finesse fishing for big predators

Fishing finesse effectively

When the rest are throwing huge baits  take a moment and Fine 

it down.

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.

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,

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.

BfishN PULSE-R SHAD

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.

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.

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.

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.

measurement of  success finesse style

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