Action, Sound, Get Wet — May 12, 2008

If you want to improve your presentation and increase your catch rates substantially, think about these three things sound, action, and smell.  Try these simple tricks and see if you get results.

Many of you have that have fished with Get-A-Way Guides or me know we are sometimes unorthodox with our approach and presentations.  Here are a couple of our tricks and ‘secret’ methods we use to put you on fish in the lower Laguna Madre.  We do not commonly use leaders here.  We do not have oyster reefs or rock piles like the upper coast.  Thus, this does present an environmental abrasion problem when using 10 or 12-pound test lines.  However, one cannot tie a loop knot and expect to throw the lure for hours on end without wearing an abrasion part in light lines.  To get circumvent the problem; we doctor our top waters and soft plastics as well.

Our most common top water baits are Zara Spook Jr.’s, Super Spooks, Top Dogs, She-Pups, and skittle walks.  To get the same action as a top water tied with a loop knot, we add a split ring to the eye of the lure.  To entice the fish into a real feeding frenzy, we turn the lure eye 90 degrees.  By turning the eye 90 degrees, the split ring rests in a vertical mode that allows us to fish a high rod tip.  With the rod tip high, the lure jumps across the surface.  Furthermore, when the water gets choppy we can fish our rod tips parallel to the water and work the bait flat on the surface.  Working the rod tip parallel to the water allows us the ability to punch the lure through the face of the wave and give the fish a very different presentation.

To compensate for the lack of a loop knot on soft plastics, we attach swivels and split rings to our jig heads.  The additional swivel not only stops line twist but also adds noise when working the bait. 

When not using a leader, take care if the fish takes the bait deeply.  Saltwater fish can and will fray your line.  So stop and retie often.  If you are unsure if your knot is ready to retie, do so.  I often run my lips over the last six inches of line leading to the hook eye.  If my lips feel any type of fray, I retie. 

Good luck and let us know how these helped you.