Lure Losses 2013

I thought it might be interesting to chart my lure losses over the rest of the year just to keep track of how many lures I go through so here it is, includes detail on reason for loss, date, area.  Starts from May 1st 2013.

Lure Losses Starting May 1st 2013

All the lures lost over the year through whatever reason, bustoffs, cutoffs, wear through's, snagged etc.

Date	Lure Lost	Reason	Area	Cost
2/5/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM / Tungsten 3/8oz bullet head / Gamakatsu SST 15	Wear through by Tarpon	South Wall	$4.50
2/5/13	Squidgy Slick Rig 80mm	Wear through by Tarpon	South Wall	$2.00
2/5/13	Zman 2.5" Curl Tail / 3/8oz Headlockz Jighead	Wear through by Tarpon	South Wall	$2.00
8/5/13	30gram Twisty	Snagged	North Wall	$8.00
9/5/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM / 3/8oz Headlockz Jighead	Snagged	South Wall	$2.00
15/4/13	Squidgy Wild Prawn 65mm / 1/4oz Headlockz Jighead	Wear through by Tarpon	North Wall	$2.00
20/5/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM / 1/2oz TT 3/0H Jighead	Snagged	North Wall	$2.00
23/5/13	Tackle house Feed Popper 120	Cast off(should have changed that leader!)	Canyon	$35.00 (ouch!)
27/5/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM / 1/2oz TT 3/0H Jighead	Snagged	South Wall	$2.00
28/5/13	Rapala Skitter Pop 9	Busted off by Kingfish	Northern Channel	$20.00
2/6/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM / 3/8oz Headlockz Jighead	Snagged	North Wall	$2.00
11/6/13	25gm Gillies Baitfish	Snagged	North Wall	$5.00
11/6/13	Zman 2.5" Curl Tail / 3/8oz Headlockz Jighead	Busted off by rampaging behemoth	North Wall Tip	$2.00
11/6/13	Zman 2.5" Curl Tail / 3/8oz Headlockz Jighead	Busted off by rampaging behemoth	North Wall Tip	$2.00
25/6/13	25gram Gillies Baitfish	Snagged	North Wall Tip	$4.00
3/7/13	30 gram Halco Twisty	Snagged	Graveyard	$8.00
3/7/13	20 gram Twistie	Snagged	North Wall Flats	$5.00
3/7/13	30 gram Halco Twisty	Snagged	North wall Tip	$8.00
3/7/13	Ecogear CCM Grass Minnow 1/4oz Tt Jighead	Cut off by Tailor	North Wall tip	$2.00
15/7/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM / 3/8oz TT Jighead	Snagged	South Wall	$2.00
15/7/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM / 3/8oz TT Jighead	Worn through by Tarpon	South Wall	$2.00
16/7/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM / 3/8oz TT Jighead	Snagged	North Wall	$2.00
16/7/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM 1/2oz TT HeadlockZ Jighead	Snagged	North Wall	$2.50
16/7/13	Ecogear Grass Minnow CCM 1/2oz TT Headlockz Jighead	Snagged	North Wall	$2.50
7/8/13	Rapala XRD10 ST	Busted off	Northern Y	$25.00
13/8/13	Bolt Omega	Busted off	Canyon	$15.00
13/8/13	Rapala XRD10	Busted off	Canyon	$20.00
14/8/13	Sebile Koolie minnow 118	Busted off	Northern Y	$20.00
20/8/13	Sebile Koolie minnow 118	Cut off due to monumental tangle and double hookup.	Northern Channel	$14.00(on sale!)
9/9/13	Squidgy Slick Rig 65mm Dropbear colour	Cut off by Hairtail	North Wall	$2.50
9/9/13	Squidgy Slick Rig 65mm	Cut off by Hairtail	North Wall	$2.50
9/9/13	Squidgy Slick Rig 65mm	Cut off by Hairtail	North Wall	$2.50
7/9/13	Rapala Magnum 20	Busted off	Canyon	$28.00
21/9/13	Bolt Omega	Busted off	Canyon	$15.00
21/9/13	1/2oz TT Jighead Grass minnow CCM	Snagged	North Wall	$2.00
21/9/13	1/2oz TT Jighead Grass minnow CCM	Snagged	North Wall	$2.00
21/9/13	1/2oz TT Jighead Grass minnow CCM	Snagged	North Wall	$2.00
5/11/13	Skitterbait	Cut off by Tailor	North Wall	$15.00
5/11/13	Rapala Magnum 15	Busted off by shark	Canyon	$28.00

Rod Breakages 2013

Rods Broken 2013 for whatever reason

Date	Brand	Reason	Cost	Repaired ?
10/2/13	Pflueger XTR	Impact by flying Twisty	189.00	Yes. Shortened.
21/4/13	Daiwa SOL ML	Fell on it	119.00	Yes. Shortened
17/5/13	Daiwa Black Label MH	Manufacturing fault	249.00	No. Replaced
3/6/13	Gehaut Sagales	Poor Design	$50.00	No. Tossed Out
23/5/13	Samaki Allure M	Hatch fell on it	129.00	No. Damage was Terminal
14/6/13	Daiwa SOL M	Caught in cast by other rod	119.00	Yes. Shortened
16/7/13	Pfleuger XTR(again!)	Unknown, broke during cast	189.00	No. Tossed out.
15/11/13	Samaki Allure 701	Unknown, broke during cast	129.00	No. Terminal Damage

 

 

 

 

 

SeawayFishing Map 4 Cross Channels to Crab Island

SeawayFishing Map 4 Cross Channels to Crab Island

To see a larger version of this map, right click with your mouse and choose ‘view image’

Zman Plastics and TT HeadlockZ Jigheads Product Review and Rigging

There has been alot of chatter about these on the net lately and some friends of mine swear by these. To be honest I wasn't interested in these until the HeadlockZ Jigheads were released as supergluing jigheads onto plastics was always a pain in the bum. However the hardyness of the plastic appealed to me, especially for tarpon work as they tend to tear plastics to shreds with their constant jumping, but also for use on toothy critters like Tailor and Mackerel. While slugs work most of the time on these fish there are times when a more subtle approach with a plastic works better.




Zman Plastics come in a variety of shapes and colours, from 2.5" curl tails to 8" Jerk Shads and one major point in thier favour all styles come in a plain white/pearl colour. It has been a major sore point for me that many plastic brands do not come in a plain white/pearl colour particularly in the smallest 3" jerk shad styles, one of the most effective colour and styles for use in the seaway. Sure have all the fruity colours you like but plain white or pearl should be available in every soft plastic brand in every size.

I have been using the 3" MinnowZ and the 2.5" curl Tail in Pearl/ Shimmer Pearl/PearlBlueGlimmer for a couple of months now and have put them through some rigorous testing so the first question is.. are they as tough as claimed? Well... sort of, they are much tougher than any standard plastic but Tarpon will still tear them a new one after 5 or so fish. Usually the first tear isn't terminal so you can go on using them but eventually they will tear free and you'll lose the plastic.

Secondly, do they catch fish? Well yes they do BUT If fish are scarce there are better lures out there in my opinion. For prospecting work I prefer Ecogear grass minnows, Squidgy Flick Baits, Gulp Jerk Shads and Charlie Brewers Sliders. All of those have consistently pulled fish(and big fish too) when prospecting for fish, the same cannot be said for the Zmans I have been using. That said, if the fish are feeding hard, and are not fussy the Zmans will catch fish and last longer than any other plastic so they definitely have a place in my tackle box.

Now on to the TT HeadlockZ JigheadZ. Do they work as claimed? Well.. sort of. I have found that the HeadlockZ jigheads are much better than a standard jighead BUT the plastic will still get pulled down the hook if a fish grabs it hard and doesn't hookup. The solution to this is to place a tiny amount of superglue on the mid keeper section before sliding the plastic right up to the head. Its a much better way of keeping the plastic in place and keeps the superglue away from the head which has always bugged me. I do all this at home and once the plastic gets torn or disappears out on the water just clip a new prerigged plastic on. Simple, Fast and Effective.

Now one of my major complaints about jigheads lately is that even the heaviest one I could find was being straightened by tarpon. The extra heavy duty hook used on the HeadlockZ jigheads solves this problem, its been through alot(including me lifting 3kg Tarpon into the boat by the trace) and has yet to even look like straightening so I have now adopted the HeadlockZ jigheads throughout my whole plastic collection and I'm phasing out the old TT jigheads I used to use. One word of caution though, the black plating on the hooks used on these jigheads is prone to rusting quite quickly once it hits salt water so make sure you either wash the used plastics or don't put them with other jigheads. The hook point is quite durable and will remain sharp for quite a few fish, just make sure you check it every half dozen fish to make sure.

So overall a solid couple of products but they could still do with a bit of work, I'm happy enough to reccomend them as I will keeping them in the tackle box for those occasions when the fish are on the bite yet still want a plastic. These plastics will be included prerigged in the SeawayFishing Starter, Pro and Ultimate Lure Packs I will be releasing in about 4 weeks time.

One last thing, make sure you keep these in the original packet, mixing these plastics with other brands causes them to melt. Its not pretty, so keep them separate.

ZMan Lures - 7.95/Pack - Availability - Most Tackle Stores, BCF

TT HeadlockZ Jigheads - 7.95/pack - Avaialability - Most Tackle Stores, BCF.  Most used sizes 3/8oz, 2/0 - 3/8oz 3/0 - 1/4oz 1/0- 1/4oz 3/0- 1/2oz 3/0

Websites - Zman Australia   TT Jigheads

Rigging

First step is to make sure the plastic is on straight, then pull it back out so the mid keeper is exposed. the apply a SMALL amount of super glue(I recommend a Gel type as its easier to handle) to the mid keeper.  Then push it straight back on.

When you are finished the jighead should lie straight along the plastic with the hook point exposed.

Prerigged Zman 2.5" Curl Tails