slick rigs on barra

[bearclaw]

G'day Guys,
I've just stocked up on slick rigs and was wondering how you guys work them on barra in the impoundments.

Myles

[barramad.]

Slow rolling retrieve over weedbeds, drop them over deep edges and slowly work them through the water column.
Marking them on the sounder, then working that dpth by counting them down works extremely well.
One of the greatest assets of the squidgy slick rig, is that all you need to do is cast it out and wind it in, no tricky twitch's required.
If you are casting in an area where there is fish, you WILL catch them.
Being pre-rigged is an added bonus, plus you can buy spare tails.
Once you see them swim you will see why they are lethal on Barra.
You'll have a blast.
Jas

[mylestom]

Jas,

Well guess everyone will be trying them now.

Bugger.


Trev

[barramad.]

Trev,
Hope so, the more people that catch fish, the better. Im not one to keep secrets, although some tactics I will keep to myself for tournaments or the like. :D
There is a lot of talk about these Squidgy slick rigs at present, and for good reason. Ive been using them for 9 months now, and easily have caught more Barra this way than the last two season's combined.
They are extremely versatile, and as you know can be used in any part of the water column. That is a big bonus, not having to shuffle through the tackle box looking for a bigger bib.
No need for a baitcaster either, threadlines are perfect for plastic presentations.
The amount of first timers I have taken for a fish at Awoonga and caught metre plus Barra casting during the day is simply ridiculous.
They way they eat them is is sensational, and rarely (compared to hardbodies) do they throw them while jumping. The single hook does a fine job of pinning them, however if you fish completley locked up you can stretch the hooks.
I back the drag off just a little, as where Im catching them doesnt call for an all or nothing approach.
I havent lost a single fish to a straightened hook, but I have stretched a few.
Cheap to buy, plus you can buy spare tails.
Nice combo in my book.
Jas

[bearclaw]

Thanks Jas,
Where and how much are the spare tails, I can't seem to find them anywhere. I have bought 110mm ones from advice from a good friend, is it worth getting some of the larger and smaller ones.

Myles

[barramad.]

Myles,
You should be able to buy spare tails from where you got your slick rigs from. They are cheaper to buy than buying packets of rigged ones, and the jig heads last until you either bend them or the point of the hook becomes blunt.
I personally believe that 110mm is the best size, however the 100 and 80mm slick rigs are great when the Barra are short striking (when they nip the tails but fail to hook up). Often I down size to these two smaller sizes with almost instant results.
Dont get caught up in one colour, trust me they ALL work. Colour is way down the list of importance in my honest opinion.
Also dont fall into the trap of big fish/big lure.
Barra enjoy eating small morsels of food, requires less energy to digest.
Cheers
Jas

[mylestom]

Jas,
Only joking, we were using the virbrotails in the NT in the early 80's and there is not much different from the slick rigs.

Funny in the early days the single white or single pink colours were the gun colours. On more than one occassion they got put into the same tray. Guess they might have been the first drop bear types.

Things will only improve the more we help each other. Then we will have to learn to improve with what the fish have learnt. At my age you start wondering if you can keep up. But that what grandchildren are for. If they don't think you are as switched on as before,
1 they try you out
2 they tell you

Keep up the good advice Jas,

Myles,
That big Tackle shop in Coffs has heaps of tails and rigs. Just in there yesterday.

Regards Trev

[bearclaw]

Jas,
Thanks mate, note taken.

Trev,
Like in rod building if we don't share our knowledge and ideas nothing developes and we would be still fishing with bamboo.

Yes and again it is the inland route for me, honestly she won't let me drive down the Pacific Hwy in daylight hours.

Myles

[barramad.]

Jas,
Only joking, we were using the virbrotails in the NT in the early 80's and there is not much different from the slick rigs.

Trev,
Hehe, yeh I figured thats the track you were going down, however you'd probably be surrised how many people dont use plastics because they dont know how.
Yes, plastics have been around for an age, and the NT guys esp were right up there at the forefront.
I remember using Mr Twisters on the South Coast of NSW around my home on flatties, and thats only going back 20 or so years. They were around long before that.
Had some relo's bring home this giant bucket of assorted plastics from o/s, they all ended up getting munched by the local flatties.
There was some weird and wonderful looking things in that bucket!
Jas

[mylestom]

Wonder what the bucket of goop was in the shed. Must have been the old plastics.

Trev

[bearclaw]

Don't know whether they catch barra, but they sure have caught me!!! as I have watched my slick rig collection grow and grow over the last couple of days.

Myles

[mylestom]

Careful of those SP the breed like rabbits. (Multiply while the wife isn't watching anyhow?)

Trev

[bearclaw]

Trev,

My usual response is " I had them for ages, just haven't used them yet" glad she doesn't look at the credit card statement.

Myles

[Aussie123]

A Mart All Sports opened a new shop at the Logan Hyperdome complex this weekend.They had a wall full of slick jigs in there,i think about $7.50 a packet.
I also bought a new Calcutta CT200B for $229,i hope it was cheap enough,lol.