SPEED AND COLOUR

A lure is an illusion presented by an angler to a fish. In order to deceive a fish into attacking a lure the angler must consider a number of factors that guide the selection of a lure. 90 per cent of modern anglers are followers rather than leaders, and while they may stalk Facebook looking at what prominent sponsored anglers are using to catch fish, not too many anglers think for themselves about the principles involved in choosing the right lure for the right situation. It is a complicated business! Choosing a lure involves assessing lure size, colour, shape, depth, weight, buoyancy, action, hooks, retrieve speed and water clarity. Not too many lures will tick all the boxes for a given situation.

The faster that a lure is trolled or retrieved, the less it needs to look like the baitfish it is designed to imitate. Wahoo are one of my favourite species, and at times we troll for them at speeds of 30 kilometres an hour. The lures we use have heavy metal heads and a pair of octopus skirts attached. They are specifically designed for high speed trolling. At the speed we fish these lures they look like a blur of bubbles as they trail