Drop-Shot Retrievals

[Ocean_darku]

Drop-Shot Retrievals by Ocean_Darku

 

 

Hi guys….After the informative write up by neil-g regarding soft plastic basics and other aspects pertaining to this avenue of angling ,I thought maybe I could lend a small bit of knowledge I’ve gained over the past week for 3 most encountered species on drop-shot in Durban Harbour :

-         King Fish

-         Pick Handle Barracuda

-         Bar-Tail Flathead

 

Salty and myself have been visiting Durban Harbour over the past week(amidst ducking and diving port security and cops) and have concreted a few retrievals by constant trial for each of the above mentioned species…After reading I’m positive most of you will smurk as this info is second nature to you but this is aimed at those who don’t yet have the know-how J

 

Lets begin…….

 

 

---King Fish---

 

As with any predatory game fish ,”excitement” and “interest” are key to this specie and the trick then naturally would be to captivate and hold their excitement and interest by way of a FAST ,QUICK and ERRATIC retrieve.The way we’ve found to be most effective would be to cast out the soft plastic,allow it to sink for a second or two then keeping your rod at a lowered angle(which ever side left or right),start your high speed retrieve occasionally lifting and twitching your rod tip backwards(personally I twitch it after every 3-4 revolutions of the reel arm) ,then pausing a second and continuing and repeating the retrieval.

 

*For the safety and release please be cautious of the tail scutes as they can inflict a nasty cut if not handled carefully(even in smaller specimens)

 

[Ocean_darku]

---Pick Handle Barracuda---

 

This,another game specie, is fast and vicious with teeth well worth staying clear of.They do have the tendency of cutting you off at times with those vicious dentures so a little thicker leader would be advised, but on most occasions you will hook them perfectly in a section between teeth or at the tip of the “snout”.

As far as the retrieval goes,it’s similar to that of the Kingfish instead after a few high speed revolutions of the reel arm,pause a second for the soft plastic to fall from it’s path of motion and pull the entire rod tip to the side,almost giving the soft plastic a “gliding” effect (this drives the Pick Handle’s wild) and on most occasions you would get hit during this pause and glide frame of the retrieve.On continuation of the retrieval,raise the rod tip to give rise to the soft plastic to it’s original path of motion

 

*For the safety and release please wet your hands or a towel before handling the fish as these fish die easily when their protective slimy layer covering them comes off their bodies.Also please be cautious of their teeth when removing the soft plastic,rather do so with a long-nosed plier.

 

[Ocean_darku]

---Bar-Tail Flathead---

 

This is a generally slow bottom dwelling specie in comparison to the other 2 above mentioned species and hence the retrieval would have to match.For this a simple cast of the soft plastic,a few seconds to settle to the bottom and then followed very simply by a SLOW steady retrieve occasionally lifting the rod tip between every single revolution of the reel arm allowing the soft plastic to bounce off the bottom.

 

*For the safety and release please be cautious of the back of the head region where 2 small spikes protrude from either side just before it’s fins as these spikes can give you a nasty head-ache

 

[Gerhard]

Cool post.

Thanks for sharing

 

[Fishfingers]

Excellent post Ocean_darku. Your illustrations are simple and clear.

 

[Ziyz]

Excellent work, OD and greatly appreciated.
Did u manage to find a 2-man fishing ski for the bay as yet?

 

[Ocean_darku]

Hey not yet zi....with the whole festive season and all tht hoo-ha, the merry magical wonder of money disappearing has hit me and my mate lol but still on the look out.....do you have anythin? Look the thing we're lookin for ideally would be sort of a wide-ish vessel for stability esp. in the wake of those swells the tug's throw up ....i'm no expert but i imagine a yak would be better suited for this?

 

[Ziyz]

Not many fishing ski's would be troubled by a tug's wake in the harbour. You're more likely to topple when gaffing a big fish.
Wider ski's tend to be heavier, making them more difficult to transport alone. They are also slower, requiring more effort to cover a certain distance.
Have you considered a Crocker ski? It is the most stable fishing ski that I've come across. You can comfortably stand and fish of one. They can also be found VERY cheap. I've seen them for as little as R700.

 

[Ocean_darku]

Thanks zi ,wil be on the look out for one ...