2012 Blue season

[MitchCalcutt]

With the 2012 season supposably coming to an end, Its time for me to reflect on the seasons past. Each year I try my best to sort out the lure colours that consistently got the bites, and not just from my product but from the 4 big sellers in Aus to date. This year saw a lot more smaller boats reaching further afield chasing Blues than previous years due to the relatively calm conditions, safety in numbers also helps and of course the noticeable lack of Black marlin on our inshore grounds.
I make no claims to be any expert on Blues as this is the first year I’ve had a good chance to chase them. This has been a GREAT year to learn. Thanks to all the chatter on the radio from the Surfers Paradise game and sports fishing club I had the opportunity to mentally log the colours and size lures the blues were eating on a regular basis. More interesting came when it became clear that a lot of small boats were getting their trailing lure from the bird teaser smashed by Blues. (Tag line a loaded lure off the bird? Why not).
A Few standard phenomena occurred through the year being the soft bites during the rising moon period and the smashing bites on the dark side, these periods also followed large schools of striped tuna and the high moon brought the squid up to the surface.
So What were the biggest eaten colours to date?????? I can’t say, I know, but to mention colour names reveals the maker and that I can’t do. Let’s just say very dark colours, Blacks and purples have totally nailed them this year by a huge margin. Early season blues were caught on all the usual suspects, once the striped tuna rocked up it all became very standardized.
These observations were taken in particular reference to the Gold coast Fish, however one of my lures in black was responsible for 12 from 18 down NSW way. Thankfully it now resides on the bottom.
I hope this helps anyone still chasing them this year.
Mitch

[kitty_cat]

we are very very green at the blue marlin game but will add our color success we are split exactly down the middle for mouldcraft purple/black bobby brown and lumo sprocket , so that is 50% for dark lures and 50% for as bright as they get, i will check the moon phases and dates to help with above data .

wayne

[OPTI]

my first blue was a bobby brown purple over black as well ,but since then i had one on a pakula sprocket in zorro,one on the black snack white and purple,one on a bobby brown blue over lumo,the day i had four strikes they hit 4 different colours.
i still run a mixed spread and try and cover all bases,i just try and run the lures that make the most smoke and commotion.

[MitchCalcutt]

I used to make Pakula lures and know first hand how many there are in the water. They are a GREAT lure to have in your spread and of course Bobby Brown, not many people haven't got fish with a Bobby Brown in Black purple. I still don't get why a fish would eat such an ugly lure, It might resemble fast food.
Also interesting that the toads didn't show up in big numbers this year. Not here anyway.

[outwide1]

Gday Mitch,i believe the Bobby Brown gets the results due the awesome smoke trail it leaves but most
importantly the rattle or slide in the head that makes the noise.
We were up off the cape a couple of weeks ago and the dolphins (and there hundreds of them)would only go near the BB
swimming under it and all around it but not even looking at the other lures in the spread.It was a bit
nerve racking actually,the last thing you need is to hooked up on one of those.
I contacted you prior to the light tackle masters but ran out of time,i will have to come around and have a look at your lures.
Cheers Mick.

[MitchCalcutt]

Any time Mick

[Jerk n Wined]

Thanks for the report Mick, I am new getting into this spot aswell and i thought the blues should be hanging around a bit longer, if not all year round. I hope they stick around a bit longer so we can get a bit more action. Where are you fishing from and how many were tagged this year?
Cheers Chris

[Spot82]

Larva Lures Night Sky colour has to be the gun colour of the season, it nailed 5 Blues yesterday alone!! And that was out of the 7 that we knew we hooked for the day!! Pink has also been a very good colour this season as has black over tropical. I will put up a report shortly

Anthony

[Smithy]

Blues can be red hot into May and caught every month of the year. We are right in the guts of the traditional blue time of year. Everyone is hanging for a big blue bite like we had in late April '06.

[outwide1]

Thanks for the report Mick, I am new getting into this spot aswell and i thought the blues should be hanging around a bit longer, if not all year round. I hope they stick around a bit longer so we can get a bit more action. Where are you fishing from and how many were tagged this year?
Cheers Chris
Hey Chris,i looked back through my tag card book and we have tagged them in may.That particular fish was with Smithy back whenit was his
and my first blue out of a trailer boat in 2005.As Smithy has said they are an all year fish just most trailer boat guys stop chasing them and start bottom fishing.
Mick

[MitchCalcutt]

The Blues are here all year BUT as the currents cool down you have to surch for worm spots to troll and many more hours get spent for a lot less action into the cooler months. I love night sky, or as more traditionaly known Stripy, has been a great colour for about 25 years since Peter P designed it and had made by Yo zury. I'm Glad they hung onto it when Pete changed suppliers. While we're name dropping, the one lure that has out fished all others by a large number is the Maridian Quasi in any colour.

[Timfishin4fun]

The Blues are here all year BUT as the currents cool down you have to surch for worm spots to troll and many more hours get spent for a lot less action into the cooler months. I love night sky, or as more traditionaly known Stripy, has been a great colour for about 25 years since Peter P designed it and had made by Yo zury. I'm Glad they hung onto it when Pete changed suppliers. While we're name dropping, the one lure that has out fished all others by a large number is the Maridian Quasi in any colour.

Your right on to it Mitch and we all know which colour has been the best.

Timbo

[OPTI]

you know mitch its only been this week that i have herd of the merridian quasi,both by very experienced guys,as a newbe its very hard to fumble through all the information and decifer what is what ,and what really works etc ,the larvas definately seem to be producing the goods atm ,the next month will be interesting to see what catches what across the board

[MitchCalcutt]

So True, I've had a few people say my new lures are too light for rough windy conditions so I'm working on something before the heavy tacke in the next few weeks.

you know mitch its only been this week that i have herd of the merridian quasi,both by very experienced guys,as a newbe its very hard to fumble through all the information and decifer what is what ,and what really works etc ,the larvas definately seem to be producing the goods atm ,the next month will be interesting to see what catches what across the board

[OPTI]

feel free to send them to me ,i wont charge you for testing,lol.im lookin foward to running the bad bennys next week,il let you know how they go.
cheers dave