The tackle we use for our artificial lure angling in the estuaries and rock and surf spinning.
So we got stuck into this whole artificial lure angling thing quite a while ago. I was glued to the TV each time the ESA team had a “dropshot” fishing session. I loved the idea of the challenge, outsmarting a fish to have a go at your lure; and of course, the ESA guys were catching loads of kingies and wave-garrick in KZN, seemed so easy, but little did we know that it is a bit more difficult the further South you went. Regardless, I was convinced that we were going to catch dozens of fish down in the Eastern and Southern Cape…
I was still at varsity in Bloemfontein and Jays was still at school. December holiday was looming and off to Western Accessories I went the first opportunity that presented itself. After looking around at what was on offer, and considering my budget from saved up pocket money I bought the following outfits for my boet and I:
2 x Silstar HF-40 reels spooled with 270 meters of 8lbs Suffix performance braid,
A Balzer Diablo 8ft rod and a Shimano Solara 7ft rod, and
A few packets of Berkley soft plastics, specifically chartreuse pepper neon and pearl watermelon (cause that is what the ESA guys use) but also a packet or two of other flavours.
Finally I bought some ¼ and ½ ounce jigheads and a roll of 25lbs breaking strain fluorocarbon.
Needless to say I was now flat broke, but was now ready to whip the surf to froth.
The Balzer rod didn’t last all that long and had to be replaced after the second trip. The rod snapped in half on a cast and I upgraded it to a Daiwa exceler 9ft rod the second I got back to a tackle shop. I became a staunch Daiwa fan and also bought an 8ft rod as well as another Daiwa exceler 4000 to go with my current Daiwa exceler 2500. I spooled the 4000 with 270 meters of 10lbs Berkley Fireline Crystal braid. This would be my two outfits for the next couple of years.
Also looking at getting into surf lure fishing, Jays went and bought himself a Loomis and Franklin Platinum dropshot IM9 9 ft rod and a Daiwa exceler 2500. His exceler didn’t last very long and was soon replaced with a Shimano Sedona 4000, which he is still using today along with his (believe it or not) original Silstar and Shimano Solara.
I wasn’t getting enough distance in the surf with my lures, so decided to get myself a 10 foot rod. I searched around and opted for a Fenwick 10ft eagle GT dropshot. I love the large guides on this rod, although it was a whole lot heavier than my 9ft exceler. This rod was used on our trip to Angola paired with my Daiwa exceler 4000 reel and I landed plenty good sized kob and elf.
The 4000 eventually started to lose some of it smoothness and after 6 years of good service I started to search for a new reel that would replace my surf spinning setup.
After much consultation, I order the Shimano Stradic 5000FJ, the new white one. I have only had this reel for a couple of months and it has not really been stretched yet, but so far it is feeling awesome; from throwing a heavy surf lure, to flicking a light 1/8th ounce lure for blacktails around the rocks. It is spooled with 270 meters of 14lbs Berkely Fireline Crystal braid. We just might be swaying to the Shimano side in the forever Shimano vs Daiwa battle…
My Daiwa exceler 2500 has been put through the paces landing plenty fish around the 10kg mark. It still works fine, but the anti-reverse is starting to give issues. I am in the market for a reel to replace it, perhaps the new Shimano Symetre FL 2500
We look after our equipment and clean them regularly, this will improve the longevity there-of considerably. Be careful when opening up your reel for a good clean, they are pretty technical and require a walk-through if in-experienced. Luckily these can easily be obtained online.
When fishing the surf we use a 0.6mm fluorocarbon leader of about 80cm. For the estuary we use a 0.20mm fluorocarbon leader of about 60cm. The reason for the shorter leader is because of the shorter drop before a cast on the lighter rig.
We attached a lure/wire clip at the end to easily switch between lures. At first we were quite sceptical about this, thinking this would deter the fish from grabbing the lure, making the lure look less natural. We have proven our scepticism wrong and it has had no noticeable effect on our catch rate. (we are saving on fluorocarbon, not needing to snip the end off and retying the knot, each time we want to change a lure)
For the surf we use lures in the ¾ ounce to 1.5 ounce range. You can push a 2 ounce, but not necessary.
In the estuaries we will use a maximum of up to ½ ounce, but ¼ ounce is my favourite.
The size of the lures depends on the conditions and structure we fish. We will favourite 4 to 5 inch size lures, but will often opt for 2 to 3 inch lures when we are fishing very light.
Lure colors to use are not set in stone, but we try to match dark or more solid colors in low light and dirty water conditions, and natural colors in bright and clear conditions.
Other notables we take along when lure fishing would include: a knife, braid scissors, long-nose pliers, tagging kit or at least a tape measure (the plastic kind that won’t rust), camera with extra batteries (we use a GoPro Hero2), a phone and plenty of fluids.
Our kit is all packed into light backpacks as we often cover many kilometers while throwing lures.
Lure fishing is an art, so treat it as such. Look after your “tools”, be stealthy, read your conditions, find the structure and you will soon be going tight. Treat your catch with care and release them safely to ensure survival. Keep one for the braai, but stick to bag and size regulations, they are there for a reason. Hopefully we can cast a line/lure together one of these days.
