Latest@ TT / Zman Backwater Bassin Breaming TT Lures Spinnerbaits Trout on Blades Soft Plastics 101 - Crustaceans Softies in the Surf
Latest@TTLures If you re looking for a specialist jighead to fish a particular technique, weedless, slow sink, finesse hidden weight TT Lures has the largest range of jigheads in Australia, including specialist heads like the HWS (Hidden Weight System), SWS (Snagless Weight System), War Head, Slick Jig, Depth Charge, Snake Head and more. If you re looking for a quality alternative rigging option, check out www.ttlures.com.au, and order through your local TT Lures stockist. Speaking of specialist jigheads, a jighead that has been creating a fair bit of interest of late is the TT Lures Rev Head. The Rev Head features a small blade mounted on the underside of the jighead that creates flash and vibration, attracting fish and triggering strikes. The Rev Head is available in arange of sizes to suit bass, redfin, trout and flathead,through to a HD version, up to 1oz in weight, that is ideal for targeting offshore speedsters and reef species. 2.5 GrubZ are still going off as the bream season kicks into full swing. There are 8 colours in the range and they will all work on their day. 4 StreakZ Curly TailZ have now become a go-to for many anglers and what started as a great flatty lure is quickly making it s mark on the bass, snapper, jew and big bream. With the success of the 1/4oz Zman Chatterbait Mini, two new colours have been added to the range - Chartreuse and Chartreuse / White. That makes seven colours in the range. This smaller profile Chatterbait has been proving deadly on bass, golden perch, saratoga and cod. Our pro anglers have also been stirring up the grunter bream, mangrove jack and barra on this deadly lure that combines the erratic action of a hardbody, profile, pulse and water movement of a lead jig and flash and vibration of a spinnerbait. Latest@ZMan
By Owen McPaul Naturally anybody that has what I refer to as a fishing addiction will have one particular species that they dedicate the majority of their time to. This species for me is without a doubt the Australian wild river bass. It is a species that I am very passionate about and I spend every spare second I have trying to fool these freshwater bruisers into taking a lure. They tend to hit like a steam train and always give 110%... not to mention the areas where they are found are generally secluded, breathtaking spots that make the journey to chase the wild river bass all the more exciting. Whether you are a recreational or tournament angler there is always room for improvement and in the search for that trophy fish and I have recently turned to TT Lures and ZMan gear to help me out.
On a recent trip to Danjeera Dam on the south coast of NSW for my first attempt at the ABT Bass Electric Series, I found myself out of my comfort zone. Having only fished one dam in the past I was finding out how different it was compared to fishing a river or stream. After struggling for most of the session, with only the odd small fish here and there, I knew it was going to take something super special for me to be able to weigh in. Fortunately for me I had it in my arsenal the ZMan 3 MinnowZ in Houdini. I rigged the MinnowZ on a TT Lures 3/8oz jighead, positioned the boat close to the bank and started to make long parallel casts targeting the 30 drop off on the edge of the weed bank. Knowing that Zman plastics were a naturally buoyant plastic, I was able to allow the MinnowZ to do all the work as it swam to the bottom, watching for any strike on the drop. I would then follow this with two violent jerks and a steady slow roll, before repeating the process again. It was a successful combination that had me starting to pull bigger fish quite frequently. After a short period of time I had myself a bag that I was happy with. As there wasn t much time left on the clock I worked my way slowly back to the weigh-in. It was a great result for me, finishing 2nd on the day. It was at that point I knew I had found something special in the TT Lures and ZMan range of products and I now continue to work with this gear on a regular basis.
Since Danjeera I have been fishing with the ZMan range in my local river and have started to use a lot of the 1/4oz and 3/8oz Chatterbaits. These have been by far the most impressive lures I had found so far and they have accounted for 4 bass at the 50cm mark or better during my last two sessions. Casting ZMan Chatterbaits at structure, I have been letting them settle into the snag and then giving them a quick hop, followed by a slow retrieve with the occasional hop and pause in between. This technique has seen quality bass line up to hit the lure and the Chatterbait has become by far my favourite fishing tool. Thanks TT Lures and ZMan for producing some out of this world products. I m sure any angler fishing with these products will have the same success and I look forward to fishing more of these products into the future. Remember the bass closed season and switch to the impoundments until the rivers reopen again.
By Matt Reeves Breaming can be hard and you may spend long hours on the water targeting them, but when you do get the hang of it, it can be very rewarding, especially when competing in tournaments across the country! The first thing to look for when specifically targeting bream is structure. This can include pontoons, breakwalls, boat hulls, overhanging trees and bridge pylons. They all produce some very exceptional fish! I generally run 2-6lb braid with a 4-8lb fluorocarbon leader. When the water is very clear, go as light as possible so you are less likely to spook the bream, as they can become very finicky in the clearer water. On the other hand, when fishing heavy structure, such as oyster racks and bridge pylons, I normally upgrade my leader size to a 6lb minimum to prevent bust-offs.
When you start off breaming don t go and buy every lure in the shop, like I did, just because it looks good. Pick a few things and see how they go and if they don t work then try different lures. Lures with a lot of action are very good such as grub style plastics. The tail on these things will shake and curl with the slightest twitch of the rod tip and that is what will cause a bream to hammer a lure. Scenting a lure with Dizzy s tournament scent will make bream hold onto the lure for longer periods of time allowing you to set the hook! Bream can be found in very shallow water during the warmer months and this is my favourite time to target bream with walk the dog style lures. Bream are usually found on sand flats with scattered weed patches. Using surface lures can be very productive if worked correctly. Pumping your wrist back and forward with a lot of pauses will imitate a fleeing prawn and entice a hungry bream to nail your lure. When using topwater lures while breaming, a nylon leader will float on the surface, therefore it will not disrupt the action of the lure. Using a fluorocarbon leader will still work but will decrease the action of the lure. Another deadly technique for targeting bream is using soft plastics. ZMan 2.5 GrubZ cast hard up against rockwalls is a go to technique for many people and it works. As the tail flutters down past boulders and rock crevasses it s not unlikely for a big bream to have you in a snag before you even manage to wind up the slack of your line. When breaming this particular structure, get ready to hook the fish and drag it out before it busts you off. This structure requires the COME HERE gear! When specifically targeting big bream it s not a bad idea to up your lure size to a 3-4, such as the ZMan 4 StreakZ Curly TailZ. Small lures such as the 2.5 GrubZ can still catch bigger bream, but using bigger lures will cut down on the smaller fish and you will see a lot more big fish, plus a by-catch of flathead, tailor, leatherjacket etc.
Owning a boat or kayak will make the hunt for bream a lot easier. The general layout in a bream boat will consist of a front and back casting platform and an electric motor mounted on the front of a boat to keep you positioned in the perfect spot. Adding a live well to a boat is very helpful for keeping the bream alive and making for a perfect release after a few photos or course. Kayak fishing for bream is also very good as it can make for a stealthy approach into that perfect spot where a boat just couldn t go. When setting up a fishing kayak, one or two rod holders are very handy, along with some dry storage. If you re looking at giving bream fishing ago it can be very rewarding. There are a number of ways to target them, so don t give up! Being patient and persisting are the best tips anyone can give. Matt with a stonker bream on his upgrade plastic, the Zman 4 StreakZ Curly TailZ
By Robbie Alexander Last year I wrote an article for a magazine called Trout on Blades which turned out to be quite a popular article. I regularly mention in my weekly newspaper column that I have been catching trout on blades, and yet when I actually talk face to face with people, they are often shocked to hear that blades are so effective on trout. I first made the discovery at Lake William Hovell on the King River near Wangaratta a few years ago. There were trout rising all around me, but they would not take a single thing that I presented them with. Apart from the occasional follow there was zero action. After a while I got frustrated and decided to change tactics and tie on a blade. Within about five minutes I was onto a nice brown trout, then not long after that I caught another. By the end of that afternoon I had released???... this was not just a fluke, the trout were smashing my blade!
A week or so later I was fishing the King River downstream of the lake and the fishing was slow, so I tied on a small blade and the same thing happened, I started catching trout! It was then that I realized that trout love blades. From that week onwards I have been catching trout regularly on blades. In rivers it is quite simple, use a smaller blade and ALWAYS rig the blade up through the hole closest to the rear. This not only helps keep the blade upright and running shallower, but it also gives maximum vibrations in the water, which you will need in faster water as you are competing against the current. In lakes there is a bit more technique involved. Early in the morning, before daybreak, I like to use the rear hole to keep the blade as close as possible to the surface. As the sun hits the water and the fish move down deeper I switch to one of the middle holes which still creates a fair amount of vibration, but also allows the lure to sink a bit
During the day I cast my blade as far as possible, which is usually a long way as they are so thin and cut through the air perfectly. When it hits the water I allow the blade to sink before beginning my retrieve. When I begin my retrieve I pull back on the rod tip jagging the blade toward me. When the rod is high in the air, I lower the tip towards the water reeling in the slack as I go. This allows the blade to move in a fast/slow motion. It is important when reeling the slack in to keep the line reasonably tight, don t let it go too slack. The reason for this is that quite often trout will hit the blade as it is going really slow and without any tension on the line the hooks will not set in the fish s mouth. I use this fast/slow type retrieve for the entire length of the cast and if I don t catch a fish I turn around and do the same thing in a different direction. Make no mistake about it blades are a dynamite trout lure! The author fishing a magic day on Lake William Hovell
By David Brace
There has been no shortage of incredible fishing stories being told from the western rivers, situated in the southeast corner of Queensland, since the opening of the Murray Cod season back in December last year. It hasn t just been Murray Cod that many touring anglers and locals have been targeting, in fact there has been some outstanding catches of Golden Perch to mammoth proportions, which pull line off a reel just as effortlessly as the iconic Murray Cod. Equipped with all three models in the TT Lures spinnerbait range, the Vortex, Striker and the Torpedo in various weights and colours, it was decided to put our own spin on luring a few of these western river fish. Upon launching early, to witness the sunrise, we were pleasantly greeted by the sun s rays streaming through the lifting fog. This created a perfect backdrop to some memorable early morning fishing sessions. Anticipations of luring these fish were high and time passed quickly whilst fishing in the company of and sharing these awesome times with great mates. At days end, the camp fire was lit and the camp oven cook ups, along with good long yarns surpassed all expectations and were a fitting end to long days on the water. Whilst lying in our swags, staring at the sky and gazing at the stars between the branches of the cascading River Gums, thoughts about the prospects of luring that big fish the next day were very exciting.
The Vortex Range The Vortex range is more designed and suited for targeting smaller freshwater species such as Australian Bass, however this particular lure was ideal for finessing a few of these larger fish, the Murray Cod, to strike the lure closer to the surface. Golden Perch really took a liking to this smaller framed lure as well. However the fishing was heightened and more exhilarating when watching bow waves from unsuspecting Murray Cod grow larger and larger behind the lure, before feeling that solid hit we know these fish are renowned for. There s no better sight and sound to an angler, than seeing and hearing line screaming off a reel as the fish cuts through the top layers of the water. The business end of the Vortex range, have chemically sharpened hooks which ensured the penetration of the hook upon the fish striking the lure and withstood the abuse and punishment these larger fish applied. The Vortex comes in weights from 1/4oz to 3/4oz. We opted for casting 3/8oz weighted lures in the Vortex range as they seemed to be quite an effective medium to allow longer casts and yet were still able to be finessed higher in the water column on the retrieval.
The Striker Range Not to be outdone, the Striker range which also comes in various weights, found itself in its fair share of battles, including numerous encounters with fish holding strong amongst the log jammed snags. Being TT Lures medium range spinnerbait, the lure is most definitely suited for targeting Golden Perch and Murray Cod. Armed with heavier gauge wire and hooks than the Vortex range, these spinnerbaits gave us the confidence needed to cast deeper into the lay down snags. By allowing the lure to flutter and free fall between underlying branches deeper in the water column, before commencing a slow rolling retrieval pattern, numerous fish fell victim to the Striker and this extremely effective technique. With a twisted wire frame, creating a loop for the tow point and a slender profiled jig, the Striker is easily recognizable. The attached tandem blades, of a small Colorado blade matched with a larger Willow blade also creates a sleek profile. This enables the lure to be retrieved at a higher speed when needed, yet it still creates the vibration required through the water to attract any nearby Murray Cod or Golden Perch.
The Torpedo Range TT Lures no nonsense Torpedo range of spinnerbaits exudes toughness. This lure has clearly been designed and constructed to take any abuse that larger ambush predators such as big Murray Cod and Barramundi can dish out when hooked. These lures are constructed using a heavy duty wire frame and equipped with a heavy gauge chemically sharpened hook and fitted with quality double silicone skirts to increase profile size and water movement. As with the Vortex and Striker range, good quality hardware such as ball bearing swivels, and gold and nickel plated blades are fitted as standard, with no compromise on quality. This also ensures that TT Lures spinnerbaits helicopter on the drop, attracting fish and triggering strikes even when sinking. For slower retrieval patterns, twin Colorado blades are also available in the Tornado range for those looking for maximum vibration. The Torpedo spinnerbait did not disappoint and found its way into some awkward predicaments that ended with joyous grins on a few faces. It lured some nice sized Golden Perch and Murray Cod that engulfed the spinnerbait upon the strike. The Torpedo s double skirt truly adds bulkiness to the lure and whilst fishing these lures in a variety of colours, the silhouette of the purple colours, in this water, clearly was a favourite. Weighted at 1/2oz, this lure is extremely versatile and very effective when using a variety of retrieves.
Murray Cod are one of Australia s iconic inland freshwater sports fish and can grow in excess of 1.2 metres in length. A variety of surface and deeper diving hard bodied lures can also be used to attract these fish; however putting a spin on these western rivers using TT Lures range of spinnerbaits certainly equaled the quality of the fish they lured, with the advantage of being extremely snag resistant. This range of spinnerbaits will cater for all the needs of anglers targeting these western river fish and you can t go past the confidence that these lures provide, especially in terms of quality components that provide optimum vibrational qualities to attract any fish. With the sun setting upon our last day we made tracks home eastward, staring at the ute s long shadow on the black track, while thoughts wandered to a return visit to this magical place. Our heads were filled with images of more quality times to be had camping and fishing on these western rivers in the very near future.
By Justin Willmer
Smaller trevally also love these bite sized plastics I wrote a story for a magazine a little while ago about fishing soft plastics in the surf and when I mentioned the topic to a few mates they looked at me like I d just told them I have two heads and muttered about being nuts if I m going to throw soft plastics into the home of toothy critters such as tailor and mackerel. I then introduced them to ZMan soft plastics and the shakes became nods and I could hear the cogs turning as they thought about ways to rig and fish these plastics in the surf, as well as likely locations. Surf fishing is traditionally the home of hardbodies, surface lures and metal slugs, all of which have their time and place. My reason for wanting to throw plastics was that I could fish them slower, keep them in the strike zone longer and appeal to a lot more species than I could with a metal slug zipping across the surface. My first serious mission produced whiting, dart, tailor, trevally, queenfish and yellowtail kingfish. Whiting & Dart When it came to targeting these two bread and butter species I fished a cut-down ZMan Finesse ShadZ. For the whiting I rigged this on a 1/20-1/8oz #2 or #1 jighead and twitched it through the melon holes and whiting gutters. I found the trick was to keep it moving. When chasing dart I fished the Finesse ShadZ on a 1/8 1/4oz TT Lures Tournament Series jighead with a #1or #1/0 hook and focused my efforts around foamy water, eddies and deeper gutters. We now have the ZMan 2.5 GrubZ and 3.75 StreakZ in the range. I think these will be deadly on both these species and I look forward to giving these a run on my annual two week beach trip. I may experiment with small stinger hooks as well, so if you love your surf fishing stay tuned for the September E-Mag for more on softies in the surf.
Tailor One of the main reasons people beach fish in parts of Australia is to chase tailor. They are an aggressive, hard pulling fish that have a mouth loaded with razor sharp teeth and they love smashing soft plastics that are twitched through the surf gutters. This is where the ZMan s ElaZtech construction came in, it s 10X TOUGH and I landed over 20 tailor on a single soft plastic. There were times when the tailor wouldn t touch a metal slug and upon further investigation, by climbing the sand dunes and watching the water, I noticed that when there was a shark or large predatory species such as a Queenfish or kingfish around, the tailor balled up tight, or started moving quicker and didn t want to touch the aggressively retrieved metal slug. Flick a soft plastic into the same school and work it through slowly and bang, fish on! I continued to pull tailor from shutdown schools as anglers threw metal slugs around me without reward. Another secret squirrel addition that I made to my plastics when fishing for tailor and larger species was a TT Lures Rev Head jighead. The Rev Head has a small blade underneath that creates flash and vibration, making the soft plastic even more attractive. Suitable plastics for tailor included the ZMan 3 MinnowZ, 4 SwimmerZ, 5 StreakZ and 5 Scented Jerk ShadZ. These plastics would also be perfect for those chasing salmon in southern waters. I generally target tailor around rocky headlands, eddies created by sand spits and in the deeper surf gutters. A pair of quality polarised sunglasses will also help you spot schools of fish that appear as darker grey or black patches in the water. Rev Heads add flash and increased vibration to your plastics
Queenfish, Trevally & Kingfish Depending on the surf beach you are fishing, you may also come across larger species such as queenfish, trevally, kingfish and even mackerel and tuna. Again I target the rocky headlands, eddies and deeper gutters, and these species can also be spotted at times harassing the tailor schools, or just cruising in the waves. Often these fish will not touch a lifeless dead bait sitting on the bottom, but they can t resist a soft plastic twitched past their nose! Effective retrieves vary from a slow roll with a paddle tail, such as the ZMan 4 and 6 SwimmerZ or 5 Grass KickerZ, to a fast, twitching retrieve with the 5 and 8 StreakZ or 5 Scented Jerk ShadZ. BallyhooZ, a gar imitation, are a newer addition to the Tackle Tactics ZMan range and I am keen to get these in the water on my next surf adventure.
Gearing Up I fish three main combos that I refer to as light, medium and heavy. The light combo is a 7 3-6kg spin rod and 2500 spin reel loaded with 10lb braid and 20lb leader. The medium combo is a 7 5-8kg spin rod and 4000 spin reel loaded with 20lb braid and 20-40lb leader and the heavy combo is a 13 6 10-15kg spin rod and 6000 spin reel loaded with 30lb braid and 40lb leader. Reel wise it s pretty much exclusively Okuma; they re quality, last well, feel great to fish with and they have high retrieve speeds for when you need to get that lure moving. This trip I will also be adding a combo in between the medium and heavy, for when the surf is bigger and the 7 rod is a little short to cast long distances over the waves. The light combo is perfect for whiting, dart, tailor and I have landed larger species including a queenfish over a metre. The medium combo is for targeting larger species feeding in the gutter and along the edge of the drop off, and the heavy combo is for throwing larger plastics, such as an 8 StreakZ XL on a 1oz jighead, out to the back of the gutter. That s rods reels and plastics, now it s just a matter of getting out there and giving it a crack. Like all fishing it takes a little time to work out the best tides, gutters, water depths etc. but a great place to start is where you know anglers catch particular species or you have caught them there yourself on bait or lures. ZMan soft plastics are 10X TOUGH and deadly in the surf. I am now confident that if there are fish there I will catch them on a plastic and when the bite is tough, I can keep the lure in the strike zone longer, work it slower and more naturally and encourage that fish to strike! I can feel that chill in the air that really fires up my local surf fishing time to load the 4WD and hit the beach. Bring it on! In case you missed it, press play to watch this kingie in action on a Zman 5 Scented Jerk ShadZ!
In last month s Soft Plastics 101 we looked at three popular soft plastic styles - Paddle Tails, Curl Tails and Jerk Baits. In this issue we are going to look in more detail at another deadly style of soft plastic in the ZMan range Crustaceans. There aren t too many fish out there that can resist a tasty crustacean, be it a prawn, shrimp, crayfish or crab, and ZMan have them all on offer with the advantage of ElaZtech construction, making them 10X Tough, super-soft and flexible, realistic and buoyant so they can be rigged to fish the surface, sink extremely slowly or weighted to fish the depths. This buoyancy also allows you to rig your crustacean so that its claws float up off the bottom in a classic defensive pose that will attract fish and trigger strikes. 3 Scented ShrimpZ Everything eats a prawn and this 3 prawn / shrimp imitation has already proven effective on everything from bream, bass and jewies, to mangrove jack, flathead and barramundi. Flick it on or near the surface, glide it into a snag, or give it a few twitches, pause and hang on! The 3 ShrimpZ can be rigged on a standard jighead or fished in heavy cover using a 4/0 TT Lures SWS or Snake Head jighead to resist snagging. This plastic is also a favourite among anglers that like to customize their plastics. Cutting the legs off allows the lure to sink and glide quicker in stronger currents and gives it a real prawn kick when twitched. Other anglers like to cut the head off the ShrimpZ to downsize it for targeting bream. This downsizing has been extremely effective for TT Pro Anglers Will Lee and Daniel Brown. In fact Daniel took out the last two Hobie Daiwa ABT Kayak Bream Grand Finals using the cut-down 3 ShrimpZ in Houdini. Will has also had plenty of success fishing the 3 ShrimpZ on the surface, rigged on a worm hook with a treble pinned in the tail as a stinger. TT Lures SWS rigged 3 ShrimpZ Dan Brown with a cracker bream taken on a cut-down Houdini ShrimpZ rigged on a TT Lures jighead
4 Scented ShrimpZ This larger version of the ShrimpZ is ideal for targeting mangrove jack, barramundi, cod, snapper and other reefies. It can be fished on a standard jighead or rigged on a TT Lures 4/0 or 6/0 SWS or Snake Head jighead for fishing heavy cover. Both the 3 and 4 ShrimpZ are scented with 100% natural Pro Cure Super Gel, designed to attract fish and trigger strikes. The 10X Tough ElaZtech construction makes them ideal for rigging on worm hooks, SWS and Snake Head jigheads without tearing easily like other shrimp patterns. This durability is perfect when rigging weedless for aggressive feeders such as mangrove jack and barramundi that are often one fish per plastic as they destroy it on the strike. Will Lee has also been smashing the bream using a 4 ShrimpZ with the head cut off, rigged on a TT Lures Tournament Series jighead with a #1 hook and a treble stinger rigged in the tail. Alison Kaggelis with a mangrove jack that smashed a ZMan 4 ShrimpZ Shaun Taylor uses the 4 ShrimpZ effectively on the flats to chase Golden Trevally 3 CrabZ Crabs are on the menu of many species and this realistic, bite-sized crab pattern is perfect for targeting fish such as parrot, blue bone and cod. They are also ideal for targeting other species around mangrove edges, shallow reef and flats where fish may come into contact with crabs. 3 CrabZ can be rigged on a standard jighead or drifted into the snags on a TT Lures SWS in search of a mangrove jack or barra. The buoyancy of the ElaZtech means the claws of the CrabZ float upward in a defensive pose, attracting fish and triggering strikes. Combine this with the Pro Cure Super Gel Scent and you have one deadly little morsel. Rootbeer Gold Blue Glimmer Mud
4 CrawdadZ This crawdad imitation is extremely versatile and can be used to imitate a prawn, shrimp, yabby or cray. The claws float and waft around with the water movement, even when the lure is paused on the bottom and we have had flathead smash them while at rest. Their 4 profile size makes the suitable for everything from flathead to barra, and bass to snapper. Again they can be rigged on a standard jighead or fished on the TT Lures SWS or Snake Head to get them in among the lilies, timber or rocks with less chance of snagging. They are also deadly when cut-down, removing the tail section to create a smaller crab like profile that we have already used effectively for bream, bass and Saratoga. That s a quick look at the four crustaceans available from ZMan. Next time you come across a tough bite, try rigging a crustacean, slowing things down and getting that plastic right in amongst the structure and remember everything eats a prawn! Vinnie with a jungle perch on the CrawdadZ In next issues Soft Plastics 101 we are going to look in more detail at the ZMan Bluewater range, including the BallyhooZ, SquidZ, BubblerZ and FlyerZ.
Thanks for checking out Issue #8 of the Tackle Tactics Fishing E-Mag, we hope you enjoyed the read. Please forward the email with the E-Mag link to all your fishing friends or copy the link and share it on your Facebook. If someone sent you the link, make sure you subscribe via our websites - www.ttlures.com.au or www.z-man.com.au to receive the next E-Mag link straight to your inbox. For more TT Lures & Zman, check us out on Facebook - TT Lures or Z-Man Lures Australia. You can also check out our latest videos on our You Tube Channels - TTLures Fishing TV and ZMan Lures Australia. Before we go, check out the latest video of the crew offshore fishing the TT Lures Tournament Series XHD jigheads and ZMan 8 StreakZ XL plastics. Cheers, Team Tackle Tactics