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Couple of quickies. I've just purchased a selection of snag proof surface lures from the Lure shack, lucky dip. A rat, mouse, frog and a tournament popper[WHATEVER THAT IS] All have hooks wrapped around their arse. Does this affect the setting of the hooks? Also they all have barbs, should I remove these and any tips on how to fish them-set the hooks on theses lures would be appreciated as there is little info on them. Thanks again Steve

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i usually remove barbs, as it makes hook removal easier, but with those two hook jobbies it isn't so crucial.

the hooks should be wrapped around their arse, the soft rubber of the lure gives way when you strike

Hello Steve, by far my most successful surface lure of last season was the Manns Phat Rat which as you so delicately point out, has the hook wrapped around its ass. I havent see Andy's lucky dip but if they are anything like the Phat Rat then you should do well with them, particularly in surface weed, which is where these lures were designed to fish.

I've also used hard baits like the Sloppy Pig and the Moss Boss which also have the weedless hook in the same place but percentage hook up with these hardbaits is much less than the softbaits.

Two reasons. The hardbaits have a single or double hook fixed in a straight line with the lure, unlike the soft bait where the hook can move from side to side as the fish turns.. with the hardbait its not difficult therefore for a hooked fish to lever itself off. Second reason is that a soft bait will compress when a fish bites down on it. At that moment the hooks that are lying alongside the lure body become exposed and hook ups become easier. Because of this design feature, the makers can afford to use treble hooks not singles or doubles... that helps immensely, but dont debarb them, you only have one treble or a double to play with and you need a bit of an advantage.

Dont make the classic mistake and strike when you SEE the pike hit the lure, chances are she hasnt quite got hold of it. Keep a reasonably tight line and lift into the fish only when you FEEL the weight.

Only drawback of course is the soft bodies dont last forever. However they are cheaper and with a little surgery and superglue I reckon getting 2/3 trips out of every lure, if I'm having good days.

When you cast them, remember that frogs and mice don't just suddenly appear in open water, Any self respecting pike is waiting for them to come out of bankside cover. Because they are weedless you can afford to cast into the vegetation/bushes and they should come out without snagging. Then you simply SLOWLY move them out of cover and across the open water as though it were a small mammal crossing the river or moving along the bank.

Fishing imitating nature. Think like a frog and then like a pike

[ 31. May 2005, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

Cheers lads I have a picture of them on my computer but don't know how to post it, or for that matter do I know how to put an ID photo on. [Obviously nothing in the league of Jeepsters]

[ 31. May 2005, 01:19 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

I only half agree with argyl.
You will definatly get better hookup rates with "Scum-Frof" type lures if you wait until you feel the fish turn and start pulling on the lure.
However:
These lures are designed for North American Bass which have no teeth and apparently work well with these fish but pike do have teeth and having teeth penetrating the lure body is a serious impedement to pulling your hooks into the fish. My best results with these lures are about 1 hookup for every half dozen hits compared to 1 in 2 to 1 in 3 for the Moss Boss.

One interesting point is that the rules seem to change if you're fishing really heavy cover.
In open water, you might as well walk away from a fish that's taken two swipes at a lure but avoided a hookup. In heavy muck and slop, they will sometimes just keep comming. So, if it's a decent fish, it might be worth persevereing with chucking lures at it.

That looks just like the one's I have Argyll. I'll have to give em a go in a couple of weeks to see if they do the job.

Ken L - when you've had a fish strike and miss, a toss back to the same area with a completely different lure often will produce a take for you. Might be worth keeping a rod with a spinnerbait ready for immediate use.

I'm a great believer in the Heddon Meadow Mouse rigged with just a rigid single and no diving vane. Ideal for firing deep into the vegetation and reeds. The Heddon Moss Bross is another sure fire winner. Once caught an 18 pound carp on a scum frog!

Cheers lads any Ideas on the best place to purchase the Heddon meadow mouse and price as they seem a bit elusive, probably as they are so good. Can't wait for the season now. Will it be too early for surface lures straight away ?