How to
use Spanyid lures for best results
Before you throw a lure in any
destination or fishing area, you must know the basics of fishing and
follow general rules for best results. Just showing up at an interesting
looking area does not guarantee you will catch fish. Please ask yourself
these questions and seek local advice if necessary.
Is this the right
time of year for the species you are trying to catch?
Are they
frequently caught in this location?
Are the tides right?
Are these
fish affected by moon phases?
Are they affected by weather
variations?
Is it the right time of day?
Is this the legal season
to catch them?
Basic
knowledge of your intended species and their feeding habits is a must
for best results, before any specialized technique or lure is used.
After that we can move onto general techniques for Spinning , Jigging
and Trolling.
Spinning
This technique is the easiest
to learn and not only applies to metal lures but basically all lures.
Firstly you must learn to cast, with either an "overhead" or
"spinning" reel, or even better, both. Once you learn how to cast with
confidence, you can spin anywhere. A great way to learn to cast is take
off the hooks from your old lures and practice both distance and
accuracy, without getting hooked up to any snags. For metal lure
casting, most people find "spinning" reels full with thin strong line
being easier to use than "bait-casters" or overhead type reels. You are
also more often than not, using a faster retrieve than you would with a
plastic or timber lure. And as a general rule, it is better to use
a
high ratio reel with a retrieve rate of 5:1 or higher so that you have
the ability to use the reel for "high speed" as well as low speed.
Always keep the "reel spool" full for maximum casting and speed. As you
will encounter many difficult days, where weather or wind is strong and
conditions call for quick accurate casting at sea or from rocks and
other problem areas, a spinning reel can be simpler to use and not give
problems like "backlash" when you are under pressure for a good
cast.
Secondly, ensure your selected tackle is best for the type of
lure you are casting. For example, if you are using a 20gm
Raider, we would recommend line no heavier than 4kg and certainly a
max of 6kg, but this would be extreme. A short strong leader is more
important than a spool of unnecessary heavy line, as if you loose the
fish, due to a "break off" of some sort, it generally happens with a
"bite off" or the constant wearing from some sort of structure close to
the lure as the fish is fighting or being landed. Very few fish are lost
due to being "spooled" or running out of line. Remember, if you use too
heavy a line, it is more affected by wind, current and always inhibits
casting distance, which is by far the greatest asset you can have.
Your rod should also be of similar strength. A 20 gm raider is
mainly used for fish up to around 4 kg with most fish being caught
around 2 kg. As the line gets heavier, your casting range quickly gets
smaller and inhibits the intended design and usage of the lure. For
example, an exception to this rule would be large schooling tuna, which
were only taking smaller lures, but this situation is not the norm, and
only experienced fisherman will land fish like this. Like matching the
"Hatch" or "baitfish" with your lure choice, matching your tackle is
most important for best results. Light lines for light lures, is a good
reminder.
After that, it really is up to your imagination.
Generally light lines
and small lures will catch more fish, and give you
more variation in catches. In saying that, the best way to learn to spin
many fish is to become an expert at one species in a particular area, as
you will then gain more experience in how to approach other species with
the knowledge of one. Most fish feed in similar patterns of tides and
time of day and really only vary with the times of the year, size and
location. Some like a faster retrieve, some like a slower retrieve, some
like smaller lures, some like larger ones, some feed on the surface,
some feed around structure, some feed near the bottom. Very few fish
like feeding in still water around lunchtime, on a hot sunny day. That
may be comfortable for the fisherman, but not very appealing for the
fish. As you gain more experience and confidence, you will learn to try
all variables in new areas, until you find the right lure, with the
right technique at the right time. With many "pelagics", speed is
often the resulting factor, and it is not uncommon to even have fish
swimming faster than you can possibly wind, so don't ever think you may
be winding too fast, as in reality, it may be the opposite. Freshwater
fish generally take lures slower than saltwater feeders, but this is not
always the case. With Raider, Sniper, and
Maniac, you will find the right lure for most spinning
applications.
Variable Spinning options from boat
and Shore
PRO-TIP
If you are only able to
purchase one outfit for general spinning applications we suggest a 4 - 6
kg matching rod, high speed reel and 10 - 40 gm lures. Smaller lures
will catch a wider range of fish species. Heavier tackle is generally
used for a more specific application.
Jigging
Jigging is a term generally associated with "deep
water", big fish and "hard work". Although this is sometimes
the case, with today's latest equipment, this very affective style of
fishing is much easier than before, and in Japan, where jigging is very
popular at present, you can even get an electronic reel that will catch
the fish for you and bring it too the surface.
All fun aside, jigging
is really only "vertical" or "deeper angled spinning". The fact
remains that you are generally using a metal lure, which moves at
various speeds and angles in various locations, to catch fish. A person
with good spinning experience can adapt to jigging very quickly. Jigging
will catch many varied species and again only requires a bit of
imagination to adapt it to different locations and different fish. It
will work on varied species from deep water Halibut, and Cod, to mid
water Large Tuna, as well as may tropical pelagis, shallow reef dwellers
as well as Trout and Bass in freshwater.
The trick is to try variable
actions and speeds with you lures at differing depths and using
different size and styles of lures for your intended species. Once again
you should use the right equipment best suited to your intended species
and area. These days, with all the advantages of modern electronic fish
finders, and the latest ultra thin braided lines and "high speed
overhead" or "spinning" reels, you can fish the deepest areas a lot
easier and catch a lot more fish than in previous years, as long as fish
stocks are still Ok that is.
The advantage you have with Raider, Sniper and Maniac, is that these lures have
built in action so that unlike other metal jigs, you do not have to work
so hard for good results. Even leaving your lure attached to your rod in
a rod holder, a few meters above the bottom and just moving up and down
in the "ocean swell", can catch fish. Don't be surprised. Also, check
out the many hook and color variations of all these lures for possible
jigging applications.
Trolling
Trolling with metal lures is
not new and maybe not as common as using specially designed trolling
lures, but once again it does have its advantages. For example, not many
fish can destroy a metal lure like they can a plastic or timber one, and
that "metallic Flash" is enticing to many species. The main problem you
encounter is that most metal lures are designed for spinning, which is
generally faster than most trolling speeds, and as they do not have a
"bib" of any sort, they tend to come to the surface and pop out
occasionally, depending on conditions. This is certainly the case for
Raiders, which must be trolled at least 7 knots for the correct swimming
action to occur, but surprising catches have been recorded here and
there. Some people say the popping action actually catches more
fish!
The Maniac however, will certainly troll at slower
speeds and will also work well on down riggers for species like
Salmon and Trout. It is much more suited to trolling,
especially the larger sizes.
We suggest that Raider is best used for
tropical species like Mackerel, Barracuda, Wahoo, etc, and that
the Single hook "fly Models" are best for this application. You will
also require a high quality swivel to avoid long term spinning of the
lure and the faster you can troll will give better results. We recommend
leaving the lure well back from behind the boat, at least 60metres or
more.
The Maniac being a slower "spoon" will troll much easier and
will also swim well in "fly model' for tropical species, and can be
trolled for many freshwater species, making it a good trolling
alternative in many scenarious.
