How often do you change a lure?

[malevans]

Fishing with my favoured and proven Toby I had a salmon hit the lure on 5 out of 6 casts, after the sixth cast the fish ceased to respond. We returned to the pool and my mate put the toby through again several times.....nothing doing, fish never appeared. I then ran a brown trout rapala through (first time I have ever used this on the river in question) first cast.....and Yabba Dabba Dooo00000000000000

[Steve Burke]

Newt:

All I'm really looking for with the 'search' lure is signs of activity so a bump or a follow is as good an indication as a take. I figure if the fish will follow a white spoon but not strike then they are there and active and it is just up to me to figure out what will temp them even further.

I couldn't agree more. There are times when you've had a follow that changing to another completely different type of lure can pay off, rather than just a different type or speed of retrieve or a change of colour.

 

Sometimes it's a lure that works faster, but I'll usually try something slower to begin with.

 

I especially find plastic shad type lures like Masterline Head Cases to be effective then. They also work well for bonus fish when you've creamed off the active fish from an area and you stop getting takes.

 

However, I haven't found the latter so good as fast-moving lures like spoons for searching an area for active fish.

 

Of course you can fish spoons pretty slowly as well, but then of course you don't cover the water so quickly, and so it can take longer to find pockets of fish.

 

Like Newt I'm a confirmed line watcher especially where the line enters the water. Alternatively I watch the rod tip. Even with braid you'll not feel every take that you see on the line or rod tip. In the days when I used mono and glass rods I often used a rod with a quivertip for spotting these soft takes.

 

I don't use multipliers, but feel the rod for bites by putting my forefinger on the blank. However, to do so you need a short foregrip above the reel seat, and so all my rods are made like this.

[The Flying Tench]

I'm a bit worried by this feeling the line/rod for bites because I've got to admit I've never caught a fish spinning where the take wasn't absolutely obvious. I take comfort from Newt's comment that with the type of lures I use (spinners, mainly mepps, and plugs - floating/divers) the strikes will usually be obvious, but the next thing I'm going to try is small soft plastic jigs for perch, which presumably come in the category where I've got to start feeling for bites.

 

I'm ashamed to say I've never used a spoon at all! What should I start with to search the water for perch?

[Newt]

johnclarke - fishing the soft plastics is like any other activity. You get better as you do it more.

 

Just being aware that a strange bump or line twitch or 'mushy' feel might indicate a fish and you should strike will help. As you get more experience you will notice even more. Strikes are free with your license so no harm in striking when the lure touches a bit of weed or something. Doesn't cost you any extra cash.

 

When you switch back to the mepps, you'll probably be amazed at how many more takes you get. Not that the fish behave any differently but just that you will notice more.

 

Since it doesn't hurt the fish when they try and spit, the learning process is pretty harmless and for me anyway, lots of fun.

 

[ 11. March 2004, 03:27 AM: Message edited by: Newt ]