Bass Lure Basics

If you fish in Ireland either as a resident or as a traveling angler you may wish to get involved here. The dealine is the 31st of March so do it now!

A message from John Quinlan of irishbass.org:

You need to act fast. The deadline is the 31st March. It only takes a few seconds so do it today.
The Irish Government have decided to give the public a chance to recommend ideas on how we might get better value from Ireland’s marine resource (www.ouroceanwealth.ie)
Sea angling has not been taken seriously for many years right across the EU.* I would urge you to take this opportunity to tell the Irish government the enormous opportunity that exists by considering the needs of sea anglers when making management decisions about our seas.* Simply click here ( ouroceanwealth@marine.ie ) and you can let the Irish government know how important it is to have better management of out commonly owned fish stocks. Why not tell them that you would be much more likely to come and spend your money in Ireland if you felt that our marine fish stocks were better managed.
Thank you in advance.
John Quinlan

Click here (www.ouroceanwealth.ie) and you can quote from some of the figures below if you wish.

1. Recreational sea angling is worth €10 billion a year across the EU. We could do a much better job of cashing in on this enormous sum of money.
2. Irish angling tourism was worth €105 million in 2009 and €88 million in 2010.      This figure does not include the considerable spend of Irish anglers.
3. Across the world, specific sea areas reserved for angling have proved to be much      more valuable to the economy and the environment than when they were open      to commercial fishing.
4. Sea angling gives by far and away the most economically and sustainably viable      return to the economy while doing virtually no damage to the marine      habitat.
5. In the EU all marine fish stocks have been managed solely for the benefit of      commercial fishermen (with the one exception of Irish bass). As these      marine fish stocks belong to all of us, it is time for this to change.

It is well worth a look around the irshibass.org website, some really good work has been done and will be done in the future.

Night lure fishing does work and is very effective.

In my opinion it is the most productive time of day to fish, and once you get used to it, the most fun.

Please, from the outset, put a little thought into safety, and if you are unsure then don’t attempt it. Please be aware of the risks before you set out. When trying it at first always fish with a partner, always carry a head torch and if possible a backup light. Always tell someone where you are going and when you will be back. Only attempt it on a mark you are familiar with and obviously start out on an easier mark to access. Take a mobile, but be aware you may not get signal, consider the option to take a VHF marine radio.

This website will take no responsibility for any mishaps / injury / death due to going and trying this. It can be perfectly safe if you take proper care and pay proper attention to what you are doing.

I had always wondered would night fishing with lures work. I was unsure if fish like Bass would be able to find a lure in the dark and had previously kept my plugging sessions to the ‘traditional’ times of dawn and dusk. Through forums and blogs I read of more and more people giving it a go and having good success and thought why not. When I do bait fish, I do it at night anyway so it is nothing new really.

It does take a bit of getting used to lure fishing at night though. Casting is weird at first. You need to be sure you can cast where you want without being able to see anything. It pays to put some practice in daylight first. It might feel a bit daft, but try shutting your eyes while casting in daylight and getting the lure to where you want it to be without being able to see. I found at first it much easier to keep things going where I wanted by using an overhead cast, then moving onto more side casting.

It also takes a bit of getting used to the normal things you when lure fishing like stopping your retrieve when the lure gets back to you, closing the bail arm after a cast and making sure the line is tight, changing lures and tying new leaders.

Obviously you could use a head torch to help you with some or all of these things, but there is a good chance the light would look severely out of place to any fish nearby and you may risk spooking them. I tend to only put my light on when changing a leader, sometimes when changing lures and sometimes when moving about on mark.  All other times it is off. A wading stick can make things a lot easier for you here, but if in doubt put the light on. Only when you are very familiar with a mark would I consider trying to navigate rocks in total darkness.

When you do need to use your light, if possible face away from the water and try not to look straight down into it. Some believe using a red light or lens can help as the light is less visible to the fish. I will be experimenting a bit with that this year.

As a general tip for lure fishing, slow things down. I probably retrieve at about two thirds to half my normal speed at night. If using a floating hard lures I often slow right down to a crawl so that the lure is just pulling along the surface leaving a wake behind it.

My most successful lure at night last year was the IMA Komomo II in Joker Flashing plate. I found that a simple straight retrieve worked best with this lure with minimal pauses. I would say one turn of the handle on the reel very one to two seconds.

I also had good success working soft lures just off the bottom with a slow crawl. I was using straight lures like Lunker City Slug-gos and Megabass Xlayers mounted on jig heads of either 5g or 7g. After reading more on the subject and talking to other anglers, one new thing I am going to try this year is fishing with weightless and weedless soft plastics. Plastics suggested for me to try are 7.5” Slug-gos, Giant Xlayers and 5” Tiki Wave Worms.

These are rigged on a suitably sized weedless hook (maybe a 4/0 or 5/0) and that is it. Very simple to do.

Take it all slowly at first until you are comfortable. But soon you will feel just at home lure fishing day or night. It is ridiculously fun feeling the fish take the lure in the pitch black and then to fight it, only having a rough idea of where it is heading and how big it is.

Try it but be safe!

This year I am going to try something new with my hard lures. Any lures I own which have trebles that are blunt or are starting to show signs of rust, I am refitting with single hooks.

I have read about quite a few lure anglers moving over to using singles in the last year or so. The perceived benefits are that hook-ups are cleaner and more sure set, there is less damage to the fish, less chance of hooking yourself and as a bonus it is cheaper than refitting a lure with new trebles.

I have been told by a few anglers that their hook-up rates compared to other anglers fishing nearby are three to four times higher with very few missed takes. I am guessing this is due to the hooks being less likely to foul hook the fish and there is more chance of a firm hook hold in the mouth.

Anyone who has had to deal with a lively School Bass will know how much a mess a lure with three trebles can make of the fish on occasion. Having all three treble in a fish, often with multiple hooks per treble having pierced can make freeing the fish long and stressful. Reports on single hook use, are that very rarely are you catching the fish with the other hooks and the fact there is just one hook to remove, makes things quick and easy.

I am not going to go all out and replace the trebles on all my lures but I have about five or six candidates that are a little worse for wear so will be giving them a refit.

I have asked around on what to buy and the Decoy Plugging Singles have been the most recommended hook by far in the #2, #1 and #1-0. As guide I have been advised to use #1-0 hooks on anything over 120 mm and either a #2 or #1 on anything less. I will definitely be going out and testing them prior to when the fishing gets started to make sure the lures still swim as I want them to.

I have not removed the split rings on the lures I have refitted, just the trebles. This is a bit of a fiddly job but a tip to make it easier for yourself is to just open the split ring and add the new hook with the old hook still on there, and then slide the old hook and the new hook around together. Once a full turn is complete the old hook will pop off and then new one is secured on the ring. If you remove the old hook from the ring first you are making twice as much work for yourself. Split ring pliers can also help save your finger nails here, but prepare to swear and bleed a little.

Hopefully I will have some positive reports later in the year.

This summer my old Rapala sling bag gave up the ghost and needed replacing. After using the Rapala I like having a sling bag and wanted something similar. Having a sling bag makes things easier when in the water as you can just slide it round your body and access it without having to take the bag off like you would with a back pack. I had considered some of the newer  rucksack bags that are now available with chest pockets and chest packs but when I had tried them I felt encumbered by the pockets and compartments being on my chest and was always conscious of them being there getting in the way. With a sling bag you can slide it round onto your back when you are not using it and forget it is there.

The problem with the Rapala bag though was it fitted a couple of lure boxes in it and not much else at all. There was no room to carry a drinks bottle and it was a bit of a squeeze to get other things in there such as spare leaders, forceps and pliers, jigheads and such like. I wanted something that could carry the same amount of lures but also have room to easily take the other things I like to carry as well as space for food and drink for the days when you are out for hours.

Also being a sling bag, the Rapala had a tendency to slip about on your back and would swing round at inopportune moments when scrambling about on the rocks. I liked the freedom of being able to slide the bag round at will but hated having to keep pushing
it back round behind me when on the move.

The Snowbee sling bag came up a few times on discussion forums and after having a good look at it I decided to pick one up for myself. Immediately it was clear that there was a lot more space in the bag, but still it felt nice and compact. The main compartment has
room for two large lure boxes and still room to fit a few other small items in there. I am currently using some Zebco double sided lure boxes that carry fourteen lures each and these both fit in nicely and have plenty of room to slide out of the bag when needed.

If I am just out for a short session I can just take one box and have room for a jacket or jumper in there easily.

The zip on the main compartment opens as a flap that you can secure with two clips. You can balance your lure boxes using this flap to form a table of sorts, which makes swapping lures a bit easier, but it is not as handy as the Rapala bag’s rigid design. On the other side is a lense cleaner cloth for your sunglasses but this flaps about a bit when pulling box out and stuffing them back in and I think I’m going to cut this off.

Inside the main compartment there are two mesh pockets with zips that are perfect for fitting in a fair few packs of soft plastics, although I would probably prefer just one big
compartment to fit some of the larger packs in there instead of them poking out the top. Even with two lure boxes in the main compartment there is plenty of room to get in these pockets and rummage around.

On the top of the bag is a good sized zipped compartment that gives you the extra space I was needing from the Rapala bag. In here I can easily fit a spare spool, head torch and sunglasses case with loads of room still available. The opening on the compartment is designed so as to make it accessible both when the bag is in an upright position and also when the bag is sideways on after swinging it round to your front, without worrying about things falling out.

On the front of the bag is a large pocket that I keep spare leader material and a small box for jigheads and clips. You could probably fit a small lure box in here for soft plastics if you
wanted. On the front of the pocket is a separate mesh pocket which will hold the small things you like to keep handy.

On the bottom of the bag there is a mesh bottle holder with a toggle string to keep it in there. The holder is big enough for all the 500ml sized bottles I have tried.

On the shoulder strap there is a pliers sheath that seems to fit a variety of sizes including Snowbee’s own aluminium pliers. Near that there is a good strong D clip for securing tools.
There is also an elasticated band on the upper part of the strap for tucking things under or clipping things to. At the bottom of the strap and on the base of the bag there are a further two D clips for attaching tools. I currently attach a leash for my Boga to here and then either hang the bogs themselves off one of these clips or the D clip in the middle of the shoulder strap to make them easily accessible.

The massive plus of the bag though is a little strap that clips around your body onto the shoulder strap. This completely stops the bag swinging about when on your back and also allows you to get it snug to your back making it easier to wear for long periods. The
clips on this are quick to release and it is sensibly placed so never feels annoying to clip and unclip. This small strap and the main strap are fully adjustable and have small elasticated rings on them to keep the tails ends tidy and out of the way. The base of the strap and the back of the bag are well padded to make it comfortable to wear and also making it fit snuggly to your body.

One thing to note is that the main should strap is designed to go over the right shoulder. After coming from the Rapala bag this took a little getting used to. At first it felt like it
might impede my casting arm but it does not seem to inhibit me at all. However after long sessions I have had a bit of shoulder ache. I should mention though I have had reconstructive surgery on both my shoulders in the past so it may just be me.

If I could make any changes to the bag it would be to remove the lens clear cloth in the main compartment and replace all the zips with plastic ones as I am using it around saltwater and metal zips can corrode if you don’t rinse them often.

Overall I am delighted with the bag. It carries everything I could want for a full days fishing, without feeling bulky or intrusive. The bag sits nicely on you back, is easy to adjust
and doesn’t swing about like other sling bags. It is easy to use and quick to get access to all the compartments. The build quality feels spot on and it looks like it will last me a long time.

Proposal to raise the minimum landing size for bass to 48cm in Dorset, Hampshire and Isle of Wight

All the evidence demonstrates bass of the current minimum landing size (MLS) of 36cm in length will not yet have had a chance to reproduce. Over recent months the restoration team of the Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing Society (B.A.S.S.) has been searching for routes to get an increase in the minimum landing sizes (MLS) back on the agenda of policy makers. One route identified is via the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA) – bodies tasked with providing sustainable management of local inshore sea fisheries, with powers to set local fisheries bylaws to support their aims.

The B.A.S.S. restoration team led by Dorset based member Nigel Horsman have been campaigning to the Southern IFCA (an area that covers Dorset, Hampshire and the IoW) to for an increase in the MLS in this area from its current 36cm level to 48cm. This proposed figure is based on the research that shows most bass are not capable of breeding until they have reached at least 42cms (48 cms represents the minimum breeding size plus one year of growth). It is also proposed that there is an appropriate increase in the minimum net size in order to protect bass below this length from being caught and discarded as bycatch.

The key points of the proposal and of how such change makes sense for bass stocks, the local costal economy, anglers, and even the local commercial fishermen are available here:

http://ukbass.com/2011/11/10/souther…-the-bass-mls/

B.A.S.S. will be presenting these arguments to the Technical Advisory Committee, at 2.00pm on the 17th November at Bournemouth Town Hall. The Technical Advisory Committee will then report to the full Southern IFCA committee at their next public meeting which will be held on 15th December at 2.00pm in the Council Chamber, Poole Civic Centre. There will be vote on the proposal at the December meeting, which if it goes in our favour would set off a period of consultation lasting several months, before the committee can finally change local bylaws to support the proposal.

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves! The amount of support demonstrated towards such changes before the December vote is likely to be crucial in influencing whether the Sothern IFCA begins to move forward with the proposal. The support of yourself and anyone you know that is favour of such measures is therefore massively encouraged. You can help influence the outcome through your presence at the November and December meetings, as even though we cannot verbally contribute to these debates, a show of strength (at meetings rarely ever attended by the public) would demonstrate to the committee there is much support for the measure. Secondly, (and just as importantly) you can influence the committee through writing letters or sending emails to the addresses below (please send them after the first meeting on 17th November).

If we are successful and the Southern area IFCA adopts these proposal, it makes targeting other IFCAs with similar suggestions in the future an even more worthwhile enterprise. So given all this, it is no exaggeration to claim this proposal represents the best chance in years to improve the management of a resource that is clearly so valuable to so many of us here on The Lure Forum.

I know all this committee stuff sounds a bit drab, BUT it really doesn’t matter whether you know or care at all about fisheries politics, or whether or not you are a member of B.A.S.S. The key thing that matters is whether you as an individual care about the quality of your bass fishing in the years to come. So if you live OR ever fish in this area (and even if you don’t!) YOU as an individual can make a difference by telling the IFCA members that you support the proposed changes. The more letters and emails they receive the greater chance of these proposals being adopted. The campaign to date has moved fast and the signs so far have been encouraging – but there is a very long way to go. So if you support these proposals, anything you can do would be brilliant, as chances to bring about more bigger bass in the future are rare indeed!

Keep an eye on the BASS web site for updates. I am also happy to be contacted if you have any specific unanswered questions etc after you have looked at the BASS web site.

Many thanks

Matt Spence  (B.A.S.S. member 2204).

Send letters or emails to:

Dr A C Jensen, Chairman of Southern IFCA
IFCA Office 64 Ashley Road
Parkstone, Poole
Dorset
BH14 9BN

enquiries@southern-ifca.gov.uk

 

The B.A.S.S. organisation have two current issues they could use some help with. After seeing how successful anglers have been in lobbying their ministers in Ireland there should be no reason anyone with an interest in protecting Bass for future generations should not want to lend a hand. Both of these issues offer a chance to make a real difference.

Bass Management in Northern Ireland

Southern IFCA case for an increase in the Bass minimum landing size

B.A.S.S. are well worth getting involved with if you enjoy fishing for Bass and have an interest in making sure they stay around for future generations. Membership application are now open for 2012.

Bass conservation site IrishBass.org has posted some great news. There were threats that the commercial bass fishery could reopen in Ireland. It looks like the work of IrishBass as well as the many anglers who took time to write to ministers objecting to the proposals has paid off.

Irish Bass will still need your support to maitain pressure to develop the amazing natural resource available and to ensure that resource is avilable for genrations to come. So please visit the site and help in any way you can.

Read the news item here:

The following is taken from the latest Marine Times.

Minister Simon Coveney has finally decided to refuse the two year old request by the Federation of Irish Fishermen [FIF] to allow the commercial fishing of sea bass in the Celtic Sea. The Minister has confirmed that he is ‘not proposing changes at this time to the current arrangements in relation to bass fishing.

Taken from the Irish Times October 19th

The Friends of the Irish Environment has welcomed a decision by Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney to turn down a request to permit commercial catching of sea bass in the Celtic Sea.Sea bass have been protected since 1990, but only permanently since 2006.There is a complete ban on commercial exploitation and anglers are only permitted to keep two fish of more than 40cm in length in any 24-hour period.A number of sea angling associations have opposed a proposal by the Federation of Irish Fishermen to permit commercial catching of the species in the Celtic Sea area.

On behalf of Irish Bass I would like to congratulate all of you who helped make this happen. I met Simon Coveney myself about this issue and he confirmed the same to me. Letters and emails really make a difference and show the Department of Fisheries and the Ministers involved that bass anglers, who have looked after our stock so well for over 20 years, can not be walked over and taken for granted.

To put this achievement into perspective, there has never been a case in the EU where a Fisheries Minister rejected a proposal made by commercial fishermen where they were backed by scientific advice(Marine Institute bass report 2009). Our achievement is all the greater given that two of the previous ministers had publicly stated that they were in favour of commercial fishing for bass. Well done to you all and remember that lobbying works.

By the way Irish Bass is currently involved in the new IFI forum, The Bass Policy Group and the Tourism Strategy Group. We are still working on behalf of all bass anglers and will continue to do so.

Keep up the good work and lets “look after our bass”

Since launching last year this website has been recommending Power Pro braid to people who are new to Bass lure angling. The reasons being that it is such a user friendly and reliable product, which is important to people who are new to this area of angling.

In my opinion braid offers much more to the lure fisherman than mono line as its lack of stretch transmits so much more feeling and feedback to the angler as to what is happening with their lure. This allows the angler to know when the lure is scrapping rock, passing through weed and when a fish hits the lure with more clarity.

As mono stretches you are not getting an immediate feedback and it is much more possible to drag the lure into snags, but more importantly struggle to distinguish sublties such as the difference between a gentle take from a fish and the brush of weed against a lure.

The disadvantages of using braid, particularly to a new lure angler, are that it can take some management from the angler and need some consideration in its use. Braid is prone to what is known as wind knots, where the braid loops and catches on itself creating a practically impossible to untie tangle. This tangle can go unnoticed for a couple of casts until you are unlucky and snag on a cast, sending your lure to the horizon, or by jamming in your rod eyes while retrieving.

By using a good braid, casting correctly and making sure the braid is set correctly on the spool wind knots can be avoided almost completely. One tip when using braid is after casting, close the bail arm of your reel manually and then give the braid a pull away from the reel up the rod to ensure no loops have formed and the line is taught at the start of the retrieve.

The other disadvantage of using braid over mono is abrasion resistance. Braid is very strong in a straight line pull, but when pulled over a rough object such as rock, can fray and break easily. This is why many lure anglers choose to use a short rubbing leader as explained in the Setup section.

Power pro is very reliable in both regards. I have only had Power Pro wind knot on me once and that was due to a reel failure. The abrasion resistance is very good; the line will take a fair bit of punishment.

More recently though other brands have started to appear that have been getting good feedback from anglers and I have been keen to test them out, especially those that are comparable in price to Power Pro.

Many new braids are appearing using an 8 strand technology rather than the traditional 4 strand. These lines, are as they sound, created by weaving eight strands of fibre together rather than the usual 4. This allows thinner individual strands to be used yet still maintaining strength meaning the overall thickness of the line is reduced. This increases casting distance and allows you to cast lighter and lighter lures effectively. The downside perceived of these new 8 strand braid is that they have less abrasion resistance as well
as being in general more expensive than the traditional 4 strand.

I got the chance recently to review two braids from Sunline who have been making a big impact on the lure fishing scene recently. Firstly their Super PE four strand braid in 20lb breaking strain and secondly their new Momentum 4×4 8 strand braid in 16lb breaking strain.

I was particularly keen to try the Super PE as it has been compared directly to Power Pro. First impressions were that it felt a quality line; it felt more supple and thinner than Power Pro and well rounded. I tested it with a few knots to mono and fluorocarbon leaders and they held firm while being easy to tie.

The line is a bright green colour that makes it easy to see in light or dark conditions and unlike other braids I have tried the colour stays in the line and doesn’t stain your hands when using it.

After spooling it up I took it out for a few sessions and immediately it was clear that although many of the characteristics are similar to Power Pro it casts further and retrieves quieter. The improved casting was especially noticeable when using lighter lures like soft plastics.  Like power pro it feels strong when pulling across snags and I had no failures. Checking the line afterwards there was no obvious signs of damage and I continued to feel confident using it on some pretty harsh marks.

I used it to fish a mix of soft and hard plastics of varying weights. It always seemed to lie nicely on the spool when slowly working soft plastics and the feedback when using these was great.

Overall I was very impressed with the Super PE. It had all the good attributes of Power Pro but with the added casting distance and quietness through the rod rings. It just feels like a high quality product and is a pleasure to use.

I would possibly recommend dropping down to the 16lb version, even for new starters who may be paranoid about losing lures, as I had so much confidence in the strength and durability of the line. Even though it is slightly more expensive than Power Pro I would say it was worth the jump.

The other braid I got the chance to use is Sunline’s new Momentum 4×4 in 16lb breaking strain. This is one of Sunline’s premium 8 strand braids. The same quality as the very popular Castaway braid, but slightly cheaper due to the resin finish.  First impressions were that it just feels so thin. Ridiculously thin than you fear it will never stand up to any tests in the sea. Again I tried out a few knots with the line before spooling up. With 8 strand braid I will always double the braid over when tying leader knots which will help stop the braid cutting into the leader material as it is so thin. I had no issues with tying nice neat joins to my leaders and crude tests proved knots were holding fast first time without any slippage.

After I got it spooled I tested on a variety of marks and conditions to give it a good work out. Starting with some pretty clean marks it performed very well. It casts unbelievably well due to its small diameter. Small soft plastics went very respectable distances and the feedback in the line was spot on. The ease of casting meant I could drop down the sizes and weights of plastics that I would not usually use. I was still able to cast big hard lures though with confidence and even managed an unwanted test of hard casting a Pachinko II with the bail arm over without any break in the line.

I was a little apprehensive of using the line on some rougher marks but I was soon proved silly to be so. Fishing weedless soft plastics along the bottom on a few marks over reefs gave me reassurance that this line was up to the job. Every scrape and bump over the rocks could be felt and although the line could be felt grating I never saw any evidence of fraying
on the line.

Although these were not scientific lab tests I got some real world chances to see how tough the line was. When bouncing lures along the bottom I got myself into a few snags which required a straight pull out. The nature of some of these snags meant that the leader was not going to be the only part of the line in contact with the rough bottom. Each time the lure pulled out without the line snapping, bending a hook out on one occasion. I know from experience that other 8 strand braids I have used on these marks have given way in similar situations.

I would not advocate that this line is a magic solution and will not snap under any circumstances but it is the best performing 8 strand I have used personally. Like all 8 strands, it is a bit pricy and newcomers may struggle with it being so thin, but if you feel you are ready to move onto using an 8 strand I can fully recommend the Momentum 4×4.

 

 

 

 

For the past few months I have been using the Sonik SK3 breathable waders. Previously I had been using the Greys G-Series waders but after having two pairs fail on me I wanted to look and see what else was on available. Breathable waders are essential to me with my fishing. I am often wading onto marks or fishing in waist deep water and the nature of lure fishing means you will be often moving, so you need something that will keep you dry but will also be comfortable and lightweight. Neoprene waders can feel too heavy and hot to wear for this type of fishing, especially in summer,  breathables let you cover the ground without ending up sweating buckets. 

First impressions of the waders were that the material was definitely a lot more durable than the Greys G Series I had been using previously. It feels much thicker and tougher, which I thought would mean they would be less breathable and was expecting to get sweaty using them. After using them on some very hot days though I can say they perform excellently and I was never overheating or getting damp. 

The extra durability of the material gives me a lot more confidence when scrambling around rocks and walking through thorny bushes. To be honest I have mistreated them a bit but they have shown no signs of damage or leaking, even after sliding down embankments, walking through a fields of brambles, navigating through jagged boulder fields and falling flat on my backside. 

With the Greys I had previously been using I was always hesitant even to sit down in them on anything rough as the material felt thin and I had managed to put small holes in the upper leg from bramble bushes. With the SK3’s I don’t really think about what I am doing in them and have confidence they will be up to it. All while remaining cool and comfortable. 

The fit of the waders is comfortable. Plenty of room in them without feeling overly baggy. They come with a wading belt which allow you to unclip the shoulder straps and wear them as waist waders if you want. The boot feet on them feel correctly fitted and you don’t end up with excess material needing to be stuffed into your boot or pulled out to make wearing them comfortable. The shoulder straps have a nice little feature on the clips where the left strap will only clip on the left side and the right on the right side. Just a little thing but make it easier to avoid putting them on with a twist in the straps.

 

On the front there are a couple of D clips in a handy position for anything you might want to clip on. 

The SK3’s also have gravel guards on the ankles with a small metal clip to fit onto your boot laces, keeping them in place. These appear to work fine and I never seem to have grit or sand creeping in. This will also help protect the boot feet from scrapes and spikes as you are wearing them. 

Inside the front of the waders there is a small mesh pouch. You can fit a few things in here but it is just mesh so don’t put anything that can be damaged by water in there. When you buy them there is a repair kit in there should you need it. The waders come supplied in a mesh bag which is perfect for storing them in without them getting too stinky. 

The seals on the boot feet seem strong and well manufactured. Both times the Greys failed on me it was the seals on the boot feet letting in water. Obviously breathable waders are not primarily designed for salt water but the speed at which the seals failed for me with the G-Series surprised me. I have not used the Soniks long enough to give a judgement on this but the seals still look absolutely fine whereas the Greys were already showing signs at this stage. Still dry in the SK3s. 

General consensus within anglers is that breathable waders in saltwater will not last you forever, even if you spend three or four hundred pounds on a top of the range pair. I am not prepared to spend hundreds on something that will need replacing after a few years, so on the cheaper side the Sonik SK3 are priced right at the lower end of the scale,  but have given me a top class performance so far and feel real quality. I have no problems recommending them on the site to anyone looking for waders and will be using them myself for the future.

http://www.soniksports.com/products/waders-boots/199/sonik-sk3-breathable-waders

 

 

If I had to pick one bass lure above all others at the moment it would be the IMA Komomo II. The lure is  15 grams in weight and 110 mm long, but deceivingly casts an absolute mile. Its swims just under the surface to a maximum of about 10 centimetres which makes it really useful on a lot of my marks which are very shallow and often weedy.

The lure works with a number of retrieves. With a normal straight retrieve you can go fast or slow, it seems to keep a nice action at any speed and will still dive to the same depth. The lure has an unusual ‘beaked’ face to it which acts as the diving vane but also allows you to lift the rod tip and ‘pop’ the lure giving you splashes on the surface. Fish it really slow and throw in a few of these pops and it is almost a surface lure. Also you can fish
it slow in a straight retrieve with the rod tip held very high you can get it to cause a nice ‘V’ wake on the surface that can work well at night.

The lure comes with decent trebles and there are only two of them which I prefer, as it leaves less chance of the fish getting extra hooks in itself or me when releasing fish. IMA lures can come in some pretty wacky colours but the two I am liking are the Asanago Flashing plate for daytime and the Joker Flashing plate for darker conditions and night fishing. Both these colours have clear sides with the colour on the inside of the plastic.  This means the trebles don’t scratch the finish off straight away as I have seen elsewhere.

I will say though, that the lure can struggle in more choppy seas. As it swims so shallow it doesn’t take a huge amount of swell to start the lure popping out in the waves and I tend to only fish it in pretty calm conditions. I will be carrying this lure for a few seasons to come. It also helps that I got my p.b. on this lure as well!