Basil talks to the locals in Pomene, Mozam and gets a lesson on what exactly Fan Worms are, how to find them, and what type of fish go for them.

Size

The size of your lure is very important.  Matching the hatch or imitating the bait fish present on the day is your first step in the right direction.  Remember the profile should fit as well.  If the fish are long and thin, don’t go using a wide flat lure.  A general rule that says “the bigger the lure, the bigger the fish”, often holds true and should always be considered depending on what you are targeting.  In rough or turbulent conditions a bigger lure is obviously a lot easier to see for the fish than a smaller one.  In very clean calm conditions as a first choice, opt for the smaller lure.  Invariably it will prove to be the better option.

Colour

In clean water conditions the brighter the day the brighter the lure, the duller the day, the duller the lure.  You have probably heard this many times before and for good reason, it works.  Water clarity however is the key here.  When the water is off-colour as in muddy or milky coffee, then the Chartreuse and Pearls are a better option.   In green water, Pinks and Oranges work very well.  In tannin or stained waters, opt for the Oranges, Coppers and Brass or Gold type colours.   When in doubt a good contrast such as Red and White (Red Head) or any dark or glow colour, with white, is a good choice.  Matt colours are definitely a preference in coloured water, whereas in clean gin water, opt for the high gloss, or chrome colours.

Noise

This is an area that can be extremely specie specific and unfortunately in this area we really don’t know much at all.  A good rule of thumb is that the noisier the water environment the noisier the presentation needs to be.  In very calm conditions an extremely noisy lure will often chase rather than attract fish.  Each species is definitely very different to the next and is capable of detecting a specific range of frequencies which may be wide or limited.  Experience therefore has little equal in terms of attracting fish by noise.  Your faster moving game fish are definitely attracted to surface commotion and it is a good idea to start a retrieve with some hectic speed and splashing.  This often attracts more than one candidate to your lure and greed normally makes the job a lot easier. Your slower moving predators tend to be attracted to lower frequency sound waves and these are best generated by using bibbed or “Rapala” type lures as well as paddle-tail plastics and jerk or slash type baits.

Speed

Some lures are fairly restricted in terms of the speed of which they can be worked, so lure selection can be important in this regard.  The rule of thumb here is the rougher the conditions, or the lower the visibility, the slower the lure needs to be fished.  In very clean calm conditions more often than not the faster lure will catch the fish.  If this does not work then the element of stealth come into the equation and one might find that a very subtle and quiet presentation, although fished slowly, may well work.

Smell

Some lures allow you to use the element of smell, particularly the soft plastics and biodegradable Berkley Gulp type product.  There are also various sprays and dips that can be applied even to crank baits or metal spoons.  More often than not however smell on your fast-moving lures is invariably a waste of time as this sense hardly comes into the equation.  When fishing slowly with soft baits in particular the element of smell can be quite important, especially when fishing calmer water.  There are two things that it does.  Firstly as the smell drifts off in the current and with repeated presentations in the same area, the fish will hone in on the smell.  Secondly, it often causes the fish to not just hold onto the lure for longer, but in many cases, attempt to swallow it.  Most fish can be incredibly quick at sucking in and then spitting out or rejecting a lure, often without the angler even knowing.  The element of smell is well worth using whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Next Article

Next article will cover options on rigging lures, various ways to fish them and how to look after your lures.

On a recent trip to Pomeme Barry explains exactly how Mangrove Estuaries work and where to find the fish, check it out as Rich tests his theory and gets himself a Rock Salmon.