[Dom Sheppard]

I have been using surface lures alot and have had no luck yet, but have had a few swirls with the z-claw.
Unlike the z-claw which i think i know how to work !?!
I know its a patience thing and should carry on trying, but i have come to a point now that when i am using a panchinko i am at a loss at what retrieve i should use, so would be greatful if anyone could shed some light on this matter?

 

[Ritchie Campion]

I was out last night and was using the z-claw for abit and personally I keep it really slow (speed up at times if you want) but when I switched to the patchinko I noticed I needed to give alot more to get a nice action. I also work it faster then the z-claw and keep my rod tip slightly higer? I also think it depends on the conditons. Best person to ask, and I'm sure he will see this tonight is Bob aka "the master of the patchinko".

 

[Tom H 2]

Less can be more - let it "drift" with the current with an occasional twitch.....

 

[Gary Evans]

I have never used a Z-claw but I totaly agree with you there Tom with the method.

I usualy fish a Dexter Easy Walker or Storm Thunderdog and cast it up current and let it come back in an ark with the tide, giving it a ocassional slight twitch this method works well when the sea is calm otherwise when its chopy I will use the Walk the Dog method with pauses.

 

[Dom Sheppard]

I think my mistake was that i have been retrieving the lure way 2 fast, i only have been doing this is because i have seen bait fish skipping the top of the water realy fast when bass have been chasing them, and i thought that perhaps that was the best way to work the panchinko.
God my brain hurts, so many lures so many tactics :|

 

[Mick Ward]

I would agree with Tom too, slower retrieve seems to get bigger fish, not always because its fishing we are talking about here, but generally a slower slap from side to side, making it long slide rather than walk the dog, definately works well on calm days especially. With a little bit of wind chop on the surface you can still keep it slow but add the odd burst between waves etc to get the fishes attention. Sometimes a metronome action works to, Bob does this alot, a nice agressive zip-zap action. I watch his lure so often thinking thats not the action I would be using, and then he goes and gets a boil or a hook up........I always think....7wat!!!

The fish in the pic below was a prime example of using the Patchinko slowly. I cast out, my phone rang so I answered it and was telling a mate of ours we had only had a couple of small ones off the top. To get my lure out of Bobs way I was reeling in by turning the reel handle on my hip....in other words really slowly. Without so much as a ripple from the plug I started feeling something pulling on my rod. The bass must have litterally sucked the lure in like a carp taking bread off the surface in a pond. I quickly hung up and landed this beaut of just under 8lb....bons temps.

 

[Dom Sheppard]

Thanks ****, u made it clear to me now, if u saw how i was fishing the lure u would prob have a big laugh, and now i do feel stupid thinking about how i was doing the retrieve! but if u dont ask, u dont learn!

 

[Chad]

The fish in the pic below was a prime example of using the Patchinko slowly. I cast out, my phone rang so I answered it and was telling a mate of ours we had only had a couple of small ones off the top. To get my lure out of Bobs way I was reeling in by turning the reel handle on my hip....in other words really slowly. Without so much as a ripple from the plug I started feeling something pulling on my rod. The bass must have litterally sucked the lure in like a carp taking bread off the surface in a pond. I quickly hung up and landed this beaut of just under 8lb....bons temps.

Isn't that always the way? Complete lack of concentration and FISH ON!
Caught so many trout while on the phone to the misses and the added bonus is...it's a great excuse to get her off the phone and get back to fishing

 

[Dave M]

True I think we often work lures more than we should. Think we look at it and say to are self when it's not doing anything "I would not eat that lump of plastic" and start to crank it about to look like a fish we may eat. Does that make sense????

 

[Peter Walker]

hi guys one rule to lure fishing top water lures mix it up .h/b watch the lure infront of you watch the action slow rolling faster twiich a lot of fish strike on the stop just as the lure starts to rise
suspending lures are very good for that floating divers a few hard strikes to get the lure down in to the strike zone as i say mix it up good luck and don't give up

 

[Dave Irving]

Slowly does it, and be gentle. Try and think struggling fish rather than lure. Just use the rod enough to make the lure work, and no more. Crippled baitfish don't cause bubbles, your retrieve shouldn't either.
So cause as **** pointed out, sometimes a fast splashy retrieve does work, but I get ALOT on the beach with a slow retrieve-especially at dawn.

 

[zydrunas]

depending on the day and hungry are they , but Dave is right ,we have to act like injured fish

 

[Marq]

Weird because in 2010 a slow tight WTD with long pauses worked really well In 2011 the Bass were more interested in a much faster WTD retrieve with no pauses I must have had over 100 Bass using that method

 

[richie walton]

just steady away mate plenty of pauses and twitches,watch a couple of videos of injured or dying fish,this is the way i try to imitate them bud,and its really helped,good luck

 

[Dave Campbell]

mix it up no two days are the same!!!!!, sometimes they want it really slow sometimes loud and splashy but i found that when you find what they want on that day stick to it, i tend to start slow and soft so as not to spook them and get louder as time goes on. The conditions often reflect how i work the lure on a mill pond very slow long slides tend to be better, in rough seas let them have it but dont forget the all important pause, a lot of fish take just as you start to work the lure again.

 

[Dave Kane]

Sometimes slow and steady, then slow with a few twitches, then a bit quicker, then with pauses. Keep varying until the fish start to follow

 

[Dave Irving]

I have to agree with Marq, from August on this year, I was getting alot of better fish by working (WTD) larger non rattle surfaces and the larger Patchinko pretty hard and fast. The same memtrome retrieve that **** referred to Bob using (not much of a surprise that Bob knows exactly what he is doing with a Patchinko!!)
I have to say that pauses are worthless around here, constant retrieves from slow wake(no WTD) to full thrashing were what beached fish.