[James Davis]

Destined to become a much bigger part of our armoury, but how do you fish yours?

Ok, so you arrive at your mark, it's a flooding tide with an hour or 2 before high. Do you cast, count down a few seconds, twitch, reel a few turns and repeat? Do this again but slowly working the column to hopefully find the fish? Sink and draw all the way back to your feet? Cast, twitch, sink, twitch, reel hard for a few turns, twitch, sink etc? Do any of you actually let a plug (hard plastic) hit the bottom before reeling in?

Is it a mix of the above or do you have a killer technique you can share :wink: ?

 

[Keith White]

Destined to become a much bigger part of our armoury, but how do you fish yours?

Ok, so you arrive at your mark, it's a flooding tide with an hour or 2 before high. Do you cast, count down a few seconds, twitch, reel a few turns and repeat? Do this again but slowly working the column to hopefully find the fish? Sink and draw all the way back to your feet? Cast, twitch, sink, twitch, reel hard for a few turns, twitch, sink etc? Do any of you actually let a plug (hard plastic) hit the bottom before reeling in?

Is it a mix of the above or do you have a killer technique you can share :wink: ?

Most guys select sinking plugs purely to beat the wind.

One of the top plugs over here, the Zonk, is misused by 70% of purchasers too.

Tip:

Sinking plugs are most effective when they are 'sinking'.

 

[James Davis]

Yes I agree mate, distance and also depths covered are two of the main reasons and from my limited experience from last year a lot of takes come on the drop, but I was wondering if many on here work sinking plugs a lot more than I do or simply sink and draw with the odd twitch?

Any tips guys?

 

[wjmoree]

I really like using sinking jerkbaits but not primarily for the extra weight and presumed better casting distance. Some manufactures do some of their lures not only in a floating or suspending, but in a sinking version as well, and I found out that in most cases it doesn´t make such a big difference in this respect anyway: some lures are just pretty lousy casters, even the sinking versions.

I started to use them mainly for adding an extra dimension in the retrieve/action of the lure: after pausing for a while you can create a beautiful upward erratic darting action when you start twitching and jerking again. And you can emphasis it all by alternatively holding your rod tip up or down while retrieving. I really grown to like to work them this way on a rather slow retrieve, just only twitching alternated with drawing and jerking with lots of these pauses, but no cranking at all.

Had good results with the LC B’freeze 65S and 78S (only available in Japan, not Europe or US by the way), the MB X-68 Baycat, the IMA Nabarone Stuka and the Athletes 7S or 9S and Artists 80FR or 105FR from Jackson; don’t like the Duo Tide Minnows 75 CD and 90S fished this way though, but that’s strictly personal I guess.

And I don’t let them sink to the bottom and I make sure I have enough clearance… it’s expensive enough as it is.

 

[Keith White]

Rip em, make a racket, let em slide away into the depths..

Zonk is great like this.

A really nice one though is the Jackson Athlete sinking 14cm minnow because it makes a ton of noise and sinks slowly.

 

[James Davis]

When you say "Rip em" are you talking about reeling them in fast or jerking them hard to the side/up/downwards, Keith?

Are you saying that you are reasonably aggressive with sinking lures mate?

p.s anyone else watch The End of the Line of Channel 4 now?

 

[Keith White]

When you say "Rip em" are you talking about reeling them in fast or jerking them hard to the side/up/downwards, Keith?

Are you saying that you are reasonably aggressive with sinking lures mate?

Cast, wait on a controlled slack. Drop the rod back from 12 o'clock to 9 as it falls.

Lower the rod tip to the water, pick up the slack and JERK ! sometimes multiple jerks but with each jerk, the rod tip must continuously climb UP.

Lower again under controlled slack.

If it's really deep, open the bail and let braid slide between your fingers as the plug slides away. This works behind deep ledges etc.

If you feel a bump, that is when you always let the plug sink no matter what phase of the procedure you are in.

This is because a Bass may have slapped or disabled the bait and will collect it on the drop.

 

[James Davis]

Brilliant! Thanks.