Putting the Pedal to the Metal

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Putting the Pedal to the Metal

Author: Carl

Published on Saturday, 06 November 2010 23:54

Written by Carl Holland

metallures1 Casting metal slices for Tuna and Mackerel is a well proven method of catching these species, and a whole lot of fun from a kayak. On the last trip to Fraser I relied heavily on various metal slices for this and had good success at getting hits. It was interesting to note what ones worked and which didn't as I never thought there was much difference between brands, but there is. One brand I took with me got no bites what so ever and changing those lures to another type of the same size and weight to start getting hits had me scratching my head as to why.

One of the main lessons I learned last year was that trebles aren't always the best when it comes to solid hook ups. Last trip I hooked my fair share of tuna, but was only able to land 2. I lost most to pulled hooks which turned into a major frustration for me as it gave Josh too many opportunities to hang sh!t on me.

On this up coming trip I have added more variety to the arsenal in the way of wobblers and vibe blades. So this trip I have decided to change out the trebles on most of my metal casting lures to single hooks. By removing the standard trebles and W hooks from the lures and replacing them with larger single hooks I am hoping for a higher success rate when it comes to landing fish.

Whilst I was busy changing out the hooks I also changed out the split rings for heavier ones as well. I have used both standard heavy game hooks as well as jigging hooks that have the eye inline with the hook gape. The weight range for the lures is 20gms through to 40gms which is ideal for casting with the Nitro Viper/SOL 3000 combo.

The first 2 lures are the metal slices that I found to be the most successful for me in the past. Switching out the trebles for singles was a little tricky as I never really knew which way the slice travel through the water: horizontal or vertical? So after a quick trip to the creek I found that they flip around a lot but overall seemed to be horizontal most of the time. The middle lure is the Wobbler style of metal lure and was the first type of lure I ever used. The first time I used this type of lure was casting for tailor off the rocks below the Byron Bay lighthouse. I was recommended it by the owner of the Byron tackle shop when I visited there many years ago.

The reason I wanted to use lures was because I hated using pillies on ganged hooks, smelly, slimy things they are. That evening as the sunset I cast the Wobbler into the wash and was rewarded with fish every 2nd or 3rd cast, taking home a feed for a dozen of us. From that day on I always had a couple with me when I travelled around Australia and they have accounted for a wide variety of fish.

I am especially keen to give the blades a thorough workout as I feel these will be excellent in attracting the attention for a wide variety of fish. The vibe blade on the far right of the picture has been tested for both casting and trolling and has passed with flying colours. Casting these metal blades gives you as much distance as possible. By changing which point you use to attach your leader to gives you the ability to adjust your retrieval rate whilst achieving maximum lure action. Also trolling vibes is a very good way to work these lures and it is likely I will have in the water most of the time.

The other vibe lure is heavier but maintains a slim profile and will be used if the wind comes up too much or if the extra distance is required. I know Josh has his stash of vibes ready to go and it will be interesting to how the different types/colours go. Overall the most important thing to consider when choosing what lure to use is 'matching the hatch'.

Paul has already communicated that his success rate has improved since he has started using smaller slices and I know others that have had similar experiences, proving once again bigger isn't always better. The profile of the lure in the water is what either makes or breaks it when it comes to chasing pelagics feeding on bait schools, but isn't as important I feel in other situations. The other bit of metal I will be bringing along is some pre-made metal trace. I have lost numerous slices to the sharp teeth of Mackerel in the past and to prevent significant loses on this trip I will use them if the Mackerel are more on the chew then the tuna.