Hooked on Lures

657

By Capt. Robby Barradale
Hello, fellow fisherpeople! The shorter days and cooler temps of autumn trigger changes in nature such as leaves brilliantly changing colors and squirrels stocking up on nuts to survive the chill of winter. Out on the briny sea gamefish are also preparing by migrating to more temperate waters and ravenously feeding to bulk up for the journey. Instinct and an ample food supply bring these fish within range of our beaches and at this time of year another curious species, “Homo Surfcaster,” can be sighted on the sands. Nocturnal during the warmer months this creature can now be spotted foraging day and night, at all times and tides. Identified by a few days growth of facial hair, bulky clothing, chest waders, and a maniacal gleam in eyes rendered bloodshot from a lack of sleep they are obsessed with attempting to trick the fish into eating a “fake bait,” or lure. The weapon of choice for presenting the lure is a 9-foot spin rod and matching reel loaded with 30-pound test braid attached to a 30- or 40-pound fluorocarbon leader.
For the most part artificial lures are designed to imitate the natural prey and new, innovative creations are constantly being developed to trigger a feeding response in the psyche of the fish. Some achieve this by replicating the physical appearance of natural bait, others by building a seductive action in the lure, and there are even a few that use sound to attract a bite by adding a BB filled chamber to emit low frequency vibrations. The variety is endless with most designed to catch the eye of the fish and a bunch that specifically target the eye of the fisherperson (and his wallet!) Just because they are pretty does not mean they will catch fish!

Drew Moy and Tom Melville flyfishing the beach. Photo: Robby Barradale
Drew Moy and Tom Melville flyfishing the beach. Photo: Robby Barradale

Let’s figure out what we will put into our surf bag: A 5 1/2 inch and 7 inch swimming plug constructed of space age plastic with a lip built in to give it a tantalizing wiggle is a must have in every bag and these plugs effectively replicate thin baitfish like sandeels or spearing. Color choices are endless but the general rule is to throw light plugs on bright days and dark ones at night or in low light conditions, but the fish do not read the rules so don’t be afraid to toss a black plug at noon in bright sunshine. I like a Yo Zuri in blue back/silver sides for days and Gag’s Mambo Minnow in black/purple at night. Fatter bodied wooden swimmers take the stage when larger bait like bunker or herring are around. A lot of these types of plugs are pricey handmade custom creations and are worth the price but companies like Tsunami and Driftwood put out a quality product too. Rubber shad or sandeel bodies threaded onto a jighead can often draw strikes when nothing else works and some such as Storm Shads are made incorporating the jighead right into the body itself.
Nothing beats the adrenalin rush that comes when a fish blasts a lure dancing on the surface! Your lure is popping merrily along and suddenly it is gone, leaving a frothy hole in the water as a fish now goes crazy from feeling the hook. Slender topwaters like 7 inch Pencil Poppers in black/silver finish are good, but when bigger baitfish are present I like a 3 ounce, 9 inch pencil made by Guide’s Secret in chartreuse/yellow. The fish like this color combo and I can actually see it working at the end of my cast. The last plug in our bag will be a “rattler” with a BB chamber to make noise. Fish can sense noise and vibrations through their lateral line and this helps them to find food. When peanut bunker are densely packed on the shore a 5 inch Mr. Bunker in natural finish is deadly, and when big bait is around try a “Bunka Boy” in the gold flash color.
Locally the boats have been doing very well on blackfish. Capt. Chris on Long Shot, Capt. Derek on Fisher Price IV, and Capt. Chad on Tagged Fish all reported steady action with the tautog with many approaching the magic double digit weight. Striper fishing has been hit or miss with some days good and others not so good. Ryan Taffet fished the river with light tackle and had fast action on feisty short stripers, but I could not get specifics on exactly what lure he used. I hit the beach midweek and started at the Hook and it was too windy for fly flinging so I opted for a large pencil popper but found nothing. Gradually I worked my way south to Monmouth Beach and found peanut bunker in the wash so I switched to a 5 inch Storm Shad. It worked! In less than an hour I managed to catch 7 stripers from 24-32 inches before my fingers got cold and I retreated to Bahrs for hot chowder. Black Friday is supposed to be warm and sunny and I am planning on getting to the beach again. C’mon and join me! See you here next week, till then, Hook Em Up!