I receive quite a few messages through my Fish That Snag Facebook page from people seeking information for using soft and hard body lures. Usually their questions relate to the style of retrieves to use while targeting a certain species of fish or when using a certain lure type. Almost always, I refer them to a good quality YouTube video in which they can watch detailed explanations and demonstrations of various techniques.
Booking.comWhile it is immensely encouraging to hear from so many people who are experimenting with lure fishing. I am quick to point out that no single retrieve, nor no single lure type is the golden bullet to landing a species. Sure some species do like similar retrieves and lure types based on their food source. But, amassing your knowledge, regarding different retrieves and how different lures work, all adds to an angler’s overall kit bag. With so many lures, retrieves, fish species, how do I remember it all? I hear you ask. Enter the topic of fishing patterns.
So What Is A Pattern ??
So what is a fishing pattern and why is it important? If you follow any of the big names in competition fishing, especially the ABT or any one of the American bass tournaments you will often hear the topic of fishing patterns discussed. In-fact many tournament anglers will agree that tournament fishing is often about locating likely fish holding locations and then using a pattern to land those winning fish.
In my opinion the use of a fishing pattern is critical to any form of fishing, be it in the salt or freshwater, competition or not. I feel this is especially important for people to consider when first starting out with lure fishing. As rarely can you rock up to a location, cast a lure, have immediate success and keep using that one lure and retrieve style for the entire session. Although when that does happen, it is happy days all round.
Most often you need to change lures types, colours and retrieves to get that bite, and with all the swapping of lures, retrieves etc. it is easy to lose track of what you have tried, what you have not and what is working, that is why a pattern is important.
An Example
There is a YouTube video on my channel, titled ‘Flathead Fishing’ – here is the link. This is a pattern I have developed to specifically target this species of fish and as I explain in the video. It is based upon a number of considerations such as, tidal movement, species feeding habits, water temperature and other environmental conditions.
But what about those fishing sessions where you are not targeting a specific species or are fishing a new location and are simply trying to discover what is there. Well using a fishing pattern can help you in unlocking a locations secrets quickly.
Other Examples
Generally speaking, I mainly fish the creeks and sand flats along the western side of Fraser Island or the rocky outcrops and ledges around the many islands within the Great Sandy Strait. So, broadly speaking, if I am not specifically targeting a species for which I have a specific fishing pattern developed I default to two generic patterns to find fish.
The first helps me to break the code around rocky outcrops and ledges and is all about exploiting the capabilities of different lure types to fish various depths of water. Regardless, if it is high tide or low tide I always start at the surface and work my way down in the water column.
If I am fishing with somebody else we always work opposite ends. If I start at the surface, they start down deep and we meet in the middle, there is simply no point in both anglers using the same lure, until you have found the fish and enticed them to bite.
Pepper It…
Once I have peppered a location using a surface lure, generally using a fan style for casting as depicted in fig 1 below, I then swap to a shallow diving suspending hard body lure, then a lightly weighted soft plastic, then a deep diving hard body, then a heavier weighted soft plastic and down through the water column I go. With each lure type I use a couple of different retrieves. Generally based upon speed, starting slow with twitches and pauses and then getting quicker.
Incidentally this is a similar reason as to why tournament anglers have so many rods and reels rigged ready to go, so that instead of wasting time changing lures and retying knots, they can pepper a likely location and work through their particular pattern quickly before moving on to another likely location.
Fig 1 – Fan style for casting. Use a clock face as a reference, start at one end and make your way across ie 10 o’clock, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3 and then start again with your next lure.
Fig 2 – Fishing Depths. Use different lures for different depths until you get the bite, then exploit the bite.
Other Scenarios
Fishing the creeks and sand flats along the western side of Fraser Island is not so much about exploring the waters depth. Although being in contact with the bottom with your lure is vital. For myself, it is more about retrieve technique and speed. Generally speaking, once you get up into the shallows the water is clearer, the fish are easy to spook, casting distance and accuracy become incredibly important. Sure there are nice deep holes in some of the creeks and you must exploit these and get your lure right down into the depths, but generally speaking they are isolated and not as expansive as the water around the rocky ledges and islands.
If I cannot see tell-tale signs of fish, such as our famous Hervey Bay golden trevally . Who regularly venture onto the flats and can be seen tailing their fins as they tuck into something nice to eat. Then I look for fish holding structure such as coffee rock, weed beds and other snaggy structure or ambush locations where the water is forced through a narrow passage or over a shallow hole.
In the creeks and on the flats I always start with a lightly weighted soft plastic. 1/4oz is my default. I will pepper the area in the fan style as described in fig 1. And, I will use a range of different soft plastic types, paddle tails, curl tails. Prawn imitations and then move on to soft vibes and hard bodies. Read about this here.
With each lure I use a couple of different retrieves, again starting slow and then gradually getting quicker. If this does not entice a bite then move on.
Finally
What about lure colour? Well that is probably the topic for a whole other blog. And, it does touch upon a rather sensitive topic which some fishers get really emotional about. That being, does colour matter? Or is it more to do with lure action? For me I always cast something in chartreuse colour, if it isn’t chartreuse it isn’t no use. Closely followed by natural colours, something that looks like a prawn or a hardy head. But as I mentioned before, I might leave that topic for another blog, which you can read here.
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