A Great Little Lure For Hard Days...

[Houseplant]

Having discovered shads a little while ago, I rarely use anything else. However, I've recently started fishing a new stretch of river which is deep, narrow and slow moving and the lure fishing has been hard going to say the least.

 

Tried a black/red mepps spinflex bounced along the bottom the other night. Had 7 perch and two jacks in around an hour and a half. Nothing big, but a lot better than blanking! Definitely a lure to consider when times are hard.

 

[Peter Waller]

Hi Sip, thanks for that one. Not a lure that I was aware of but an easy design to adapt from what I have. A very nice American man sent me some soft plastic worms and numerous bits which I have been playing with. With just the one upward facing hook they are pretty much snag free when it comes to bouncing a lure across the bottom. I do know that pike dig hibernating eels out of the mud so very definately they are bottom feeders. I have had some mega pike days trolling small lures and jigs along the bottom during the winter, no reason why someone shouldn't do the same from the bank. One thing about lure fishing is the learning curve that is involved. Nice one, a good 'thought provoker'. You have done one thing that I have not succeeded at yet, used it as a technique to catch perch from off the bottom!

[Houseplant]

Thanks Pete. Fancied a bit of DIY myself - have some old unweighted spinners, think I'll take the trebles off and replace them with a small (10 g) shad. Single hooks are the way forward IMO, if nothing else they can be 'bounced' off the bottom without snagging up too often. I'm a great believer in keeping lures close to the bottom, it's not always required, but that's where most of my fish come from.

 

Incidently, the short session described was the first time I've taken a perch of any size from that stretch.

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

no zeds on it fella

[Houseplant]

No, very strange. Same river, stretches about a mile apart. First stretch is shallow, clear and moderate pace = zander city. Second stretch is deep, slow and tea coloured = no zander and generally hard going.

 

Shame because the second stretch is right behind my new house, surrounded by a wonderful little nature reserve that is litter free and I can be fishing within 60 seconds of leaving my front door (I timed it )

I'll persevere though, it looks so damn fishy, just have to keep experimenting.

 

As for the mepps spinflex, I have every confidence that it will be a top zander catcher if fished right.

[Houseplant]

Just made these up

 

 

What do you think ?

[DJMCJERICO]

I thought the same, replace the treble with a long single and thread a jelly on

[zedhead]

ive been using the spinflex for 2 years and its caught me quite a few fish, notably a 2lb brown trout and a few decent perch, i prefer it with the white rubber for pike and the red for zander and perch.

[Houseplant]

Hi MC

 

I buy the Spinflex lure complete from Harris Angling. Can't find anywhere else that sells it online and Harris are out of stock of my favourite colour at the moment. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut about this little lure!

 

The pier is in Essex.. no it's not, that's a total lie! It's a small boat jetty on Isla Mujures, Yucatan Mexico. Had some awesome small game fishing from the beach. The fish is a houndfish and it fought like stink!

[Newt]

You have done one thing that I have not succeeded at yet, used it as a technique to catch perch from off the bottom!

 

Try a carolina rig with a smaller worm than you would use for pike and especially some of the finesse worms. The weight stirring up the bottom a little then the acutual lure following about 4-6 feet behind seems to get their attention.

 

PM me if you want details. I am tired of posting soft plastic ideas & photos just to have them ignored.