sotted grunter on bucktail

[dyls]

Any body hooked or landed a spotted grunter on a bucktail? Marshie? how hard is it and what retrieve and what size and colour? Thanks  

 

[Marshie]

I've only got one on a popper...  In the eastern cape it is fairly rare to get a spotty on any artificial.  Your best bet is going to be in the rivers when the prawns walk.  Stick to natural colours, white, brown and olive.  A very slow retrieve with the occasional twitch will do the trick!

 

[dyls]

thanks marshie,heard of a guy who smashes the grunter on minnows at swarries.

but on leadhead i think its another story?

 

 

[Marshie]

Reckon so... you have a much better chance with small minnows and worms..

 

[Dingleberry]

If they're caught on fly, they can be caught on bucktail. Maybe try some Bang craw oil or the Gulp equivalent.

 

[Marshie]

Spotties in the eastern cape have driven many fly fisherman to insanity.    The added compelixity is that with bucktail you'll battle to match the finesse of a fly!  You have either got to get lucky or fish when the spotties are more aggressive i.e. when the prawns walk...

 

[dyls]

haha got to agree with marshie on that one, on soft plastics alone iv gone insane in swarries on the banks trying to target the spotties and then you end up picking up small garrick instead by mistake.

 

[Boertjie]

How do you know when the prawn walks?

 

[Marshie]

The mud prawns become more active...  in some shallow areas you will actually see them congregating in the water column.  In PE this usually happens around August.

 

[neilg]

You can maybe go after them when you see them tails in the air.

You then sight fish them with something like a Camo worm or a fake prawn, even a small khaki bucktail might just do the job.

Good old mudprawn in the shallows works the best.

 

[Boertjie]

Ok, im only in Dec/Jan down at Bushmansriver. Would like to see it someday.

 

[Go fish]

Prawns walking .........,  that brings back fond memories at Swartkops, I used to fish brickfields all the time whne I stayed in P.E,and in early Septmeber when that happens,I aboslutely smashed skippies,leeries and even a turtle but never got a grunter on artificial, hooked a few but never landed one, so definately not the easiest fish to get on artificial.

But I agree, when the prawns walk would be your best bet.

By the way, do the prawns still walk in Swartkops ?:fishn

 

[Marshie]

They do...  Need to be at the right place at the right time though as it doesn't last long!