Catching cob on rapala (not as easy as many say or is it?)

[VATIKAKI]

I am going down to sandspit one of these days to try my hand again at catching cob on rapala. What I have heard is that the guys have allot of success lately. This will be my fourth  time in trying to land my first cobby. We try to catch them on rapala, but didn't have any luck so far in doing so.


If there is anyone that would be so kind in giving me a few pointers on how this should be done, it would really be appreciated.


At the moment I am using the mullet coloured rapala on a short steel trace of about 30cm and the middle hook of the rapala is weighted. Some guys say you need to retrieve fast other say slow, some say on the bottom others say just below the surface.


This means that I am stuck and not sure what I should be doing. I will be going at night an hour before dead low and will probably fish for 3-4 hours throwing the rapala out to the sandbank and retrieve it back through some deeper water.


Any tips and tricks or even things that I am doing wrong will help so that I don't have to go back home with a mombakkie and a heavy head weighing on my shoulders of again not being successful.


Does the moon have a great effect on them biting or not? As I said we mainly go at night.


Thank you

[Zetti]

Hi
 
The only success I have ever had catching kob on artificials was in Henties with Havoc lures, I know some EC guys also have good success with Havocs. We used a very slow retrieve. If I'm not mistaken the havoc lures are locally made somewhere in the EC.
 
The havoc lures also have weighted hooks (both hooks), so I assume pretty much the same as the rapala you described.
 
I have also read quite a few posts (haven't tried myself yet) about cathing kob with s-bend spoons, slowly retrieved so that the spoon bumps againts the bottom. This seems to be the way to go as everyone always suggests this.
 
I would also try a bucktail jig, bouncing this off the bottom, this also seems to work like a charm. 
 
So, based on everything I have learnt from the guys in the know I would say a slow retrieve close to the bottom is best for kob.

[keane]

Hi Vati, I have heard that guys have been getting  kob on rapala, I have not tried myself, mainly because of the safety issues. A lot of success has been on the Goldfish Rapala. If you are there in the early hours of the morning and fishing into sunrise, then theres a chance you could also hook into a garrick as some have been taken on rapala. Good luck.

[REEFMAN]

Some articles to help you...

http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,4517.0.html

http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,5164.0.html