[Dave Irving]

Another LRF session on the way home yesterday saw me stumble on to a solution to the little nibblers that **** K and I have had in the past at this venue. We both had missing loads of what felt like good bites, close to the bottom. But while experimenting with different lures. I made a discovery, those little nibblers LOVE small paddle tails. In this case small EcoGear Grass Minnows SS, on a 0.4g Decoy jighead. I manged three of them, and Mike K who was delayed in getting to the mark, quickly bagged one on the same lure.
And here is a Nibbler

Got several more pics that I will post up, I think they are some kind of Goby. But will try and pin down the specie once the other pics are up.
Felt good to add another species to my list on LRF, and hopefully others will get similar results with these lures.

 

[Retired]

Good work Dave. Looks like a common goby? The other likely candidates would be a sand or black goby but it looks like a common? Carp anglers look out. I weighed two giant gobies caught from a kayak last summer, wait for it......8oz and 10oz, but a protected species in the UK.

 

[Dave Irving]

Cheers Paul, Kept missing the bites on stick profile baits, and they were cracking bites. Switched to the little paddle tails, and FISH ON. Fished them sink and gentle draw, funny how much action/vibration a 1" SP can generate!!

 

[Keith White]

fair play guys. Great to see this LRF stuff testing the old grey matter.

Why do you think they favoured paddles ?

Do you think it is possible that, the paddle altered the focus of attack to the most vunerable point along the lure instead of tail nipping ?

 

[ray petch]

That fish Looks like a Z-claw to me:-D, dont you think?

 

[Clifford B]

Think you're going to need a new camera with a macro lens!!

 

[Mike Kennard]

Not sure why they attack those. we still got bites on Aji Meets the other night but couldn't hook any. I think it could be just the shape (fatter) and length (shorter) of the lures means that when they bite it they are more likely to have the hook inside their mouth.
The little paddle tails are amazing. If when striking gently, you miss the fish, the paddle tail action is really obvious.

 

[Dave Irving]

Keith,
Vibration making the lure more "visable/detecable" so more fish aware of them, Also I think you might have a point, with the tail hammering away I think the gobies were attacking the lure in the middle (at the hook point). Where with stick baits they were just grabbing the end.

Cliff-Not the camera's fault, I think I was shaking too much-Blo*dy freezing!!!

 

[Andy Marquis]

I had some Giant gobys on the Aji Meet earlier in the year, but they were quite a bit bigger than that one so maybe easier for them to get their chops round them I guess.

 

[Dave Irving]

Another pic

got a few better pics on my phone, but the batteries just died, will add them later.

 

[Dave Fitzpatrick]

Nice one Dave, I'm loving these LRF reports. That looks like a Rock Goby to me, you can tell by the strip of colour (orange/yellow) on the dorsal.

 

[Clifford B]

Not dissing your pics Dave - just a silly joke...

 

[Dave Irving]

It is totally cool Cliff, you should know that-Speak to you tomorrow Mate.

 

[Matt Newcombe]

Nice going Dave - Ordering a few bits tomorrow and getting out amongst the mini monsters asap.

 

[Dave Irving]

One of Mike K's

And another of mine

 

[David Norman]

Gobytastic :-D:-D:-D That tiny paddle tail looks similar to some slightly larger Berkly Powerbait 3.5" T tail Minnow I have in Olive Pearl. Yet to catctch on them but havn't given up. Looks like they could be trimmed down and Oh, they smell as if somthing died

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...0203507_100008000_100000000_100008000_100-8-0

 

[Dave Fitzpatrick]

Interesting to see the little paddle tailed sp's are working for you, I must pick up a few and try them out. I've been having lots of problems with lots of little bites but not many hook ups although I suspect the culprits are tiny pin whiting in my case, they just seem to be nipping at the tails.

Btw it looks like you have another species there too, that third photo is a Shanny/Common Blenny, you can tell by the almost continuous dorsal fin unlike the two distinct dorsal fins on gobies.

 

[Dave Irving]

Cheers for the I.D's Dave,
Definately bow to your greater knowledge of these species. Reins Aji Meets seem to sort the whiting out, if they are missing on larger lures.