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Green Horns To Gurus

A guide for those fishing with lures for the first time or the thousandth.

This guide has been compiled by Halco Tackle Company. Thanks go to two of Australia’s foremost lure fishing experts - Rod Hamson and Mike Roennfeldt for their contributions.

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Lure Fishing - The Basics Explained

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So you want to try lure fishing. Well leave the hooks, bait and sinkers at home, because lures are pretty self sufficient when it comes to catching fish. All you need to do is tie a small clip onto the end of your line, clip on a lure and you’re away.

Lures come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common, - they’re made to swim in such a way that when trolled, cast or retrieved, they fool or excite a fish into attacking them. Most lures are made to imitate the ash’s natural food, usually smaller fish, but fish attack some lures purely out of aggression.

Generally for a lure to be effective it must be moving. The easy way is to tow it behind a boat at a speed that makes the lure swim well. This is called trolling. Watch the lure in the water close to the boat and it becomes pretty obvious when it’s working properly. As a rule of thumb, if it looks to you like it’s swimming enticingly, it will probably look the same to the fish. A good percentage of lure fishing is done by casting and retrieving, and the same principles apply. If it looks good in the water it will probably catch fish. The way that lures can be fished is almost as varied as the lures themselves, but there are a few basics.

Metal lures such as Halco Twisties, Hex’s and Sliced lures are great when distance casting is required, and they are the most versatile of all. Almost any predatory fish will eat lures. Simply cast them out as far as you can and wind them back in at anything from a medium paced retrieve to flat out. Vary the retrieve speeds to see which speed is the most effective on a given day. For variety, let the lure sink for a short time before retrieving, but don’t wait too long, or you’ll snag it up on the bottom. Minnow style lures such as Halco Laser Pros, Combats, RMG Scorpions, Poltergeists and Rellik Docs are therefore lighter than metal lures. They come in a range of made of plastic and colours and can either float or sink at rest They rely on a bib at the front of the lure to give them a swimming action and the size and angle of the bib determines how deep the lure swims when retrieved. The advantages bibbed minnow enjoy over metal lures include their greatly enhanced swimming action and the fact that they can be swum at varying depths, depending on the design of the lure.

Bibless lures such as Halco Tremblers, are generally heavier than bibbed lures, usually sink at rest and often have a built in distinctive rattle. Not only can they be trolled, cast or retrieved, but also lend themselves to jigging (letting the lure sink and working it back in a series of sharp jerks).

Probably one of the most asked questions about lure fishing is which colours work best. It has been the subject of many debates among fishermen for decades. The theories are varied and diverse. A popular school of thought is for natural colours in clear, well-lit water and bright colours in dirtier darker waters. It is up to the angler to try different colours to find what works best in their area, and remember it is sometimes the contrast of colours on the lure that is more important than the colour itself.

From flathead to marlin, there are very few predatory fish that cannot be caught an lures, and part of the joy of lure fishing is experimenting with the vast array of lures to find just what works best in your neck of the woods.

For future generations to enjoy fishing as we do now, it is essential to conserve current ash stocks. Only take what you need and return any undersized (or oversized) fish to the water. Ensure you comply with all regulations regarding sizes, bag limits and closed seasons. And finally, remember to take all your rubbish with you from your favourite fishing spots to keep Australia’s coastline and waterways clean.

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Target species and how to catch. them

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The following pages provide a guide to catching the major Australian species with lures.

It is a guide and a starting point only. You may find that different styles of lure fishing may suit your local conditions than what is described in the following text.

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HALCO RMG L U R E S

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Halco Tackle Company (incorporating RMG Lures) PO Box 1205 Fremantle WA 6959 AUSTRALIA. Ph (08) 94305080 Fax (08) 9430 5085

Remember it is important to experiment with different colours, lure sizes, lure types and styles of retrieve. “Tweaking” one or more of these variables may be all that is required to transform a lure fishing session from a moderate success to a boomer of a day.

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Tommy Rough (Herring)

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A prolific shallow water fish, especially in South Australia and the south west corner of Western Australia. They move in large schools along beaches, in estuaries and close to inshore reef systems, but are often caught in numbers from jetties and rock walls They are aggressive feeders, easily attracted by a berley trail, and fight exuberantly when hooked, often jumping and throwing the hook or lure when airborne.

Almost any small lure from the Halco or RMG range will catch Tommy Rough. Shining lures such as 10 & 15g Twisties, Slices and Hex’s are always popular. The Laser Pro 45 and RMG Scorpion 35s, 52s & 68s are great bibbed minnow type lures for these gutsy southern fighters. Lures available with Mustad Triple grip hooks are often superior for remaining connected to these fish.

Trolling for Tommy Rough is usually confined to estuaries, but the most common way of catching them on lures is by casting from a boat anchored near a reef, with a strong berley trail maintained out the back.

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Tailor

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Schooling predators with a voracious appetite and scalpel-efficient teeth to match. They are one of the most sought after species among Australian shore-based anglers and almost always bite best at the change of light at dawn or dusk. Halco Twisties, Slices and Hex’s are ideal for these fish because they cast out of sight and have an irresistible wounded baitfish action when retrieved at medium speeds.

Try for them off break walls or in holes and gutters along beaches. Big tailor sometimes hang out over shallow inshore reefs and the same lures retrieved flat out across the top will bring spectacular surface strikes. The fight from a tailor is energetic and often exhilarating, as big fish often jump clear of the water when hooked.

Trolling for tailor around inshore reefs or in estuaries usually only means speeds of 2 - 4 knots with lures such as 30 - 40g Twisties, Laser Pm 120s or Scorpion 125s. Working seabirds are a good indicator for places to try, especially in estuaries.

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Australian Salmon

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A powerful, robust species which delights both beach and rock anglers on their annual migration from the Great Australian Bight, across the bottom and up the east and west coasts of the continent. Enormous stamina and spectacular head - shaking jumps are the hallmarks of a fight with these challenging fish.

Salmon usually travel close to shore, often in large schools, and are regularly taken by anglers casting large metal lures such as Halco Twisties, Hex’s and Slices. These lures are capable of being cast long distances often needed to reach the schools and seem to work best on medium to fast retrieves.

Schools of salmon like holing up under white water on inshore reefs, and when conditions permit an approach with a boat, can turn on hot fishing with cast metal lures or medium sized minnow lures such as the Laser Pro 120 or 160, Tremblers 70s or 110s or RMG Scorpion 125s.

Small salmon tend to spend their time in estuaries, lending themselves to great light tackle catch and release fishing with single handed spinning rods. Both trolling and casting take their share of fish and some of the best lures to use include the RMG Scorpion 52, Laser Pro 45 or gold Twisty in the 10 - 30g

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Black Bream

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Bream fishing with lures is a relatively new experience for anglers on both sides of the country, but it is a challenge that can reap spectacular rewards at times. Most frequently encountered in estuarine and river systems, bream love to hang out in snag ridden areas and around pylons of jetties and bridges. They are tough fighters when hooked, and will happily break off line around an obstacle given a chance.

Small minnow lures are what bream like best, especially deep running models, as most bream are taken relatively close to the bottom. Lures to try include deep runners such as the Combat or Poltergeist 50, Scorpion 52 or 68, or sinking lures such as the Laser Pro 45 or the Scorpion 35. Slow trolling around bait schools in discoloured river systems, or close to estuarine rock outcrops or snags can pay dividends, but some of the best results come from casting right into nooks and crannies. The take from a bream can be quite savage, so anglers should be aware and ready to try and bullock the fish out of the snags to prevent being broken off.

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Flathead

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Ambush species which lie flat on the bottom, camouflaged, waiting for an easy meal to stray too close. Only rarely do these fish chase their prey, relying instead on a short burst of speed to take the victim by surprise. Most flathead fishing is done in relatively shallow water in estuaries, either by trolling or wading and casting. The fight from a flathead when hooked is relatively passive compared to more energetic predators, although large fish can put up dogged resistance.

How these fish feed determines how lures should be used for best effect, and this always means swimming them close to the bottom. Over clean sand this is no problem, because even if the lure swims too deep, the effect of it puffing up sand as it goes is a powerful attractant to the fish. Lures that suit this purpose include Laser Pro 120s and 45s, Combats and RMG Scorpion 35s, 52s, 68s, 90s and 125 s, or Poltergeist 50s or 80'. Because flathead vary enormously in size, lure size should be varied according to the fish in your area. Over broken or weedy bottom the perfect lure presentation is to have it swimming just above the weed. The new Laser Pro 45 lends itself perfectly to wading and casting in such country, thanks to the lure’s design which causes it to sink and maintain roughly the same depth throughout the retrieve.

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Spanish Mackerel

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Fast moving oceanic predators which show a liking for hunting along reef ledges and drop offs, especially in water depths of 15 - 30 metres. They are attracted to baitfish congregations and readily attack a range of shallow or deep running lures, including the Laser Pro 190, 160, Barra Spoon, RMG Scorpion 125 and 150, Trembler 110 and Giant Trembler. Trolling any one of these at 2 - 9 knots around the edges of bait schools will consistently take these magnificent fish. The presence of excited sea birds is usually a good indicator of a bait school being harassed by mackerel or tuna, so it pays to keep an eye open for such opportunities. Using a Halco Supa Snap wire trace is advisable because Mackerel have strong, razor sharp teeth.

Spaniards, as they are colloquially known, can also be caught from northern rock platforms which run into deep water. If the fish are in easy casting distance, a Laser Pro 190 or a Scorpion l50 makes an excellent first choice, while a big Twisty, Hex or Sliced will get results when casting distance is required.

These fish make one or two powerful runs when hooked so it pays to just hang on and let the fish run against a medium drag setting, rather than try to stop it in its tracks too early. As soon as the fish slows to a stop it’s lime to go to work, pumping it back to the boat or rocks, always ready to stop winding and just hang on if it makes another run.

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Tuna

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When trolling for yellowfin tuna in sizes up to around 40kg, many of the same principles apply as far spanish mackerel, and the two species are often caught together. Both are attracted to bait schools but yellowfin can be found much further off-shore than mackerel. Yellowfin tuna are powerful fighters, possessing great stamina and are capable of making long runs. Often the hardest part of the fight is towards the end, when these barrel like fish circle tirelessly below the boat.

Heavy monofilament trace is preferable to wire and best trolling speeds are in the 4 – 5 knot range. A Laser Pro 160, or 190, Trembler 110, Giant Trembler or Scorpion 125 or 150 will consistently take them.

Longtail tuna, in sizes up to 20 kg, can be caught by trolling, using the same lures and techniques as for yellowfin. When they are exploding among baitfish, and this can happen in only a couple of metres of water, almost any lure cast into the melee will bring an instant hookup, however the short heavy metals often have the edge over other types of lures. The fight from a longtail is pure stamina, coupled with extraordinary long runs for their size.

Schools of small longtails, striped tuna or mackerel tuna can often be found moving fast, harassing schools of very small baitfish onshore. Taking the boat too close will almost invariably cause the school to sound, so it becomes a challenge to park the boat in their path, cut the motor and cast small metal lures into the school. 10 - 30g Twisty lures and hex’s are ideal for this and they should be allowed to sink for a few seconds before being retrieved flat out

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Murray Cod

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These green national treasures are no longer plentiful Large scale set line fishing is one of the causes of the decline. However, the belated banning of set lines has seen numbers come back in places and a huge increase in lure anglers hunting this great freshwater fish. By and large, lure fishers abide by the one fish bag limit and a good many are totally into catch and release.

Halco has had a hand on popularising the Murray cod – arguably the two largest specimens to have been caught on casting tackle - both fish in excess of 40 kilograms - were taken on an 8Omm Poltergeist and a prototype Night Walker.

The large area bib of the 80mm Poltergeist digs it down over the 6 metre mark - a preferred depth for Murray cod, a fish that likes to set up home amongst rock and snag cover. Another advantage of the Poltergeist bib is the trouble-free way it shuffles around and over fish cover.

The bib is also a feature of the Nightwalker. In addition to providing a sound like a drunk frog to draw fish at night, it is impregnated with luminescent particles that - apart from attracting fish - allows anglers to keep tabs on the lure.

The noisemaker 70mm Halco Trembler is another fine cod lure that works well on vertical presentations. Simply let the Trembler free fall down to the cod cover and work it a metre or so off the bottom with a lift and drop motion.

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Golden Perch

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The golden perch or yellowbelly is Australia’s most widespread freshwater fish. Found in both rivers and dams, the yellowbelly has been largely responsible for the boom in impoundment fishing. Although it will not breed in still waters, the yellowbelly can be easily reared in hatcheries and has been liberated in cricket score numbers in eastern states lakes where growth rates are nothing short of sensational.

While the 80mm Poltergeist is a solid taker of trophy golden perch, the 50mm model - which can dive down to 12 feet, is proving one of the all-time great yellowbelly lures. In rivers, where fishing depths are generally shallower than dams, the Halco Combat works nicely also. It also takes trout, silver perch and redfin. Following a re-design, the new look Combat offers anglers an improved capability. The flashy Halco metallic colours and fluorescent colour schemes make the perfect choice for yellowbelly waters, which often have reduced clarity.

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Australian Bass

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Since lures first became commercially available bass have been a firm favourite. Found in the coastal streams of the eastern states, bass have since been bred at hatcheries and have been stocked in impoundments of the eastern watersheds. As with golden perch, graph rates have outstripped fish living in rivers.

Halco cater for the bass angler with a number of lure types – usually found in the top drawers of tackle boxes. Foremost is the 50mm Poltergeist, an ideal size with an action and running depth that is just perfect for bass - to say nothing of other freshwater fish.

Night fishing for bass is both exciting and productive. Nothing stirs those after dark bass like the Nightwalker with the fluoro-enhanced bib.

For river fish and in the shallow weed bed fringes of lakes, the 52 & 68 Scorpions, the Laser Pro 45s, and the Combat are sure-fire strike getters. During those doldrum days when the fish are deep, the 70mm Trembler slow jigged around cover is an explosive way to wake fish up.

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Barramundi

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Australia’s favourite lure-taking sportfisb, the barramundi was once known as the Palmer perch - after the Palmer river of North Queensland gold rush days. Up until the sixties only a relative handful of weather beaten northern residents and the odd traveller caught them with any regularity. Two linked .303 cases were a favourite lure fishing arrangement of the time.

All that has changed and tens of thousands of Australians and overseas visitors travel to the Top End, Cape York and the Kimberley region to fish for barramundi. The name has stuck too; nowadays it is a shortened barra

The spectacular barramundi, more than any other fish, has caused a boom in lure fishing and the growth of an Australian lure-making industry of which we can all be proud. Halco hold down pride of place when it comes to barra fishing. The RMG Scorpion, purpose designed for barra since it was re-vamped, has become the ultimate lure. It has a barra-getting shimmy that no competitor lure can match, creative colours that out fish the competition and a toughness that will stand any fishing test. Halco have all barra options covered with the Scorpion. The Deep 150mm version dives down around the 5 metre mark, the standard version gets below 3 metres. The sensational 125 mm Scorpion comes in three diving depths - 1 metre - 3 metre and 4 metre. All three depth versions, but particularly the 1 metre lure make a superlative lure when worked slowly around cover with a slow jerky retrieve. The majority 20 kg plus barramundi that have been caught in recent years have been taken on 150mm and 125mm Scorpions.

The smaller Scorpions, as well as being deadly on other tropical sportfish are ideal for working in billabongs and still water barra haunts.

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Trout.

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Lakes, streams and rivers are all home to the world’s most widely sought after freshwater fish. Both rainbow and brown trout readily take lures, either being slowly trolled behind a boat or more usually, cast from boat or shore. Despite having large mouths, trout feed extensively on small prey, so small lures are generally more effective. They fight strongly when hooked on light tackle, often jumping and not afraid to use the strength of a current flow in a river to advantage.

Lake fishing for trout is usually best in the early morning and late afternoon, when the fish are in shallow water, but they tend to feed right through the day in streams and rivers. When using minnow lures such as the Laser Pro 45 or RMG Scorpion 35s and 52s in moving water, maintaining good swimming action of the lure may mean winding fast when the lure is coming downstream, or slowly when coming upstream against the force of the current.

The slow sinking at rest nature of the Laser Pro 45 and Scorpion 35 can be used to explore deep pools in rivers or steep banks in lakes or dams. Alternatively, deep running lures such as the Combat or Poltergeist 50 can be used for the same purpose. The run in at the top of a pool is the first place to try for trout in rivers, but don’t overlook the foot of a pool in the early morning or evening. Other places where trout like to hide include behind boulders in the stream, undercut banks and deep pools on bends.

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What Next?

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Well, this is just the launching pad, it’s now time to seek information from your fishing tackle retailer, fishing magazines, friends, TV programs, videos, newspaper columns and any other place you can glean information.

When fishing, be prepared to try something different, you may be sharing a jetty with experienced herring fishermen who use nothing but bait. Don't be afraid to pull out your favourite Twisty lure and give it a whirl. You may surprise a lot of people on the jetty with your

Mastering lure fishing takes practice. Improving your casting accuracy or determining the optimum retrieve, lure type or lure colour are just some of the challenges of becoming a successful lure fisher person.