When Big Is Best
To consistently catch big fish is far from happenstance; it relies more on an understanding of the fish themselves and the most effective means to catch them. To understand the basic feeding patterns of not just our local river fish but any fish for that matter, brings you one step closer to catching the larger of many different fish species. As fish mature their diet changes, big fish require more fuel to run than their smaller counterparts therefore it seems pertinent that larger items of prey will feature heavily in their diet. You, the angler can take this one piece of information and use it to your advantage, a simple rule of thumb for many fish species is… big bait, big fish. When it comes to lures the definition of large has three notable characteristics. These include a minimal length of 100mm, not including bib. This is definitely the small end of the big scale. The bib itself will constitute at least a third or more of the overall lure length. This should make a 100ml lure at least 130ml long. Bulk and weight make up the last notable difference. Many popular lures used for trolling will weigh as little as 25gm, those preferred for casting even lighter again. Some of the larger lures weigh more than 70gm depending on their make up, be it timber or plastic. Combine these attributes and pull them through the water. From the perspective of a big hungry cod, size makes it an easy target to spot. Bulk offers a substantial feed and with that large bib creating maximum water displacement, these lures have about as much chance of going unnoticed as an elephant in a rice bubble factory.Over the past few weeks some very nice cod have been landed along the Murray River on some of the larger lures abvailable.
A nice Murray cod landed on an Australian Crafted 150ml AC Invader. Sometimes big is best.
Patience I suppose
I always end up dropping to the larger spinnerbaits, rather than running the big lures for long .. again lack of patience. I should really give them a solid workout over the day, rather than just looking for ‘any old fish’.
(Where have I said that before?)
Still, size does count, but even the smaller ones can give you a run for their money
I keep seeing you speak of the bigger lures over and over, you’d think it would sink in .. I have to stick with them till I get my fish of size.
Patience is the key Dave, large lures often trigger a response when all else fails. It’s simply a matter of doing the time. Mind you I wouldn’t drag one around all week in the hopes of a single strike or two. But if you give them a regular run and you catch the biggens on, then it won’t take long.
gee
ive been using the new 40ft+ AC 150mm invaders with little success. smae with my bassman spinnerbaits & mumblers. i mean, i saved up for a new rod & reel and set it up with a leader & braid but i cant even get a hit. im fishing the area well & keeping them close to the snags but no success. what am i doin wrong??
Stuart, perhaps you are doing nothing wrong. Patience will often open doors that those in a hurry will miss. Give it time it will happen.
thanks rod. i really appreciate it