[Keith White]

Whilst away, I was able to see a new plug, not totally new but, in the SW guise, extremely new indeed.

http://translate.googleusercontent....&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhjjuepZe_ulHBoboSpitbozjob3Rg

The photo's show the minnow bait which I thought was extremely well made but, it had those ubiquitous words 'suspender' and 'SW'..

Yea right, lets undo the packet and see eh.

I had just showed Nathan an Xrap holding beautifully at 1ft deep in the 8 deg water and then we hooked up this minnow, straight from the packet.

Jerked it down expecting the 'pop up like cork' response so usual with this style of plug when in salt, let alone colder salt water.

But, it very much slow floated, tail up.

In 8 degree's remember, so, in our normal ranges this plug should suspend just fine or, maybe very very slow float at around 12-15 degree's and
might suspend somewhere in there for long enough to be extremely useful. Obviously, no plug yet designed can handle the full temperature range so at 15 deg or warmer I'd expect this plug to slow sink.

Aside from the xrap10 and 12 which can be temperamental (some are great, some aren't) this new SW DEPS Balisong minnow stands alone
so far as the only far eastern plug to actually claim to be a suspender in salt water and it not be a false claim.

I understand they are like rocking horse poo right now and only in a limited colour range but when the new UK distributor gets in full swing,
hound him for one of these plugs as It'll save you alot of work.

 

[Simon Clapham]

I had just showed Nathan an Xrap holding beautifully at 1ft deep in the 8 deg water and then we hooked up this minnow, straight from the packet.

Blimey Keith, where were you with 8deg water mate.....the M5 buoy in the 51°38'.88N, 006°42'.00W area, or just of the SE Ireland coast, shows the water temps to be 11.4deg at 21:00hrs tonight :? :?

 

[Keith White]

local backwater temp m8. 8 degree's C.
Measured it with my Suunto D4 and that is very accurate.

Sea temp was 9 deg according to local data.

 

[Simon Clapham]

local backwater temp m8. 8 degree's C.
Measured it with my Suunto D4 and that is very accurate.

Sea temp was 9 deg according to local data.

Thanks for that Keith, I'll let the Marine Institute know of the variance in in-shore water temps to that of their buoy 38 miles off shore......might be useful?

 

[Andrew Wilson]

That looks good Keith, did you get to try several to see how consistant they are, and any idea when Mick will be getting them in?

 

[The Squid]

The 100 version looks like the Lucky Craft Pointer SP and the River to Sea Trophy Minnow, both of which are supposed to be Susspending lures (thats if my memory is not playing me up -- which it could well be -- cansomeone tell me who I am).

Used to do OK on the Trophy Minnow -- then started using Megabass Vision 110s -- could not get the same resualts.

 

[Keith White]

Only saw the one.

However, like hens teeth or not right now...

Another one is on its way to get wet.

I'll test it asap.

 

[Nick Anthony]

Keith,

Read your blog article this morning on the train about suspenders (fishing lures for the avoidance of doubt!). Do you rate the xrap or not? I am off to the US next week and can get them for $8 each so could stock up.

Thanks

 

[Alex Jordan]

Got an email from Plat - they have some in ...

http://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/default/language/en/cPath/31_543_778_1625

 

[Nick Anthony]

Thanks Alex. What are peoples opinion of the xrap - they are a quarter of the price and i can afford to lose them!

 

[Ben Field]

They're good Nick! The difference regarding suspension though is that you'll have to spend some time balancing them to get them to the required/preferred effect.

 

[Keith White]

Keith,

Read your blog article this morning on the train about suspenders (fishing lures for the avoidance of doubt!). Do you rate the xrap or not? I am off to the US next week and can get them for $8 each so could stock up.

Thanks

xrap 10 and 12's are brilliant.

 

[James Davis]

Got an email from Plat - they have some in ...

http://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/default/language/en/cPath/31_543_778_1625

Those are the fresh water ones though. The SW ones designed exclusively for european sw lure fisherman are only available in Europe and in the 130 size only.

For the price xraps are very good value for money, bomb proof and a good work horse. If getting Rapala nice and cheap Nick why don't you spend a few cents more and get the Maxraps? Much slimer design and have a very good action.

 

[Nick Anthony]

Thanks James. The ones being advertised in the sale are Saltwater X-Rap in 4", 4 3/4" and 5 1/2". They are $7.99 each whereas the MaxRap is $18. I have ordered a couple in the smaller sizes to pick up and if they look to bulky i will just return them and get a refund.

 

[Keith White]

maxrap is a different animal altogether.
I prefer the xrap.

 

[James Davis]

Yep, the xraps do dive quite a bit deeper, I just prefer the slimmer profile of the maxrap and would work a lot better on my marks because of the abundunce of sand eels. It would be rude to not at least get one, Nick seeing as you're getting them cheap!

 

[Nick Anthony]

Lot of sandeels on my marks as well. In fact caught 3 last time out on bass lures - not foul hooked. No bass though!

 

[Keith White]

I just prefer the slimmer profile of the maxrap and would work a lot better on my marks because of the abundunce of sand eels.

Good enough reason.

 

[Nick Anthony]

Read your article about Bass eating smaller Wrasse during the day and there are also a lot of those so will try some xraps.

 

[Glen Rolland]

Am I right in thinking that you guys go through a process of trial and error to get a lure to suspend correctly?
Once you've done that for a particular lure model can you repeat the results simply by copying the changes in the weight and the distribution of that weight that you made to the first one or do you have to go through the same process again?

I suppose what I'm getting at is are modern lures produced accurately enough to be exactly the same in weight and bouyancy rather than just looking identical and therefore is there actually a correct weight for each lure model that if repeated would result in it suspending properly or are there slight variations in the bouyancy of each individual lure that would prevent this approach from working?

Glen