reefs and wrecks. Spearfishermen take some huge flounder around these wrecks in the winter months.

Targeting the fish
My style is to catch them during their migration. From about September through the end of November, they begin to move out of the creeks and rivers and into the ocean. They have spent the spring and summer months spawning and last year’s crop is now large enough to make the migration with the older brood fish. This years hatch is left in the estuaries to grow another year before making any moves. This is why we still catch a large number of very small flounder all the way through the winter. And it is also why longer length restrictions can play a big part in increasing the stocks.

Tackle
My standard tackle is a medium stiff semi-fast taper 7 foot casting rod with a small baitcasting reel – I like the Abu Garcia 5500C on a freshwater bass flippin’ stick. I use 14-pound test line, small enough to be somewhat invisible, and yet large enough to handle other larger species that may take the bait. The terminal tackle is what I call a standard flounder rig: a 4/0-circle hook on a 15 inch 30 lb. test monofilament leader. The leader is tied to a trolling sinker, and the sinker is tied to the line. These sinkers are the type that look like they have a small beaded chain on each end. They are long and slender, and are ideal for dragging across the bottom.

Bait
The bait I use will vary, but by far I prefer a finger mullet between three and four inches long. Smaller mullet are too small for the hook, and larger ones are too large for some of the flounder to get a hold of easily. As the migration moves from September, these finger mullet get hard to find.

SOURCE:By Ron Brooks, http://saltfishing.about.com/

My marlin trolling theory

When forming a spread for marlin it is important to remember that uniformity among your shorts and longs is important. It’s a known fact that marlin are color blind and that they can only tell the difference between two shades, light and dark. Although there is one skirt that glows in the dark that is a third shade to a marlin. The two shades that seem to stand out to these monsters of the deep are the absence of black, and the absence of light colors. Most people will have their preferences on the colors that they use but most of the time when certain colors are in fashion the only reason that it became popular is because of word from the tournament circuits in the Caribbean.

On the short riggers two skirted lures that have downward angled heads are good because they make three to four dives and turns. If an aggressive marlin comes up behind this lure it will see it dart and go after it as if it were the last piece of food out in the ocean.

On the longs you should have small lures that are very straight tracking in the water. This is for when a marlin come up that is not as aggressive to your shorts and when it sees the lure dart it will fallback, upon falling back the smaller and straight tracking lure will go by the marlin and most of the time the marlin will go for this lure.

On my marlin spread I don’t focus so much on my teasers but more so on my shorts. I will usually put two Black Bart lures such as the super plunger or Zulu head because of their big size and the angled heads that will make them swerve all around. Like I said before colors don’t really matter because if you have a marlin lure that you like and if you use it more than another chances are no matter what color it is you will catch more fish on it because marlin don’t get big by passing up meals. If you give them something that’s half way decent they’ll go for it. The two shorts I will keep right at and around 80 feet off my stern. As for the longs I like to use what’s called a St. Thomas special. It’s a tear drop shaped head that has its fat end first, this lure is a very straight dragging lure, which I think is important because when a marlin that’s not as aggressive comes up to your shorts and doesn’t want to chase it, when they fall back they will then see the lure on your long rigger and most of the time go for that.

As for teasers I like to use something that has mirrors in it. Something that I have grown to like is the turbo teasers, the turbo teaser are almost impossible to come by but I have been so happy with the ones that I use that I almost wouldn’t change them in for anything else. The next best on my list is anything that makes a lot of commotion, a head with jets, mirrors, abalone inserts, as long as they create commotion I would recommend it.

SOURCE:http://www.leadertec.com/teach_spike.html

Choosing The Right Leader Material

It’s usual in saltwater fishing to use a leader at the end of the main fishing line to resist abrasion from the fishing environment (rocks, coral etc ) and from the fish themselves (jaws, sharp gill plates, rough bills of sailfish and marlin etc ).

IGFA rules allow the use of a leader up to 15 feet (4.57 metres ) long in line classes up to 20 lb (10 kg) and up to 30 feet (9.14 metres ) in line classes over 20 lb (10 kg).

In some cases the target species or other species present have sharp teeth which will quickly cut monofilament leaders and necessitate the use of wire or cable leaders or at least a short length of wire or cable at the end of a mono leader.

As a rule, the more strands in a cable the more supple and kink resistant it becomes. However the diameter also increases significantly and it is more likely that during a prolonged fight a fish will gradually be able to cut through the individual strands making up the cable.

It’s a trade off. For a given breaking strain single strand wire will have the greatest bite resistance and the smallest diameter, but will also have the greatest tendency towards kinking. At the opposite end of the scale 49 strand cable will have the least bite resistance and the largest diameter, but will have the greatest resistance to kinking.

However having made the decision to use either a monofilament or a wire or cable leader there are further choices to be made.

The main options are:

:: Monofilament ::

Nylon

Fluorocarbon


:: Single strand wire ::

Stainless steel (monel)

Tinned or galvanised wire
(music wire)


:: Multi strand cable ::

Nylon coated

Uncoated

:: Monofilament ::

Nylon

Nylon monofilament is used worldwide for both mainline and leader material.

It can easily be connected by either knots or crimps, although crimping is an easier and more reliable method with heavy mono.

Leader mono is usually slightly different to mainline mono, particularly in the field of big game fishing. Mainline mono needs to be soft and lack memory to enable it to sit comfortably on a reel spool and to cast and knot easily.

Leader mono needs to have a hard surface and a pronounced memory in order to better resist abrasion and to make it easier for a crewman to handle. Soft mono can dig into a crewman’s gloves and become impossible to let go if a big fish makes a last dash at the boatside. This can be very dangerous for the crewman.
Monofilament was able to resist this white marlin's rough bill

Monofilament was able to resist this white marlin's rough bill

Hard mono however will more easily spring into coils making it easier for the wireman to release the leader if necessary.

For: Cheap to buy, supple, easy to knot or crimp.

Against: Poor resistance to sharp teeth. Large diameter compared to wire or cable of similar breaking strain.


Fluorocarbon

Everything that has previously been said about nylon monofilament applies to fluorocarbon monofilament.

The claimed advantage of fluorocarbon is that its refractive index is close to that of water making it more difficult for fish to see underwater. It also does not absorb water like nylon and so its wet and dry breaking strengths remain similar.

Fluorocarbon is much more expensive than comparable nylon and more care must be taken when knotting it. When tuna are proving leader shy the traditional solution was to drop down to much lighter leaders which increases the chance of the leader being abraded through during the fight.

The modern solution is to switch to fluorocarbon leader material which is much less visible in water whilst retaining strength and abrasion resistance.

For: Supple, easy to knot or crimp (although slightly more difficult to knot than nylon), claimed to be invisible underwater.

Against: Poor resistance to teeth, expensive to buy. Large diameter compared to wire or cable of similar breaking strain.

:: Single strand wire ::

Single strand wire was for many years the leader material of choice wherever sharp toothed species such as kingfish, wahoo and barracuda were present, even if the target species were marlin or sailfish.

Many traditional methods of bait rigging require the use of single strand wire, although it is not well suited to trolling large lures as the movement of the lure on the leader tends to work harden the wire causing it to fail.
Sharp toothed fish like wahoo require a wire or cable leader


Sharp toothed fish like wahoo require a wire or cable leader

Versatile to use and very thin for its breaking strain, it can only be successfully joined by forming a Haywire twist with barrel wraps.

Its Achilles heel is its tendency to kink if not handled correctly or during a fight with a fish. Once kinked it is permanently weakened and will remain weak even if straightened by hand.

There are two types of single strand wire in common use, stainless steel or monel and tinned or galvanised wire, commonly known as music wire.

Stainless wire (monel)

Monel is the more commonly used of the two types of wire due to its corrosion resistance making it more suitable for reusing.

It is prone to stretching and should be discarded after catching several fish or after any long fight.

For: Cheap to buy, very resistant to sharp teeth, small diameter, corrosion resistance.

Against: Kinks easily, stretches, must be joined by a Haywire twist and barrel wraps.


Tinned or galvanised wire (music wire)

Tinned or galvanised wire (music wire). Music wire is less popular than monel due its lack of corrosion resistance which means that it must be washed in fresh water and dried before storage and checked carefully before reuse.

However music wire does have two advantages over monel. It is even smaller in diameter for its breaking strain than monel and it does not stretch to anything like the same degree as monel.

Australian crews often use music wire (they call it ‘Gal’ ) when fishing dead baits for giant black marlin along the Great Barrier Reef. They find that a small amount of surface corrosion on the wire enables them to more firmly grip the leader with wetted gloves when leadering a big fish alongside the boat.

For: Cheap to buy, very resistant to sharp teeth, smaller diameter than monel, less stretchy than monel, wireman’s gloves can grip it easily.

Against: Kinks easily, must be joined by a Haywire twist and barrel wraps, not corrosion resistant.

:: Multi strand cable ::

Multi strand stainless steel cable is very widely used around the world wherever toothy fish may pick up the bait or lure.

The most common cables available to anglers are 7 strand cable (as the name suggests it is made from 7 individual wires twisted together), and 49 strand cable, which is made from seven 7 strand cables twisted together.

In general 7 strand cable tends to be supplied to anglers with a nylon coating, while 49 strand is usually supplied uncoated.

Nylon coated

Nylon coated cable is a pleasant material to use. Relatively small in diameter and easy to work with. The coatings are available in a variety of colours in case that sort of thing’s important to you, and it’s equally suited to fishing with lures or baits and can easily be joined with brass or copper sleeves.

The nylon surface coating does get damaged by fish teeth though and you will probably find that you have to cut back the end of the leader after catching a fish.

Be aware though that salt water can work its way down inside the nylon coating causing corrosion and weakening of the cable after an extended period.

Because it’s so cheap to buy I tend to make up nylon coated leaders when I need them and discard them after each trip.

For: Cheap to buy, resistant to sharp teeth, more supple than single strand wire, small diameter, easy to join with crimps, easy to handle.

Against: More visible than monofilament or single strand wire, fish teeth or abrasion can shred the nylon coating, saltwater can get inside the nylon coating and cause corrosion over a period of time.


Uncoated

Uncoated 49 strand stainless steel cable is the most commonly used cable in higher breaking strains. It’s equally suited to fishing with lures or baits, can easily be joined with brass or copper sleeves and is highly kink resistant.

It’s larger diameter makes it more visible and it’s greater weight can quickly tire out a live bait.

It is more expensive than single strand or nylon coated cable, but if rinsed in fresh water after use it will last a long time.

For: Resistant to sharp teeth, more supple than single strand wire, smaller diameter than monofilament of comparable breaking strain, easy to join with crimps, long lasting.

Against: More visible than monofilament or single strand wire, heavy (only important when using live bait).

SOURCE:http://www.leadertec.com/tipsandtechniques/rigatrlures_leader.html

Tides And Habitats - Part 3

Sand Bars

These come in many shapes and sizes and normally how the current, wave action relate to the bar is the key ingredient to understand where the fish will be holding.

If you see a point off a beach it will normally continue out under the surface. Combine a current on the dropping or incoming tide moving across it and you will very likely have a rip. Look for most fish to be feeding on the down tide side.

If a sand bar were 50 feet off the shore running parallel to it with waves crashing over it then I would look for the fish to be holding between the beach and the bar. They will feed on the bait as it's picked up by the wave and tossed over the bar. Casting into the wave as it’s ready to break and allowing the wave to crash on your fly, then imparting a darting action will often result in a strike.

There will be times where you will be able to stand on these bars and cast your fly perpendicular to the wave / current direction and allow your fly to flow over the bar and into the deeper water. Imparting action to your fly or simply letting it dead drift will often result in a strike.

Channels from a Bay or Estuary

These areas are a magnet for fish. All Bays and estuaries hold bait fish. At sometime these baitfish will leave these areas or be sucked out by the tidal current. These channels are prime feeding lies for cruising, migrating, resident bass and blues. On a dropping tide the current through these channels is often extremely fast, providing a predator an easy meal. They may set up like a trout on a seam, behind a bar (rip) or maybe in a multitude of different sand holes on the bottom created by this incredibly fast concentrated current. Often sight fishing to these fish is almost comical as you can pick out the fish you want to catch. It’s just like swinging a streamer for trout. With this increased flow of water they do not have the time to study or inspect your fly for realism and are often much more opportunistic feeders, which we always like.

Ocean Holes

These are good fish holding locations due to the depth of water they hold, making the fish feel comfortable within this habitat. One of the easiest ways to find an Ocean hole is to put on a pair of polarized sunglasses and look down the beach. Look for the darkest water along the beach and you've just found a spot to fish.

Waves

A wave is made when it comes in contact with shallows. Often by simply reading the swells and where the wave is breaking will help you to decide where to fish. If a wave breaks on the shoreline then I know I have deep water in front of me and would be a good fishing location. If the waves start to build 200 feet out, crest and break far from shore then I probably have a point of sand or shallow water bar. If I have waves breaking out to my right and left, but breaking at my feet in front of me, then I probably have an ocean hole. This is where I would fish. Even if you cannot visually see sub-surface structure, by reading the swells and breaks it will help you understand what you cannot see.

Reading Sand

Holes, bars, dips, pockets normally indicate fast moving water. A prime location to fish when the current is at it’s optimum. Soft sand equals shifting sand and in this area expect Sand Lances (called sand eels in the UK ) to be present. They normally seek out this type of sand to hide in. Throwing a Sand Lance pattern would be my first choice. Or the real thing!

Bays

Bays are comprised of everything. Flats, bars, channels, rips, marsh, beach, and rocks. Look for birds, darker deeper water, structure, current and all of the above. Read the water right and this is the result, a beautiful striped bass. photo John Halnon

Randy pic 3
Read the water right and this is the result, a beautiful striped bass. photo John Halnon

The best way to study these different habitats is to first start out at low tide. Go for a walk on your favourite beach. Notice the points, bars, holes and rocks. These are the areas to concentrate on and could be loaded with fish later in the tide. A careful eye and an understanding of these areas are all that is needed to become a proficient angler.

Let’s try to put it all together. As an angler, your goal is to search out and study all the above mentioned habitats and their relationship with moving water. Fish them, find out when each piece of structure fishes at its optimum. (Remember my equation?) Some will fish best at high, mid, low, incoming, outgoing, half in or half out. Others on a half or full moon, while sometimes your spots will fish best on opposite phases. Compile an assortment of spots, so you can do what I do each day before heading out. Fish each spot when it is at its optimum. Thus guaranteeing you the best chances for hooking up! You will find with time the more spots you acquire, the odds of fishing 24 -7 all summer long increase. Also, you will then be able to take wind into consideration. Casting on your back cast is easy as spreading soft butter on a warm muffin when you’re experienced. But for the new angler it’s an acquired skill. So being able to fish, casting on your forward cast can sometimes be a more pleasurable experience.

When I go fishing, I take all this and more into consideration when deciding where to go. In my opinion, fly-fishing is one of the most challenging and rewarding types of fishing you will ever experience. But to achieve proficiency you need to have a clear understanding of tides, currents and habitat you fish. Then you'll soon be realising the best part of fly fishing —FISH ON!

SOURCE:http://www.leadertec.com/tipsandtechniques/Tides_habitats3.html

Tides And Habitats - Part 2

Rips

One of the easiest pieces of structure to catch fish. Rips are formed by bars of sand or rock that rise up to below the surface, combined with current. Points of land also create them. Severe changes in depth with tide and current create turbulent water. The increase in water flow as it moves over or around this structure is a main stay in consistent hook-ups. Bait is swept over structure as the water flow is concentrated. This leaves bait confused, unable to swim against this faster current. It leaves them easy prey.

Rips occur when tide is coming in or out and can be found in any type of habitat. Fish really key in on these and make them a regular stop in search for a meal. Normally casting across the rip line and retrieving your fly as it cross’s into deeper water will work. This imitates the natural bait being swept over the rip. Sometimes letting your fly swing and go deeper into the water will also produce great results. The speed and depth of water would determine the type of fly line you would use.

Marshes and estuaries

A marsh system is a relatively flat, low-lying portion of the coastline. Hidden behind beaches and harbours. These marsh systems tend to have a lot of water movement and tidal flow. Mud bottoms warm up the quickest and are the very first place we find them in the spring. Starting on the South side of Cape Cod moving east. We talk about marsh systems in regards to fishing because they are very rich in food and nutrients. These areas are a nursery ground for many saltwater species including plankton, shellfish, chubs, grass shrimp, crabs, sand lances, silver sides, herring, cinder worms etc. As such, game fish love these areas and are an ideal habitat for bass and blues looking for an easy meal. Normally as the water heats up as the summer progresses they will move out and into areas that have a cold water influence.

Fish can be found in a marsh almost all the time, depending on its size. Many times fishing high up in the system at high tide and working your way down on the drop will keep you in the general area that the fish are travelling. Fish near the mouth at low tide and work up with the incoming. If your marsh system is smaller in nature than most, fish will leave as the tide recedes and hold in an area with deep water accessible, most likely at the mouth or just outside it. Normally you will have current flowing out of the marsh at this time and the fish will be feeding on the bait that is swept out. This would be a prime area to fish. If your marsh is large then look for fish to hold and feed within this area. They will have plenty of deep water and feel safe to remain in the system to feed through the entire tide.

When the water is moving the fish are feeding. Marsh systems can be very long and meander endlessly, like a freshwater stream. So, how do we locate fish? What do we look for? Well, the key word is structure. Structure can be anything that helps shelter fish or bait. It could be rocks, deep holes, rips, ledges, channels, undercut banks, logs, depressions, sand bars or the channel itself. Fish it like you would a river. Look at your favourite marsh at low tide and it will open up all of its secrets.

Rock Structures and Jetties

Jetties are normally located at the entrance to harbours, marsh systems or along the coast to try and protect it. Jetties and other rock structures (rocky coastline) are home too many baitfish. They feel safe and comfortable being able to blend in with the surrounding structure. Our quarry understands this and keys in on this type of habitat for this and other reasons.

At low tide, does your beach have many rocks exposed? If so, then this could be a prime area to fish at the high. It will have bait fish and predators mixed within all of the rocks that are now covered. Throw in waves crashing over the rocks, tumbling the bait and this makes them an easy target for predators.

When on a jetty, try fanning your casts. Work close to the jetty then further out. If your at the tip of the jetty (12 o’clock) look for water being swept (concentrated) around the tip of it. The fish will always be at the 1 o’clock position if the current is sweeping the bait in the current from left to right. This would be another form of a rip. The jetty forms a point and the current from the shoreline to the tip of the jetty is being compressed around the tip. The bait gets swept along for the ride and the predators will be waiting for an easy meal.

Flats

A large expanse of shallows, consisting of mud, eelgrass or sand. Its high noon, blue-bird sky, light coloured sand, incoming tide, cool breeze blowing, standing in 2 — 3 feet of crystal clear water in June, July and August. Girls in grass skirts surround you (just kidding). Sound like the Caribbean?

Here on Cape Cod, we have miles and miles of light coloured sand flats and crystal clear water that makes sight casting to 5 — 25 pound stripers the order of the day. This is probably the most exciting type of fly-fishing you will ever do. They’re cruising the flats eating crabs, shrimp, silversides and sand lances, and just waiting for your perfectly cast fly. Sometimes you need to burn up the water with a fast retrieve and at other times using a dead drift with the current is all that is needed. All methods will require distance, speed and accuracy in your casting skills.

Randy pic 2
photo John Halnon

We have some of the finest destination flats fishing in the world right here on Cape Cod. Seeing hundreds of fish in a tide is the norm. Stripers and blues come to this area in search of food. As the sand flat becomes covered with water the baitfish move up onto the flat through troughs, sluice ways and channels to escape the predators. Approximately 2 hours before high water the predators come up onto the flat following these same troughs (like roads) in search of food. This would be a good place to stand and sight cast to them.

Sun and no wind make for optimal sight fishing conditions as they cruise the flat. At high tide many times you will find them in 6 inches of water tight to the shore, again, this is where their next meal is hiding. So this would be an additional area to prospect during that stage of the tide.

As the water starts to recede, the larger fish will leave that area and depart from the flat using similar channels and sluiceways to those they came up on. This is another prime spot to fish. Normally they will hold, waiting in ambush in the deeper water for the baitfish to get flushed off the flat. My next move would be to stand close to the edge of the flat and cast my fly into the creek that is flowing off the flat. I'd allow my fly to swing and sink, imitating a baitfish being washed off the flat.

This is one of many basic feeding patterns that never changes and consistently repeats itself, tide after tide.

Beaches

Beaches are one of the most difficult areas to understand and read. Mother Natures’ signature clues can sometimes be very subtle and a keen eye and knowledge of what to look for is imperative to being a proficient reader of where the fish are at and why.

What to look for? Converging currents, slope of beach, tidal flow, wash, waves, sand bars, ocean holes, dips, slots, troughs, spill zones, wind direction, points, channels from bays, rips, rocks and coves. These are areas that all hold fish. The best way to learn a beach is to first look at it at low tide.

Slope of beach

A gradual sloping beach is probably a better beach to take the kids to then to fish. Normally if the slope of the beach is steep then it continues at that angle subsurface. These are preferred areas to fish due to its depth and fish holding capabilities.

Wash

The wash is the area where the wave crashes onto the beach and where the water receding off the beach meets. This white water turbulence is often at your feet and often over looked as a fish holding habitat. Fish can and do feed in this turbulent area where the bait is being tumbled and confused, making it an easy target for a predator.

SOURCE:http://www.leadertec.com/tipsandtechniques/Tides_habitats2.html

Tides And Habitats - Part 1

What is tide and current? Tide is the vertical movement of water. Current is the horizontal movement of water. In a 24-hour period there are 2 high and 2 low tides. When the tide is rising, it’s known as flooding. When the tide is falling, it's known as ebbing. When there is no horizontal or vertical movement of the water, the tide is slack.

What creates or causes them? It’s the gravitational pull between the sun and moon on the earth’s atmosphere. This creates tides and currents. Because the moon is closer than the sun, it has more of an effect on our tides. Therefore, we have to pay special attention to the different phases of the moon.

Full / New moons create spring tides that mean higher high tides, lower low tides and faster currents. Opposite moon phases mean lower high tides, higher low tides and slower currents. The exaggerated full and new moons normally create better fishing conditions.

Why are tides and currents so important to understand? Here’s the bottom line — fish are easier to catch when they are feeding and it’s the tide and currents that dictate this. This means the tide and current will concentrate the bait and the movement of water will initiate and stimulate feeding activity. As the water begins to move, smaller baitfish are at the mercy of the current and get confused in the turbulent water. Larger game fish have an advantage because they are equipped to feed in this turbulent water. As such, moving water is often best for fishing.

I highly recommend a tide log book (known as tide tables in the United Kingdom ) for anyone interested in understanding tides and currents more thoroughly for your area. This book is my bible. It’s what I use to plan each and every fishing day.

Let’s take tides and currents a step further. The fastest part of either tide is normally 2 hours before the high and 2 hours before the low. Most areas fish the best during this time period, but not all. The fastest of either is the falling tide; normally this is the better of the two. As water begins to push in or out, it starts out moving slowly, then gradually increases in speed until reaching a crescendo. During this peak the fish normally feed voraciously. Taking very little time to inspect their next meal for scent and realism. This is similar to trout feeding in the fast water. These tides can almost be too easy.

I’m not embarrassed to say that after fly guiding in Vermont for trout for 12 years I was intimidated by the saltwater environment at first. Where are the fish and why? How? After reading Striper Moon by Kenny Abriems and Inshore Saltwater Fly-Fishing by Lou Tabory, I realized the similarities between the two and found my doubts less warranted. With fly-fishing the main ingredients are basically the same. Presentation.

Casting

Same as freshwater, but throw in the double haul for good measure and easier casting! Mostly we are stripping streamers through the water.

Instead of entomology it's baitology: Much easier to understand than 1000 types of caddis, stones, mayflies, etc. Matching the hatch? Try 3 profiles in thin, medium and wide. A few specialty flies (surface flies, squid, crabs and shrimp). Use brighter colours in the spring and more natural colours in the later part of the summer. Simple.

Habitat

Several basic types — beaches, flats, marshes, estuaries, rock structures, jetties, bays and rips. Once you've learned the basic ingredients, its as simple as saying “Fish On”

Let’s discuss tides, currents and their relationship to structure, so we can all catch more fish. When water is moving and coming into contact with rocks, points of land, holes, islands, jetties, rises in the bottom, channels etc there is a natural tendency for the water to speed up. It has to compress or concentrate its flow (speed up) to get over, around or into a piece of structure, just like in a trout stream. This increased water flow or speed draws the attention of predators. We all know if a predator has to expel more energy to get food than it takes in, it will surely die. That’s why predators normally use this structure to hide behind (like trout ) and allow the currents to bring their food to them. Baitfish are at a disadvantage as they are unable to swim away or navigate easily with these faster currents, sometimes being tumbled. These areas are one of the easiest places to catch.

BIG bass are easiest to catch when they are feeding actively. What initiates this? Most of the time it’s the speed of the current moving the bait over, around or into structure. The faster the current the more aggressively they will feed and the easier they are to catch! During the course of a day most flats will have fish on them, but I try to only fish the ones that have moving water.

This equation works ninety percent of the time.

Moving water + structure = a compressed water flow.

Compressed water flow + baitfish = predators.

Take some time and study current movement. Seek out moving water and you will be rewarded. The only time this equation will not work is if there has been a strong wind for several days that will blow the bait out. Water temps. are too cold or warm. (55 — 65 deg. best — like trout) Too much noise created by anglers or boats. The following areas are all ideal locations to find your quarry. The best way (for the most part) to learn and understand these area’s is to look at them at low tide.

SOURCE:http://www.leadertec.com/tipsandtechniques/Tides_habitats.html

Secret Potent "Hong" Recipe

Due to a few forumers emailing me for "hong" recipes, so I have decided to revive this topic up and share with everyone. All the recipes posted by me here has been tested after some research. Everyone is most welcome to share their secret hong recipe by posting here... but of course it will no longer be a secret anymore hehe. What the heck, we are all MFN brothers and sisters... and sharing is our name .


1) Tofu and Soya Milk Hong
Fish Feed(Omega/Bomb brands) + Chicken Feed + Tofu/Tau Kuah + Flour + Soya Milk. This Tofu and Soya Milk Hong I found it effective against Rohu, Grass Carp, Li Koh, Jelawat, Pacu, Big Head Carp & Tilapia.

2) Fear Factor Hong
Chicken Feed + Blended Chicken Liver/Blended Chiken Intestines + Flour. This recipe is a real fear factor recipe. After blending the chicken liver or chicken intestines, by the smell of it will make you puke. No water is required to be added for kneading to this recipe as blended chicken liver is already watery. Bear in mind that this type of hong is very sticky and you may need to add more chicken feed for more solid molecule. Fear Factor Hong is created specially for targetting Patin, Pacu and Keli(Catfish)... of course also the Tilapia. p/s: The smell stays on your hand for many hours but it's worth it .

3) Whiskas Catfood Hong
Blended(Grinded) Ocean Fish Flavor Whiskas Catfood in biscuit form + Flour + RO/pond water. There are two ways of making this hong. If you have a blender, use it to blend/grind the catfood into powder form before mixing it with flour and knead with water. If you don't have a blender, soak the catfood biscuits in pond or RO water until it becomes soft, extract the soften biscuits from the water and knead them with flour, slowing adding the water which you used to soften up the biscuits. The reason why I recommend using RO water or pond water is because tap water contains Chlorine and Chlorine is fish biggest enemy which puts them off. This Whiskas Hong is effective for all variety of fishes.

4) Spices Hong
Fish Feed + Chicken Feed + 5 Spice Powder + Chilli/Curry Powder + Kunyit + Flour + RO water/Pond water/Aquarium water. This spices hong will have a strong pungent smell and colour to attracts fishes which has poor vision such as Patin and Keli. You could also get Pacu and Tilapia.

5) Tofu & Sweetcorn Combo Hong
Fish Feed + Chicken Feed + Tofu/Tau Kua + Boiled/Steamed Sweet Corn + Flour + Soya Milk. This is my favourite recipe actually to target huge Rohu and any Carp species. It so happened I was experimenting the left over sweetcorns in a cup bought from the cinema and I added in the corns into Tofu & Soya Milk hong concoction. Few weeks in a row, I never fail landing between 15 to 24 huge Rohu and other Carp species on each and every trip. Each time I left the pond with local anglers mouth wide open in awe as I caught the most.

6) The Common Hong
Fish Feed + Fish Pellets + Chicken Feed + Flour + RO/Pond/Aquarium water. As for using fish pellets in this recipe, you don't have to grind it into powder form.. if you grind it, it makes no difference than fish feed which is already in the concoction. The way of adding fish pellets into this concoction is just like the way how you soften up the Whiskas Catfood biscuits in water which I mentioned in the first post of this thread. This was my first ever recipe created 15 years ago.

7) Kunyit Hong
Fish Feed + Fish Pellets + Chicken Feed + Kunyit + Flour + Pond/Aquarium/RO water. This concoction is also a very common recipe used by many pond anglers. Variety of species can be caught by this recipe.

8) Banana/Vanilla Essense Hong
Fish Feed + Fish Pellets + Chicken Feed + Banana/Vanilla Essense + Flour + Pond/Aquarium/RO water. Most anglers tend to use this concoction in the wild. You only need to put in one capfull(equavalent to one teaspoon) of banana/vanilla essense and the aroma is very appetising.

9) Freshwater Shrimp Hong
Fish Feed + Fish Pellets + Chicken Feed + Freshwater Shrimp + Flour + Pond/Aquarium/RO water. You will need to buy RM2 to RM3 worth of freshwater shrimps(meant for feeding fishes) at any aquarium shops and pound/mash the shrimps up using a pounder before mixing them together with the concoction. Try this recipe and you will know how effective it is.

10) BungSamRan Hong
Bread skin + Fish Powder(enhancer) + Santan. This hong which is a common recipe to target Pla Sawai(Patin), Pla Buk(Giant Mekong Catfish) and Pla Coho(Giant Siamese Carp) at Bungsamran in Bangkok. You will need a bomb rig to put in the concoction and mould it into a ball before casting out. Have never try it out in our Malaysia pond but I am sure it would work as well.

Extra Tips:
1) If you are kneading hong from home and you are not using the pond water from the fishing location, you could try aquarium water(if you rear fish at home) as an alternative. The last resort will be RO water.

2) Never create a too complicated hong concoction with too many ingredients. Remember that different fish requires different hong.

This discussion topic is at: http://www.fishing.net.my/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6880&whichpage=1

SOURCE:http://www.fishing.net.my/default.asp?id=12&ACT=5&content=24&mnu=12

Red Hot Top Japanese Lures

(1) VIPER 110 (Brazil lure)





Might be a copy product of LC Sammy, but a giant version which is popular in Brazil. The body structure and accessories are built for handling huge peacock bass, so it's no doubt a very strong one. So as the calling power of this pencil bait, the big body can produce big movement and metal bearings creating loud and noisy calling sound.



Different from LC Sammy, this big doggie don't dive easily while being retrieved. Good for peacock bass and toman back in Malaysia, especially in windy and muddy ndition.



(2) Type1 RPP-60F, Type2 RPP-60F (Anglers Republic)





Either you prefer long slide skating action (Type1) or short step dog walking action (Type2), RPP has them both, so the angler can adapt to more situations, cover more fields and catch more fish.



These 6cm smaller size pencil are effective for clear water and high pressure fishing ground, such as the very popular Subang Lake. Smaller size, lively colour and appealing action will trigger the fish to bite reflectively.



While doing fast and short twitch, these pencils can produces high speed dog walking and quick sliding action. Advisable to use spinning tackle on these small pencils.



(3) RPP-60S Submarine (Anglers Republic)





Another member in the RPP family, and this is a rarely found 6cm sinking type. In a windy day where the surface is wavy, underwater action will be a better choice compare to the top water. Fish also will be less active to reach the upper layer when the air pressure is high; these are the time to reach for the Submarine.



Effective not only for freshwater species like peacock bass and sebarau, even successful for saltwater field when targeting tarpon or small trevally.



(4) TTPE 80 & 100 (Anglers Republic)





Available in two sizes, 8 cm and 10cm. The designer had a very clear and simple concept in mind while creating these lures, which is ?simple control, easy catch?.



Closely observe, you will find that the eyes that connecting split rings to hooks are set facing front, which have the effect of improving hook up rate. The lager volume of these pencils provides higher floating power which allows anglers to use thicker line without effecting the lure action.



With a quick stepping action, the 80mm TTPE is very good for peacock bass and sebarau, switch to the bigger TTPE 100 while grandpa grade Peacock bass and toman are around.



(5) DOG-X COAYU (Megabass)





No. 1 popular small pencil bait in Japan. Specially design to create bait fish escaping action, body will roll side to side while sliding, even some soft splashing when jerk harder.



Different from the original Dog-X, this smaller version has a round body with flat surface at both sides. The purpose of this unique design is to create flashing and indurations which are as strong as a bigger size pencilbait. Small body but with big appeal is an effective solution to attract spooky fish under tough condition. Flat side bodies also provide a higher gripping strength in the water so that the lure won?t jump out even when retrieve fast.



Logical concept and perfect craftsmanship are the two rules that you can always found in every Megabass lures.



(6) DOG-X & GIANT DOG (Megabass)





Both models are graded as collector items by lure collection maniac around the world. The beautiful snake-like sliding action of this lure was first shown to Malaysian anglers when it appeared in "Kingfisher" peacock bass VCD. It was a shocking surprise for both lure and non-lure anglers.



Megabass created two type of Dog-X, walking type and sliding type. Both of them are exactly same in term of length, body volume and design, but the different internal structure makes them swim in different style. When the fish stop biting on one of the lure, switch to the other one. A same lure with a totally different action will trigger the fish to start biting again; this is a very useful secret technique when you have both of them.



Anglers were catching peacock bass, sebarau and even in few cases, arowana in Malaysia water using these doggies.



Giant Dog-X, the big brother for Dog-X was born to target larger predator. The legendary Zara Gossa was the first pencilbait created in the history; while some people even believe that the Giant Dog-X is the perfect pencilbait which is the result of the pencilbait evolution.



This big pencilbait still maintain the smooth action of the smaller version, silky slide, side splashing, natural reflection and calling sound, killer for toman and XL size peacock bass, and already proven in hooking up toman in Kenyir Lake.



(7) BIG LUSH (Saurus)





Big Lush is a no more in production model, produce by a Japanese lure maker, Saurus, which is one of the well known lure company designing some of the very famous top water lures since 30 years ago.



Big Lush is a level floating pencilbait which designed to slide far and smooth, 10~20cm further if compare to usual dog walking pencilbait, this character made Big Lush a better choice when anglers decide to cover a wide area faster.



Long sliding action had very strong calling power during calm day. This character also allow this pencilbait to perform "half twitch" and "twitch & dive" actions, which are another two type of pencilbait very effective alternative actions, beside the well known "walk the dog" action. Some how, level floating pencilbait is not common in the market, so this one should be a good choice for those who want to try a level pencil.



(8) THUNDER DOG (Storm)





The shape and design of the Thunder Dog is very similar to the (1) Brazilian pencil, designer might get the original idea from LC Sammy. While Sammy is a polycarbonate version of another famous handmade wooden pencilbait in Japan name Sam?s pencil.



Thunder dog available in two sizes (9cm and 11cm), floats 45ø on the surface and need a litter bit more skill to handle. For those who manage to walk this pencil, it actually performs a very attractive action with high calling ability. Also come with a strong and tough body structure and very affordable price, few anglers claim that this lure were very successful in Temenggor Dam.



(9) ZOMBI BUG PEN (Duel)





The only pencilbait made of rubber foam you can find in the market, not only won't crack like other hard body lures, and most of all, perform a very soft entry while contact with the water surface, which is totally a different effect for fish. Don't be too surprise if fish rush out to attack the moment this Bug Pen touches water.



Soft material also provides absorbance while anglers hook up with a jumper or head shaker, like siakap or tarpon. Another litter secret for a rubber foam lure is that it's easy to add extra weight into the lure body to re-adjust the floating angle. Add a pair of feather on both the body side to create a stopping resistance for the lure to move slower with tighter action.



(10)



Another Amazon pencilbait for monster peacock bass. The special feature of this big size pencilbait is the high tone sound produced when the metal balls hit at the lure body, which is turn to be a very effective calling power especially for large predator.



Try work it out with short but strong jerk, the combination of sharp action and high tone sound will be very appealing for toman. While doing a standard dog walk action will wake up big peacock bass hidden deep. Good for stain and muddy water.



WANDER (Lucky Craft)





A lot of anglers misunderstood this lure to be sinking pencil bait, which is actually a jig minnow. The purpose of this lure is to present a "lift and fall" action rather then walk the dog underwater.



It is no doubt a good lure while making sharp lift and allows it to sink, follow by lowering the rod slowly; most of the bite comes on the falls. Proven successful for pacu in pay pond. Cast it out and retrieve fast with a few short jerks when sebarau is chasing small bait fish on the surface.



HAMA KU RU (Jackall)

(11)

(12)



A very unique three pieces jointed pencilbait, the dog walking action has an additional "snaky" motion, because it not only slide to left and right, but the body will make a curve as well.



This unusual presentation makes it possible to perform more action in short distance, while other pencilbait will move away from the striking area after a few jerk. Not only an interesting lures to try on but also seriously made for hooking up fish like peacock bass and also effective for Malaysia snakehead species.



(13) WATER MONITOR (Lake Police, Jackall)

(14) GOOVA 80 (Shore Impress)



These are the real sinking pencilbaits that purposely design for under surface dog walking.



The successful secret of Water Monitor is the inner structure with a resin plate. This special construction spread the weight evenly throughout the body, creating maximum momentum while "walking", sending clear and strong pulse to the fish lateral line.



Very good casting distance for it size, apply countdown method to walk this doggie in different depth of water, and if retrieve fast with the rod tip up, it can also walk the dog on the surface. A weapon for rising sebarau and feeding peacock in freshwater and proven on queenfish when you head for saltwater luring game.



Goova 80 has rounder body, heavier weight and makes larger sliding. If retrieve steadily, the small cup in front will make the lure to tail swing. It can also make a surface action like Water monitor with additional splashing.



Switching in between these two lures while fishing at the same spot may extent the feeding mood and increase catches.



(15) ARMS PENCIL MAGNUM





The concept of this lure is for everyone to walk a dog with ease. This one is a bigger version from the original Arms Pencil, calling power is up graded following the increase of body size, and easier to control too.



The small little groove under the mouth helps it to make tiny sound like small fish breathing or feeding on the surface, which will switch on the feeding mood of predators. Not too shiny chrome effect is clearer on cloudy day and dark water. A good lure for both veterans and beginners too.



(16) BITE RUSH SURFACE PENCIL (Tiemco)





Curve body with a level floating angle always mean smooth and easy slide for a pencilbait, moreover, the combination of the used of double hook and level floating position have add snagless ability to this pencilbait.



Big size body also means an easy target for an ambush fish. Some anglers may feel that the size is a bit too large, but in some situation, long casting distance and good action play a more important role to trigger a bite.



(17) TERROR (Zeal)





Zeal is a Japanese lure maker that specializes in top water lures, famous among top water lure enthusiast. Terror is a level floating lure with sliding action. Looks funny and interesting, but after a few cast, you will find the presentation potential is amazingly attractive and will agree that this is a serious fishing tool.



Well known for its quality control, only 2/3 of the lures will qualified to pack in box. Grab one on hand and you will understand that it's grateful to own one.



(18) TIN SUBMARINE TH604 (Tackle Hompo)





It is a toy for anglers, but if you really work it out on the water, don't be too surprise if it turns up to be the lure of the day! Design done by a famous Japanese angler, high tone rattling noise created by contact of two metals is very rare, proven to be a feeding bell for fish.



Manage to perform types of action, include, dog walk, twitch and dive, and even subsurface dog walking. When fish is chasing but not aggressive enough to decide a bite, lower down your rod and twitch, the diving, turning and darting action may help you to pull the attacking trigger.



(19) VEGETABLE FAMILIES (Morris)





It's hard to categorize this lure, whether it is a pencil or a propeller. Somehow it can make a short twitch type of dog walk. The mushroom head floats on the surface with the tail section hanging horizontally in the water. Most of the anglers will think that this is a joke when they first saw it, without knowing that it actually had a good record in catching haruan.



The suspending hook on the tail section has a high hooking ability. Jerk or fast retrieve will make the head spin creating splash and sound. If short jerk, besides spinning its head, the tail will swing as well.



(20) TARAILON (Imakatsu)





An outstanding design by Japan top bass angler, Katutake Imae. A very powerful lure, metal bearing inside body making loud sound, super strong calling power even in deep water.



If a peacock bass give a bite on it, then it should be a big one. More suitable for toman among Malaysia freshwater species. Also a good check lure when covering wide area in short time is necessary.



(21) TSURU PEN SLIM (Tsuru-Lures)





The actual purpose of this lure is meant for saltwater, since the balancing is perfectly done, it is as great when you cast it into a freshwater pond.



Come in two sizes, these pencil perform a left and right dog walking action. Use the 9cm one for peacock bass and sebarau. Switch to 13cm when toman is around.



The material feels like a balsa wood but actually made of synthetic polybalsa, which is much lasting than balsa wood. Built to cast on the sea, that's why it has long distance cast ability, which turn to be an advantage while doing land base fishing in pond.

SOURCE:http://www.fishing.net.my/default.asp?id=12&ACT=5&content=14&mnu=12

Going Soft - The Soft Plastic Revolution - Part 3

TACKLE SYSTEMS

Most everyone will have an outfit or two that will do the job. It doesn’t have to be a specialist outfit. Soft plastic fishing is finesse fishing, but his doesn’t mean light in all cases. You will need a powerful outfit for bigger fish but it should still be well balanced, as light as possible and still possess that all important feel.
I’m going to describe just two outfits that will cover 90% of your soft plastics fishing in both fresh and salt. Both are spinning outfits because of their ability to cast both unweighted and weighted plastics. Baitcasting outfits will work with weighted plastics fished with medium to heavy jig heads, but they are not as versatile as the spinning outfits. When you get going on soft plastics fishing, like most anglers you will add to your inventory. The first outfit is the light one. This system will cover the finesse end of the spectrum and will fish the tiniest of weightless soft plastics and is great for the weightless techniques. It should be a light, sensitive, fast action, 6 ½ to 7ft spinning outfit rated somewhere around the 4lb to 10lb class. This should be teamed with a 1500 to 2500 sized spinning reel and will carry 4lb or 6lb fireline. It will cast up to around ¼ oz or 8-10gms maximum. It can also have a small handle or one handed grip, and I like cork for the feel it transmits. It’s the sort of outfit you’d use on Peacock Bass or Sebarau in the fresh and on small GT’s or Tapon in the salt. You might even use it for Haruan in some fairly snaggy country. I know I press mine into action in conditions that are possibly a little risky but it will knock over some good sized fish. It is also a superb outfit for casting hardbody minnows for the same types of fish and it will, in open water, tackle hefty Toman and some surprisingly large fish as long as there isn’t anything to snag you up in. The second outfit is a beefed up version of the first. A 7ft spinning rod rated for somewhere around 10-17lb line and casting up to 1 oz or 28gms. This will be matched with a 4000 sized spinning reel and loaded with 10 or 14lb Fireline. This outfit will be used for casting to Toman and Haruan in the snags, barramundi and jacks in the estuaries and saltwater, but also makes a superb offshore casting outfit for small tuna and other smaller pelagic species. It will knock over some really big fish when used with skill. If you really could only have one outfit for soft plastics fishing, this one would be it. Again, I like my outfits to be light, powerful and fast action. The handle on this one can be a little longer than the lighter outfit since you’ll be fishing heavier drags, so you can rest the longer handle under your forearm while fighting a fish. It pays to get a rod that “fits” you and remember you’ll be doing lots of casting so a heavy rod gets tiring pretty quickly. Leaders on this outfit can be as light as you need to go, but more commonly 20lb to 30lb leaders are used with this middleweight. If you do most of your fishing from the shore, a longer rod is advantageous. 7ft spinning outfits are ideal, but you can go longer if you prefer. If you fish from a boat (or a floaty ring), 6ft spinning outfits are easier to handle. There is clearly a great deal of personal preference in choosing an outfit. The outfits I have suggested are adaptable and can be used in a variety of situations, not just fishing soft plastics. I’m sure most of you will have gear already in your inventory that will do the job. If you have not yet made a change to Fireline or GSP, this is about the only change you’ll probably need to make from your existing tackle systems. Fishing soft plastics and GSP lines really do go hand in hand, so if you’re going to give soft plastics a proper trial, make the change! Time to put some of this stuff into practise and go do some fishing!

SOURCE:http://www.fishing.net.my/default.asp?id=12&ACT=5&content=26&mnu=12

Going Soft - The Soft Plastic Revolution - Part 2

Before I go on and talk about fishing tackle systems for fishing soft plastics and the outfits required for various types of soft plastic fishing, I’m going to introduce a concept that drives many of the presentation techniques needed in soft plastic fishing. I’m going to call it controlled slack line.


CONTROLLED SLACK

Soft plastics, unlike other types of lures which relay on a specific type of retrieve to get their action, have built in actions all of their own. They can be fished on the retrieve, where an angler manipulates the lure, but many soft plastic presentation techniques involve freefall, either under the weight of a jig head, or completely weightless.

Jig heads allow a soft plastic to “swim” vertically down to the bottom. Weightless techniques allow the soft and supple soft plastics to wiggle enticingly when allowed to gently waft down to the bottom. These actions are often very subtle and can be absolutely deadly, but the delicate actions are killed stone dead by any tension in the line. The plastic must be allowed to fall on a slack line.

Many hits will occur during this slack line presentation or on the drop and it’s therefore vital to be ready for this. The technique is completely alien to everything most anglers have ever been taught about fishing. Keep the line tight at all times is kind of a fundamental principle and for soft plastic fishing it’s often dead wrong.

This is why I call this aspect of soft plastic fishing “controlled” slack. It is absolutely vital that there is no tension on the lure when in freefall, but at the same time, it’s very important to maintain feel and be able to detect pick-ups. Soft plastics often generate a very soft take from a fish. It’s a feeding response, not a reaction strike. This is where the line choice and ultimately the tackle system used becomes vital. You can use just about any fishing tackle system and you will catch fish on soft plastics. However, you will be at a disadvantage unless you design your fishing system around this controlled slack line presentation technique.

Mono line kills feel. It’s heavy, stretchy and blows around in the wind. For this sort of fishing, it’s hopeless. Enter superbraid lines or GSP with their very thin for the breaking strain diameter and non stretch quality. They have “feel”. In addition, their fine diameter allows long accurate casts with very little weight, when coupled to a spinning reel. This is not baitcaster territory at this finess end of the soft plastics fishing spectrum.

GSP comes as either braided or fused. The braided stuff is non stretch and looks like sewing thread. It’s very limp and supple. It tends to hang down from the rod tip on a slack line. No good for indirect contact with your lure. Fused lines by contrast are non stretch and a little bit wiry. They tend to spring off the spool and don’t hang limply, but are a little bit stiff and just perfect for fishing controlled slack – no tension on the line, but an indirect contact with the lure. The springy wiry feel of fused line will transmit vibrations and “feel” up the line. Everyone knows I like Fireline. Many of you have noted that it’s quite stiff when new but it becomes more flexy and supple with wear. I have heard many say that it gets better with age. I’m going to break with convention again and tell you it doesn’t! That wiry springiness is what makes it so good for controlled slack line presentations. It’s what gives it feel. When it gets a bit worn it gets a bit dull. Still way better than mono, but not as good as when its springy.

So there you have it. A presentation concept that drives a line choice and from there drives the fishing tackle set-up you’ll need to optimize soft plastics fishing, especially at the finesse end of the scale. This will help to explain my choice of tackle systems for fishing soft plastics that I want to describe next.

SOURCE:http://www.fishing.net.my/default.asp?id=12&ACT=5&content=21&mnu=12

Going Soft - The Soft Plastic Revolution- Part 1

Nothing has had a bigger impact on my lure fishing in recent years than soft plastics. Some of the developments in tackle and techniques brought on by this rapid development have found their way into other types and styles of fishing I do and have certainly been responsible for me catching more and larger fish on lighter gear than I think I would have done without these improvements.


Soft plastics have broadened my angling repertoire. Soft plastics have allowed me to catch fish in a wider range of habitat and a wider range of conditions. Soft plastics have allowed me to catch fish in places where I didn’t think there were any fish. They have allowed me to catch different kinds of fish I’d never caught on lures before. As a fishing tool, soft plastics are convenient, adaptable, clean and cheap and soft plastics are FUN to fish with.

Soft plastics are also great for kids. They love the feel and they are real easy for kids to both fish with and catch fish on. There isn’t really a wrong way to fish them, from static to high speed, they catch fish!

Soft plastics have been available for many years, especially in the USA, but have evolved tremendously over the last few years and expanded their influence to all countries and almost every type of fishing situation, to the extent that there is now available a confusing array of different types, styles and rigging methods, a confusing array of jigs and jig heads and now we have gone a step further with soft baits that are not really plastic at all, the Berkley GULP range.

For our purposes, most of the GULP range can be fished pretty much the same way as soft plastics, but be aware that GULP is smelly and made of edible stuff, while soft plastics are not or may just be lightly scented in comparison. This gives us a little extra edge in certain conditions and makes GULP a little more versatile. The possibilities are endless, but GULP is a bit more expensive than normal soft plastics, so there is still a place for both.

Soft plastics differ from other lures in that with soft plastics, there are usually two parts to them; the tail or plastic and the jig head or hook. The angler has to choose and match one to the other and there are many different ways to make this match and to fish them. Most other lure types come pretty much ready to fish from the box, which whilst being a bit of a no-brainer, often limits the ways you can use them.

I am seeing more and more styles and types of soft plastics and jig heads/hooks in the KL tackle shops in just the year and a bit I have been in Malaysia, but I have fished them for many years, being a quick convert to the effectiveness of soft plastics. This suggests that perhaps Malaysian anglers are lagging a bit on adopting soft plastics. Hardly surprising that the commonest questions I get asked these days, even from experienced anglers, is HOW? How do I choose the right types? How do I rig them? How do I fish them?

If this is you and you haven’t really given soft plastics and soft baits a proper trial, or you lack confidence in them, I might be able to help, at least to the point where you can catch fish on them and start to experiment with them.

I want to try and cover as many of the various aspects of fishing soft plastics as I can using real examples, experiences and photos from both fresh and salt water situations. The topic is too big to cover everything, but a little imagination will suggest many additional possibilities. I’m still learning new stuff myself (as we all should) and soft plastics in particular lend themselves to experimentation.

I’ve already posted some stuff here on fishing with soft plastics that appears to have sparked some interest, so here goes for another marathon thread that will probably grow in the weeks and months ahead. I’ll have to change myself to do this, as I’m normally pretty lazy when it comes to getting fish snaps. I’ll have to start lugging my digital camera around with me!

Here is some ground already covered in the forum.

Discussions on GULP.

The bottom reference, 6044 is the one with all the photos on rigging methods. References and pictures of Texas rig, Carolina rig and Dropshot.

http://www.fishing.net.my/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7306&SearchTerms=soft,plastic

http://www.fishing.net.my/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6812&SearchTerms=soft,plastic

http://www.fishing.net.my/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6044&SearchTerms=soft,plastic

Discussion on Snakeheads and using Soft Plastics; this one has some soft plastics, rigging methods and techniques that work on Toman and Haruan. Also a picture or two of fish caught on soft plastics.

http://www.fishing.net.my/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5602&SearchTerms=soft,plastic

The importance of different styles of jig heads and fishing for Pelagics with soft plastics. Sitck baits and a nice GT on light gear.

http://www.fishing.net.my/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7475&SearchTerms=soft,plastic

SOURCE:http://www.fishing.net.my/default.asp?id=12&ACT=5&content=22&mnu=12

Dogtooth Tuna

Dogtooth Tuna in Ujung Kulon?
Dogtooth are a common capture on jigs in 200 to 300ft of water. Rarely encountered in daylight with conventional trolling techniques, and prior to experimenting with jigging, we used to get them either fishing livebaits on a downrigger, or trolling at night.


Dogtooth Tuna are something of a glamour species brought to popularity by the fantastic fishing in Papua New Guinea aboard Brett Middleton’s Talio out of Madang. Brett has perfected a technique for teasing them to the surface with live Rainbow Runners and the fishing for them with a fly! On Arimbi, we haven’t yet managed one on fly, but we have had good results using other methods.

Dogtooth Tuna can be found throughout Indonesia. They grow big, fight hard and they are good to eat. Anglers are traveling to far flung places in search of this great fish. Those anglers in Jakarta probably don’t realise what they are missing on their own doorstep in Ujung Kulon!

Ujung Kulon offers a fantastic variety of terrain and angling opportunity. Despite the fact that it has been fished by sportfishermen for years, I am constantly surprised with what can be achieved with a little thought, a different approach and, of course, a little help from modern electronics.

Here’s a few tips on where to try for Dogtooth Tuna, something about their habits and the techniques for catching them right here in Ujung Kulon.

Distribution

Dogtooth Tuna are present in the Indo-Pacific only in the Indian Ocean and the western part of the Pacific. They prefer tropical warm water and are found in temperatures from the high 70’s to the high 80’s Fahrenheit.

Apart from Papua New Guinea and the Great Barrier Reef, there are few places in the world where they are consistently caught. This limited distribution and the fact they are rarely caught unless targeted specifically makes them of great interest to anglers wanting something a little unusual.

Description

Dogtooth Tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor) are a thick set fish with a big head, large eyes and short pectoral fins. They grow to a large size reaching well over 100kg. Not actually a Tuna at all, the Dogtooth Tuna is a member of the Bonito family. They have very prominent peg teeth, like a dog, from which they get their name. A greenish coloured back gives way to silver or white flanks and belly and they have a powerful vee’d tail and the typical tuna finlets. Their lateral line is high on the flanks and dips sharply down below the second dorsal fin. Their flesh is white, firm and very good to eat. They have smooth, scaleless skin.

The only fish with which they might be confused would be the Narrow Barred Mackerel. It differs from the Tenggiri in that it is thicker in the body, lacks the Tenggiri’s stripes and has a very different tooth and jaw structure.

Location and habits

The Dogtooth Tuna is very strongly structure oriented and is rarely found in open water. Not just any structure will do. It likes steep to vertical walls where it patrols along the deeper edges in search of prey. Places of interest are the deep drop offs and canyons, rocky ridges and pinnacles which lie in water depths of 150ft or deeper.

The Dogtooth Tuna also likes strong tidal currents. Deep passes between reefs and where currents are channeled between deep rocky islands are ideal spots for the Dogtooth Tuna.

Ujung Kulon provides abundant structure of this type, although much of it needs a good fishfinder and a GPS to find. Because of this localised distribution, large Dogtooth Tuna are rarely encountered while blind trolling using conventional techniques. Smaller fish can be caught in shallower water and using diving lures such as Rapalas, but if you want the big ones, you’ll need a different approach.

Dogtooth Tuna feed on shoaling pelagic fishes of various types. In Ujung Kulon one of the commonest bait species is Rainbow Runner. These can usually be found over the same structures frequented by the Dogtooth Tuna. They feed on the surface early and late in the day, or in rough weather, but more often they are found in mid water. If you find suitable structure and bait fish are not showing on the surface, look for them with your fish finder uptide of the structure. Predators of various types will never be far away.

Techniques


The key to success in all forms of fishing is to present a suitable bait in the right place. Suitable baits include natural ones such as Rainbow Runners or small Tuna and Scad. Artificial baits include bibbed minnows such as Rapalas and bibless minnows such as the Halco Giant Trembler or the Cairns Runner. Surface lures rarely produce Dogtooth Tuna but in certain conditions, skirted metal headed lures such as hex heads will work.

The right place to present these baits is near deep vertical structure, where there are plenty of bait fish, either showing on the surface, or located with a fishfinder. The exact methods you use will depend on the structure and to some extent the sea conditions. Experimenting is lots of fun and you might surprise yourself with the results.

Be warned, big Dogtooth Tuna fight dirty! The first run is fast and usually towards the deep water snags. You’ll need heavy tackle and heavy drags to stop big ones. Try trolling on the deeper side of any structure. If the structure is close, and it usually is, they’ll cut you off on the bottom as they dive for cover. Unseen fish have often “done us in” and we’ve been comprehensively wiped out on 80lb gear with 25lbs of drag!

If you can’t work out how to get your share of fish from these places under normal conditions, I have had good surface action on a number of occasions. Again, being over the correct sort of bottom structure is critical to success. Activity over the structure usually coincides with low tide, the last hour of daylight and rough weather and rarely lasts for long. The activity can be very localized and, if you are more than a couple of hundred yards away, difficult to spot. Unless you are right on top of the action, you might miss out.

If you think you’re in the right place, stick around until dark. Rainbow Runners feeding on the surface will attract other fish to feed on them. Dogtooth Tuna will be feeding high in the water column and are therefore vulnerable to more conventional methods.

Under these conditions I like bibless minnow lures due to their robustness and the fact that subsurface lures usually get eaten by the predators rather than the Rainbow Runners themselves. I use medium sized ones and favour red/white, but have had success with dark red/black and blue/white. I also prefer the single hook rigs rather than trebles because they are so much stronger on big, tough fish.

In the midst of a feeding frenzy, it’s impossible to be selective and you’ll have to put up with lots of other fish to get your Dogtooth Tuna, but I can’t think of too many anglers who would consider this a major inconvenience! The only annoyance is that hooked fish also quickly get eaten by even bigger fish.

Other fish which are caught frequently in the same places using similar techniques and baits are Sharks, Giant Trevally and Tenggiri. Good luck and good fishing!

A note on conservation: I believe that Dogtooth Tuna take up residence in certain favoured locations and they are consequently vulnerable to overfishing by commercial and sportfishing activities. In the interests of conservation, if I’m targeting Dogtooth Tuna, I limit myself to one fish per trip with any extra fish being released. I also release all sharks caught accidentally.

As sportfishermen we all have a responsibility to exploit fish stocks sensibly to ensure sustainability for the future of our sport. Take only what you need and release the rest.

These fish are now regularly taken with deep jigs. The same terrain and features are what you are looking for, but jigging is consistently more effective for doggies than any other method.

SOURCE:http://www.fishing.net.my/default.asp?id=12&ACT=5&content=23&mnu=12