Fishing
finesse effectively
When the rest are throwing
huge baits take a moment and Fine
it down.
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| www.snapbaits.co.uk Fishaction Kraken 2" |
A little
finesse science
You
might think a finesse grub only fishes well at certain times of the year boy
you can be so wrong -? You can only start to live once you have read through my
report on finesse fishing science. You can fish a finesse grub just about any
way you like and at any time of the year, boat or bank it is just as effective
especially if the fish are in non-feeding mode. you just have to prepare
yourself and your gear for the situation – lighter gear can be used more openly
by boat while fishing from the bank may involve a more heavier class rod to
keep you out of trouble when you have hit into a good fish, and on our waters in
Ireland that means fish from anything between a few ounces to 10kg+ that’s
if you’re lucky enough. A finesse grub is a technique that will catch any predator
in your fishing area whether they are hungry or not, you can still fool those
wary predators with super soft bites turned into rod pumping action in a matter
of seconds. What l love about this method is that you don’t have to over load
with gear, this technique can really catch with just a few finesse baits and
one or 2 rods of various weight ranges. Just because it’s called
finesse doesn’t mean it only catches small predators as many people think.
Some of my biggest pike and perch have come from small finesse-style grubs.
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| Fishaction Real Roach 3d hauls a shallow water pike |
What baits work?
For me it’s vital to pick the correct brand of
finesse bait l like to use Charlie brewer’s micro sliders for perch and trout
fishing and also for pike. Another bait l have been testing out is a new brand
from Bio spawn it’s called “Vile Craw” these little guys can be
fished top water like a frog with the right rig hardware or jigged on
the bottom they are such a versatile bait and if you have ever seen a craw fish
move below the water then you will know why l like these baits so much – matching
the hatch is critical for big perch and Biospawn vile craw are brutal. For Cold
water finesse pike fishing l like to use B8lab ultimate strike minnows 5 inch
with a maximum 4-5g jig head giving it and awesome action a super slow free
fall to get those sleeping giants in the mood,
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| biospawn Vile Craw |
Rigging
I like to
use kamatsu micro jig heads they are ultra-sharp ultra-fine and have
holding properties due to the shank design – armed with micro barbs to hold a
finesse lure on without destroying it and if you need to quick change to
another lure colour or type the kamatsu micro jig heads keep things slick.
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| BfishN PULSE-R SHAD |
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| bFISHn moxi ring shad |
Head
selection is very important for small finesse baits when it comes to weight and
hook size most get this wrong and your micro bait can loss its action in an instant, by
selecting under hook size you can loss a potential fish.
For
1inch baits l like to use a small 2-4g jig head size 1# depending on conditions and how fast l want this to fall depend on the water speed and depth .
For
5 inch baits l like to use a size 3# jig head around 4-5g for shallow water and a little
heavier at 6-8g for faster flowing water, sods law tells me to stay away from areas that
require more weight as lure action can be lost. Another point to remember is
the fish just might not be holed up with many seeking slack conditions on weed
lines and features.
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| B8LAB baby bass |
For
weed less l like to use the owner j hooks while hooking the finesse rig l will
always bury the point in the back of the bait just to make sure l don’t snag up – you may question would that not get in
the way of a hook set ? – l can assure you will always hook your fish without
issues.
Gearing up
I
generally use 6’6”-7’ 3-10g rods for this style and technique, one brand
of rod l like to use is the Dragon minnow guide select xx fast rods these have
been specifically designed by anglers and you can feel every bite
transmit right up your arm, its an awesome feeling and critical for detecting super
finesse bites . Depending on location, my line varies from 8lb test fluro all the way up to 15lb test braid. If there is
more cover present, I would tend to use heavier line. I use only fluorocarbon
on ultra-clear water and leave the braid at home without doubt this can make or
break you and can give you an overall edge with bonus fish in your net.
How
to Fish It:
There
are a lots of ways you can fish a finesse lure – the sky’s your
limit.
Always
remember if it isn’t working change you retrieval style you can bet
that the fish you thought were not feeding will almost instantaneously all start
to bite. Personally I like to wind slow with a 2-3 second pause followed by a
mild jerk – nothing to fast or violent as this can put them off – on the other
hand they may just want the lure static I’ve seen it so many times were a do
nothing angler has caught all the fish when others have failed because that’s
what the predator wanted on that specific day. A side from skipping or
dragging your best bet is to find what works at the time only you can find the
right answer as each water is different and each day is different.
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| deep water jigging with B8lab |
When Too much is too much
The millions of roach and perch fry that flood shallow water areas can be both
be a god send and a curse. Big Perch and pike will be most certainly be nearby
in the food balls, but having too much natural bait can make it difficult to make
your offering stand out from the real thing. To overcome this common problem,
you can make a few simple changes.Simply changing your finesse bait size can
make a really big difference when you’re surrounded by fry choose a finesse lure
that’s a different size from all of the other fry in order to make you bait
stand out a little more. If I want my finesse lure a little smaller, I’ll use a
Charlie brewers 3 1/2-inch little finesse grub and when I decide
to upsize, I’ll usually go with a 5-inch
or 2.75 inch b8lab Ultimate strike minnow in a wacky stand
out colour or BfishiN 4inch Moxi ring shad or a
pulse-r both have fantastic acoustic movements due to their ribbed bodies .
All are excellent finesse baits that catch a lot of predators.
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| micro sized Charlie Brewers Sliders |
Water craft
Keeping
an eye on the fish finer is essential if fishing by boat – looking for
suspended fish what will be flicky to catch could be tempted with a few casts
of a drop shot rig presenting the bait directly in their noses – for drop shot
fishing l like to use 2-3” baits like Fishaction
Attractor shad DS 3 “ and Fishaction Real
Roach DS 3” for its unrivaled movement or 4.5 inch bio spawn plasma tails
Take
a pause for a moment and scan the surface out for bait ball movement predators
will never be far away picking off an odd fry here and there by getting your
bait in the right area can pay dividends
Flat
calm conditions require a more stealth approach and maintaining silence is key,
l have seen it far too many times when
fishing showing on the sonar have vanished just because you tapped that gunwall
on the boat a little too hard with your
foot sending shock waves through the water . Getting the best of these situations
require baits that don’t make a lot of noise when they hit the water fining
down further to a smaller jig head and hitting fish on the drop as a result.
Fishing with finesse plastics is effective throughout the
entire year and if you put effort into it, it’s a technique that will catch
fish when other techniques fail. You’ll be able to catch more fish and gain
more confidence – Enjoy your sport and l hope this little bit of advice can
help you put more fish on the bank.
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| measurement of success finesse style |
check out www.snapbaits.co.uk
