Pick a stick
- Thread starter duckbill
- Start date
Last week, while targetting leerie, I got a few elf and foul hooked a mullet on a clear CID Sprat Stick. All fish were safely released. I also hooked a big, feisty bugger (elf) that shook the hook out of its mouth right at the edge of the water.
I changed the standard treble hook on the lure to a 1/0 Mustad inline hook ahead of the trip. Prior to this, I've never caught fish on an inline hook and am amazed at how well they work. I'm now considering changing all the trebles on my stickbaits to inlines, but will leave the trebles on my surface lures for now. However, if inlines increase one's hookup rate on surface lures I'd gladly change them as well.
So far I've caught leerie on the Shiverstick, elf on the Sprat Stick. Next step is to get a nice leerie on my pink GT Ice Cream plug and a kabeljou on dropshit.
I changed the standard treble hook on the lure to a 1/0 Mustad inline hook ahead of the trip. Prior to this, I've never caught fish on an inline hook and am amazed at how well they work. I'm now considering changing all the trebles on my stickbaits to inlines, but will leave the trebles on my surface lures for now. However, if inlines increase one's hookup rate on surface lures I'd gladly change them as well.
So far I've caught leerie on the Shiverstick, elf on the Sprat Stick. Next step is to get a nice leerie on my pink GT Ice Cream plug and a kabeljou on dropshit.
Fly-aholic
New member
Hi Duckbill,
Post a picture of the sprat stick please. Where did you fish for the elf and leerie's?
I fished Zandvlei the weekend and initially nothing was happening. I continuously moved spots to find the fish and eventually found a 75cm leerie on Rapala X-rap surface lure.
I have found that in the case of grunter on surface the inline hooks do not work that well as you miss plenty fish slashing at the bait. So, I have also left the trebbles on my surface lures.
The suspended and mid-water lures have been changed to inline hooks and I have had good success.
On the surface lures that I have changed to an inline hook (only the rear hook), I added either bucktail (sparsely tied, or some hackle feathers.
I have found in Zandvlei that the elf bites the trailing hook off regularly as I use dacron to extend the lure length and create more movement when the lure is stagnant.
Regards,
Pierre
Post a picture of the sprat stick please. Where did you fish for the elf and leerie's?
I fished Zandvlei the weekend and initially nothing was happening. I continuously moved spots to find the fish and eventually found a 75cm leerie on Rapala X-rap surface lure.
I have found that in the case of grunter on surface the inline hooks do not work that well as you miss plenty fish slashing at the bait. So, I have also left the trebbles on my surface lures.
The suspended and mid-water lures have been changed to inline hooks and I have had good success.
On the surface lures that I have changed to an inline hook (only the rear hook), I added either bucktail (sparsely tied, or some hackle feathers.
I have found in Zandvlei that the elf bites the trailing hook off regularly as I use dacron to extend the lure length and create more movement when the lure is stagnant.
Regards,
Pierre
Dr halibut hoffman
Moderator
Inline hooks don't have as good hook up rate as trebles, that is why trebles are still in use, they do tend to hang on better than a treble though if firmly hooked. They are more prone to opening than a treble but a treble can be wrenched free by a fish if one point is in the top jaw and another in the bottom. For jumping fish with bony mouths like shad, who are notorious for throwing the hook at your feet, a small thin wire treble or fat single holds best. The big elf pros here spinning for them loose half of their fish at their feet. They are still trying to find the perfect hook so let us know and I'll pass on the message when you do!
At the moment on spoon a fat bass hook is being experimented with? Another thing is with a surface lure the action can be messed up with singles sometime, the only way to know is to try.
At the moment on spoon a fat bass hook is being experimented with? Another thing is with a surface lure the action can be messed up with singles sometime, the only way to know is to try.
Hi Pierre
The Sprat Stick I got the fish on is the one between the pink and blue sardine pattern lures in the pic. I could not find a better pic online, but the pic I'm posting from the Basil Manning website should at least give you an idea of what it looks like. Suburban Spares stocks them, and if I'm not mistaken, they sell for about R100. I also have the mackerel version which I'm sure will work as well.P.S., congrats on that leerie. Would be nice to see a pic of it.
Duckbill
The Sprat Stick I got the fish on is the one between the pink and blue sardine pattern lures in the pic. I could not find a better pic online, but the pic I'm posting from the Basil Manning website should at least give you an idea of what it looks like. Suburban Spares stocks them, and if I'm not mistaken, they sell for about R100. I also have the mackerel version which I'm sure will work as well.P.S., congrats on that leerie. Would be nice to see a pic of it.
Duckbill
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Fly-aholic
New member
Hi Duckbill,
The leerie took me far from my bag that had my phone in.
Walking back with the leerie for a picture was not an option as I hooked the fish on my medium light outfit, fishing for smaller fish. So, I did not want to walk 100m back with the already exhausted fish.
What I did notice is that the fish was fairly skinny, surprising for a system with so much bait fish.
I also did not see as many 'chases'as I usually do and the normal spots where not producing, zero activity.
I am trialing another concept and think it is just the ticket for the weed in the system. Hopefully it will give me more time to get the lure down and fish subsurface lures more accurately.
I'll give feedback as soon as I have mastered the technique.
I have again experienced the obvious comment by all, find the fish and you'll find the bite. It took me 2 hours walking the vlei to find an area where there were a few chases.
I have also become very selective regarding when I cast as purely just casting for the sake of having a lure in the water has long worn off.
I have my likely spots that have produced well in the past and if they do not deliver, I move to find the fish.
The leerie took me far from my bag that had my phone in.
Walking back with the leerie for a picture was not an option as I hooked the fish on my medium light outfit, fishing for smaller fish. So, I did not want to walk 100m back with the already exhausted fish.
What I did notice is that the fish was fairly skinny, surprising for a system with so much bait fish.
I also did not see as many 'chases'as I usually do and the normal spots where not producing, zero activity.
I am trialing another concept and think it is just the ticket for the weed in the system. Hopefully it will give me more time to get the lure down and fish subsurface lures more accurately.
I'll give feedback as soon as I have mastered the technique.
I have again experienced the obvious comment by all, find the fish and you'll find the bite. It took me 2 hours walking the vlei to find an area where there were a few chases.
I have also become very selective regarding when I cast as purely just casting for the sake of having a lure in the water has long worn off.
I have my likely spots that have produced well in the past and if they do not deliver, I move to find the fish.
Dr halibut hoffman
Moderator
Duckbill, circles work for bait but not lure..for bait and shad I cant beat a big old kendal round...once he is vas he is vas..the hook up rate on a circle will be really bad as the shad hit the bait from the side and most/half the times you hook the in the outside of the mouth as the lure is pulled though their mouth, they are trying to cut it in half not swallow it..
Even leeries and such try grab a bait and swim off then turn it around head first then swallow it, with a circle it won't work. Even with them you hook them in the side most times or half the time as they are swimming away and the line takes tension. If you had struck you would have lost them and pulled the lure out the mouth. A big thin circle would work I guess for bass and cob in a worm/dangle presentation as they inhale the bait, but you would miss a few good hits where the fish grabbed the tail of the bait..
Even leeries and such try grab a bait and swim off then turn it around head first then swallow it, with a circle it won't work. Even with them you hook them in the side most times or half the time as they are swimming away and the line takes tension. If you had struck you would have lost them and pulled the lure out the mouth. A big thin circle would work I guess for bass and cob in a worm/dangle presentation as they inhale the bait, but you would miss a few good hits where the fish grabbed the tail of the bait..
Fly-aholic
New member
Duckbill,
Absolutely agree with Halibut. Elf normally bite off the area to disable the prey and then bite it to pieces. The reason why a trailing hook with dacron does not work as elf bite through the dacron.
I have replaced all rear hooks with in-line kendal rounds and the front hook is still a trebble. I have noticed though that this setup is more effective on subsurface lures and all surface lures still have trebbles front and back due to the hard hitting strikes.
Where are you going to in the Garden Route as I am in Sedgefield from the 7th to the 14th of December?
regards,
Pierre
Absolutely agree with Halibut. Elf normally bite off the area to disable the prey and then bite it to pieces. The reason why a trailing hook with dacron does not work as elf bite through the dacron.
I have replaced all rear hooks with in-line kendal rounds and the front hook is still a trebble. I have noticed though that this setup is more effective on subsurface lures and all surface lures still have trebbles front and back due to the hard hitting strikes.
Where are you going to in the Garden Route as I am in Sedgefield from the 7th to the 14th of December?
regards,
Pierre
Fly-aholic
New member
Hi Duckbill,
Thank you I will do so. Safe travels.
Thank you I will do so. Safe travels.
Fly-aholic
New member
Hopefully.
Dr halibut hoffman
Moderator
Ey? 