Author Topic: Ok, now I'm hooked! (Read 6239 times)

emjay · « **on:** April 05, 2018, 08:30:01 AM »

I've mostly been a bait fisherman, having done some spinning here and there, with ok success when the fish were around. I've had an admiration for people who identified themselves as strictly artificial lure fishermen. People who would catch awesome fish with lures. I haven't been as lucky, or really as patient, as those people when spinning

I've been following Steenie's thread called "A learning experience", and must say it's sparked an interest in me to try fishing more with lures. So on Easter Sunday morning I woke up early to go to one of my old bait fishing spots, but decided to try lures instead. I attached a brand spanking new, Lazer red gold Daiwa D minnow to my line and off it went into the sea. It wasn't long before my line went tight on something very decent for my 8ft rod, Shimano FX 4000 and 12lb mono. I fought the fish for a few minutes and when it came closer I thought it was a decent garrick based on the shape. This would've been my first garrick ever so I was already excited, but when it came to my feet I realised it was a massive shad! I couldn't believe it! It was the biggest shad I've ever seen in the flesh, which is why I thought it was a garrick at first from a distance. With my heart racing I carefully tried to land it, but I was silly and didn't bring a net so pulled on the line a bit to lift it a bit so I could get a hold on it and after a snap, I watched the biggest shad I've ever hooked swim past my feet with a brand new lure as his newly acquired mouth jewelry. I must say I was shaking. Not because of disappointment or anger but rather from excitement, and to be honest I'm glad it swam away, as I would not have released it if I had landed it (I say that with guilt written all over my face), so it's off to breed more shad and fight another day. Go well my friend

Next I attach a CID slimbait in glow colour and after a few casts went vas on a kingie! Awesome stuff. This one I managed to actually land. By this point I had been fishing for about 30 min and was pleasantly surprised with my success rate with this form of fishing. After a few more casts a couple of surfers rocked up, so I moved away from them and continued fishing with the slimbait. My first cast in and I went tight onto something. It didn't move initially and I thought I was stuck. Then line started peeling off my reel and I realised it was a decent fish. So I play it carefully and when it comes closer I see it's a Natal snoek of about 3kg! This was also a first from the shore for me and my heart started racing again. When it got to my feet I wanted to grab it but it turned its head and his teeth caught my 0.50mm leader, which stood no chance and was cut through. Off the snoek went with another new lure. Again my astonished face wasn't hiding how impressed I was with this spinning story. I kept on spinning with another lure but got no luck afterwards. No worries though, because honestly I hadn't had that much fun fishing in a very long time. I was hooked. This spinning type fishing is sure to become a more frequent style for me! I'm already looking at a new, more suitable setup for shore based fishing. Hopefully I'll have that much excitement in the future to come

SAfish · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2018, 08:46:20 AM »

Great report and awesome catches. It is a pity you lost your lures but that is part of the game. I love fishing with lures and to see the fish smash my sirface lures really gets my heart pumping.

for your next session.

Gordon · « **Reply #2 on:** April 05, 2018, 08:49:57 AM »

awesome write up Emjay

FishStyx · « **Reply #3 on:** April 05, 2018, 09:55:13 AM »

Lovely stuff mate... I admit to not having thrown a piece of bait in years, and I always get flack from people on the days that I don't catch. "Why not try a piece of chokka?"... Nah, I love the lure.

Great cred to Steenie as well for his inspiration and mentorship.

Thanks for sharing emjay.

shu vawda · « **Reply #4 on:** April 05, 2018, 10:04:22 AM »

Well done lad.better luck next time with landing the fish.

REEFMAN · « **Reply #5 on:** April 05, 2018, 10:42:14 AM »

Great report emjay! Can almost feel the excitement! Nothing like a lure being taken on the move!

colin · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2018, 10:47:34 AM »

great read

LGF · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2018, 12:45:20 PM »

Quote from: REEFMAN on April 05, 2018, 10:42:14 AM

Great report emjay! Can almost feel the excitement! Nothing like a lure being taken on the move!

Now you guys know why we love fishing for Bass so much!

Great report Buddy, and congrats on the getting "hooked" first the fish and then the you!!

hrogers · « **Reply #8 on:** April 05, 2018, 12:53:26 PM »

Great report = thanks for sharing !!

Willie · « **Reply #9 on:** April 05, 2018, 01:43:53 PM »

Great report, this is also my next step.

emjay · « **Reply #10 on:** April 05, 2018, 04:03:57 PM »

Thanks everyone! I must say Steenie's thread has taught me a lot. I must've reread it about three or four times now. I will definitely put more effort into spinning in the future after this experience. While bait fishing has its place, there's no feeling like retrieving a lure one moment and then feeling your rod getting pulled flat the next. It's hard work spinning but at least when something eats a lure, it's usually something decent. So way less peckers to worry about

Steenie · « **Reply #11 on:** April 07, 2018, 05:19:29 PM »

Fantastic stuff! Epic story - the stuff that hook us on lure fishing! And don’t feel bad, we all lose good fish from time to time! Keep up the good work and reporting!

emjay · « **Reply #12 on:** April 29, 2018, 09:56:52 AM »

Was messing around in an estuary the other day for an hour in the afternoon and managed to get a juvie kingie and pickhandle cuda on small lures. Good fun on light tackle! Tackle used was an 7ft Elbe estuary pro 2 and Okuma cimeron 30 with 8lb mono. Lures was an orange and black Titan (didn't actually swim properly) that caught the pickhandle and a strike pro fire tiger that got the kingie. Both fish safely released

stickleback · « **Reply #13 on:** April 29, 2018, 11:48:32 AM »

Nice man! - you might want to think about changing those treble hooks over to singles (a lot less damage to the fish & possibly yourself),keep the reports coming!

emjay · « **Reply #14 on:** April 29, 2018, 01:26:23 PM »

Quote from: stickleback on April 29, 2018, 11:48:32 AM

Nice man! - you might want to think about changing those treble hooks over to singles (a lot less damage to the fish & possibly yourself),keep the reports coming!

Ya I will change them. Just had an opportunity to go wet a line on short notice and didn't have a chance to change the hooks. Felt quite bad for the fish with those trebles

LGF · « **Reply #15 on:** April 29, 2018, 01:42:15 PM »

Nice going there, see the kingie took a strike pro, bought those in the hundreds at a point in time and they always produced fish, some of my outing where we landed 30+ fish in a matter of 1 hour, was on that exact lure!

REEFMAN · « **Reply #16 on:** April 30, 2018, 09:05:45 AM »

Good catches emjay! Must must have been a rev on 8lb and a 7ft rod. I also have one of those Estuary pro rods, have always questioned whether it would break on a 1kg fish - feels so flimsy and wonky.

Looks like a Juvenile Big eye Kingfish, you can see the vague vertical stripes on it.

emjay · « **Reply #17 on:** April 30, 2018, 01:40:59 PM »

Quote from: REEFMAN on April 30, 2018, 09:05:45 AM

Good catches emjay! Must must have been a rev on 8lb and a 7ft rod. I also have one of those Estuary pro rods, have always questioned whether it would break on a 1kg fish - feels so flimsy and wonky.

Looks like a Juvenile Big eye Kingfish, you can see the vague vertical stripes on it.

Thanks! Do you have the estuary pro 1 or 2? I had a 1 and I felt the same about whether it would hold up. Felt like it would break at the reel seat, but this estuary pro 2 is much better quality in my mind. Very good value for money I rate. Think I only paid about R250 to R300 for it a couple of years ago

REEFMAN · « **Reply #18 on:** April 30, 2018, 02:02:00 PM »

Mine is an old one, so probably the 1. And YES! exactly that problem... like it was going to break at the reel seat! I caught a few 500g Grunter on mine in the Umfolozi estuary on camo worm a few years ago - I swear I thought the rod was going to come apart! Funny as heck and never used it again!

emjay · « **Reply #19 on:** April 30, 2018, 03:54:17 PM »

Quote from: REEFMAN on April 30, 2018, 02:02:00 PM

Mine is an old one, so probably the 1. And YES! exactly that problem... like it was going to break at the reel seat! I caught a few 500g Grunter on mine in the Umfolozi estuary on camo worm a few years ago - I swear I thought the rod was going to come apart! Funny as heck and never used it again!

That's terrible! I think a pick n pay special is of better build quality. Felt like the blank was barely connected to the reel seat. I got rid of the rod before it could break. Think I sold it to a pawn shop in the end