Surf fishing lure observation.

[DougieK]

Hi Guys,

As a few of you know or have figured out, CarlG and I are on a freaking mission to get a land based king. I have been spinning rock ledges once or twice a week for 10+ hours pretty much since mid January, sometimes getting out more often.

In the past month, 100% of the fish i've hooked off the rocks on lure have come on plain chrome metal lures. No colors, no glow in the dark strips, no fancy actions. No hardbodies, soft plastics, poppers etc.

Last week it was sambo and couta, this week snook, previously I picked up a slimy on a 40g halco twister.

All the $ of rapala hardbodies and halco roosters and so forth aside, quite literally 100% of the hits have come on plain chrome lures.

Any ideas on why this is?

[Scraglor]

Might just be a case of match the hatch? and the baitfish everything is currently feeding on are just plain silver fish? TBH, if I had a question about fish, and surf lures, I would be hoping for you or carl to reply, so if you guys dont know, I dont like our chances of figuring it out for certain haha.

[DougieK]

Yes and no. The bait fish look more like a green lazer 50 or sometimes a gillies baitfish 40 in white. I take literally 30+ different lures with me when we do this, cast each one a dozen times and change.

Xraps, poppers, four differnt plastics, a dozen different slugs, and the shiny chrome one is doing aaaaalllllll the damage.

[Mishachief]

my father used to just grab teaspoons from the kitchen draw... drill a hole each end.. attach treble to spoon end.. and use them to catch his salmon and tailor in the surf..made mum real happy too

perhaps just the metal lure as you say.. but maybe before it.. something absorptive like a small bit of dish sponge? with gulp recharge soaked in it?


i think when you over think things.. is where you start missing the fish.. all ive ever seen rex hunt.. geoff wilson and the likes of those guys do.. was k.i.s.s. - keep it simple stupid, princicple.

[Nude up]

What were the light conditions like maybe they see the reflections the water is pretty clear where you are. I take it the lures are being ripped at high speeds unlike the xraps depending on the size also at depth, depending on the size of the halco roosters I am suprised the salmon didnt give them a crack as for couta they will attack anything silver.
If you are having success with the plain silver lures have you checked out ones called sea iron I like the look of them

[seephil]

For your Xraps Doug, do they have to be retrieved/trolled at a certain speed? Meaning can you cast it far enough to dive to the designated depth at the right speed?
As Scraglor mentioned, you and Carl would be the guys I'd go to for surf fishing advice.

[Nude up]

Have you tried the xxx raps they are better for casting distance than mormal x raps

[cobby]

X raps need speed. 5km/h and they start moving alright. Don't know if you'd get that sort of speed constantly cast/retrieving.

[ducky]

If the plain chrome lures are doing the trick have a go at the busted 45's

[CarlG]

Have you tried the xxx raps they are better for casting distance than mormal x raps

Yup, those, williamson poppers, an absolute host of slugs, threw a richter plug quite a bit today, watched a pike move up quick, then swerve off..no takers.
I totally agree about the water clarity, but all the captures have not been in bright daylight, which is when I'd normally think about chrome lures..
Ps Doug, you forgot about the slimy last week....that was a novelty.