How to
use Spanyid lures for best results
Before you throw
a lure in any destination or fishing area, you must know the
basics of fishing and follow general rules for best results.
Just showing up at an interesting looking area does not guarantee
you will catch fish. Please ask yourself these questions and
seek local advice if necessary.
Is
this the right time of year for the species you are trying to
catch?
Are they frequently caught in this location?
Are the tides right?
Are these fish affected by moon phases?
Are they affected by weather variations?
Is it the right time of day?
Is this the legal season to catch them?
Basic
knowledge of your intended species and their feeding habits is
a must for best results, before any specialized technique or
lure is used. After that we can move onto general techniques
for Spinning , Jigging and Trolling.
Spinning
This technique is
the easiest to learn and not only applies to metal lures but
basically all lures.
Firstly you must learn to cast, with either an "overhead"
or "spinning" reel, or even better, both. Once you
learn how to cast with confidence, you can spin anywhere. A great
way to learn to cast is take off the hooks from your old lures
and practice both distance and accuracy, without getting hooked
up to any snags. For metal lure casting, most people find "spinning"
reels full with thin strong line being easier to use than "bait-casters"
or overhead type reels. You are also more often than not, using
a faster retrieve than you would with a plastic or timber lure.
And as a general rule, it is better to use
a high ratio reel with a retrieve rate of 5:1 or higher so that
you have the ability to use the reel for "high speed"
as well as low speed. Always keep the "reel spool"
full for maximum casting and speed. As you will encounter many
difficult days, where weather or wind is strong and conditions
call for quick accurate casting at sea or from rocks and other
problem areas, a spinning reel can be simpler to use and not
give problems like "backlash" when you are under pressure
for a good cast.
Secondly, ensure your selected tackle is best for the type of
lure you are casting. For example, if you are using a 20gm
Raider, we would recommend line no heavier than 4kg and certainly
a max of 6kg, but this would be extreme. A short strong leader
is more important than a spool of unnecessary heavy line, as
if you loose the fish, due to a "break off" of some
sort, it generally happens with a "bite off" or the
constant wearing from some sort of structure close to the lure
as the fish is fighting or being landed. Very few fish are lost
due to being "spooled" or running out of line. Remember,
if you use too heavy a line, it is more affected by wind, current
and always inhibits casting distance, which is by far the greatest
asset you can have.
Your rod should also be of similar strength. A 20 gm raider is
mainly used for fish up to around 4 kg with most fish being caught
around 2 kg. As the line gets heavier, your casting range quickly
gets smaller and inhibits the intended design and usage of the
lure. For example, an exception to this rule would be large schooling
tuna, which were only taking smaller lures, but this situation
is not the norm, and only experienced fisherman will land fish
like this. Like matching the "Hatch" or "baitfish"
with your lure choice, matching your tackle is most important
for best results. Light lines for light lures, is a good reminder.
After that, it really is up to your imagination. Generally light lines
and small lures will catch more fish,
and give you more variation in catches. In saying that, the best
way to learn to spin many fish is to become an expert at one
species in a particular area, as you will then gain more experience
in how to approach other species with the knowledge of one. Most
fish feed in similar patterns of tides and time of day and really
only vary with the times of the year, size and location. Some
like a faster retrieve, some like a slower retrieve, some like
smaller lures, some like larger ones, some feed on the surface,
some feed around structure, some feed near the bottom. Very few
fish like feeding in still water around lunchtime, on a hot sunny
day. That may be comfortable for the fisherman, but not very
appealing for the fish. As you gain more experience and confidence,
you will learn to try all variables in new areas, until you find
the right lure, with the right technique at the right time. With
many "pelagics", speed is often the resulting
factor, and it is not uncommon to even have fish swimming faster
than you can possibly wind, so don't ever think you may be winding
too fast, as in reality, it may be the opposite. Freshwater fish
generally take lures slower than saltwater feeders, but this
is not always the case. With Raider,
Sniper, and Maniac, you will find the right lure for
most spinning applications.
Variable Spinning options
from boat and Shore
PRO-TIP
If you are
only able to purchase one outfit for general spinning applications
we suggest a 4 - 6 kg matching rod, high speed reel and 10 -
40 gm lures. Smaller lures will catch a wider range of fish species.
Heavier tackle is generally used for a more specific application.
Jigging
Jigging is a term generally associated with
"deep water", big fish and "hard work".
Although this is sometimes the case, with today's latest equipment,
this very affective style of fishing is much easier than before,
and in Japan, where jigging is very popular at present, you can
even get an electronic reel that will catch the fish for you
and bring it too the surface.
All fun aside, jigging is really only "vertical"
or "deeper angled spinning". The fact remains that
you are generally using a metal lure, which moves at various
speeds and angles in various locations, to catch fish. A person
with good spinning experience can adapt to jigging very quickly.
Jigging will catch many varied species and again only requires
a bit of imagination to adapt it to different locations and different
fish. It will work on varied species from deep water Halibut,
and Cod, to mid water Large Tuna, as well as may tropical pelagis,
shallow reef dwellers as well as Trout and Bass in freshwater.
The trick is to try variable actions and speeds with you lures
at differing depths and using different size and styles of lures
for your intended species. Once again you should use the right
equipment best suited to your intended species and area. These
days, with all the advantages of modern electronic fish finders,
and the latest ultra thin braided lines and "high speed
overhead" or "spinning" reels, you can fish the
deepest areas a lot easier and catch a lot more fish than in
previous years, as long as fish stocks are still Ok that is.
The advantage you have with Raider, Sniper and Maniac,
is that these lures have built in action so that unlike other
metal jigs, you do not have to work so hard for good results.
Even leaving your lure attached to your rod in a rod holder,
a few meters above the bottom and just moving up and down in
the "ocean swell", can catch fish. Don't be surprised.
Also, check out the many hook and color variations of all these
lures for possible jigging applications.
Trolling
Trolling with metal
lures is not new and maybe not as common as using specially designed
trolling lures, but once again it does have its advantages. For
example, not many fish can destroy a metal lure like they can
a plastic or timber one, and that "metallic Flash"
is enticing to many species. The main problem you encounter is
that most metal lures are designed for spinning, which is generally
faster than most trolling speeds, and as they do not have a "bib"
of any sort, they tend to come to the surface and pop out occasionally,
depending on conditions. This is certainly the case for Raiders,
which must be trolled at least 7 knots for the correct swimming
action to occur, but surprising catches have been recorded here
and there. Some people say the popping action actually catches
more fish!
The Maniac however, will certainly troll at slower speeds
and will also work well on down riggers for species like Salmon
and Trout. It is much more suited to trolling, especially
the larger sizes.
We suggest that Raider is best used for tropical species like
Mackerel, Barracuda, Wahoo, etc, and that the Single hook
"fly Models" are best for this application. You will
also require a high quality swivel to avoid long term spinning
of the lure and the faster you can troll will give better results.
We recommend leaving the lure well back from behind the boat,
at least 60metres or more.
The Maniac being a slower "spoon" will troll much easier
and will also swim well in "fly model' for tropical species,
and can be trolled for many freshwater species, making it a good
trolling alternative in many scenarious.
