Rapala X-Rap Countdown

This pikey bream fell for the rainbow trout colour XRCD

Over my last few yak fishing trips, in the local estuary systems, I have had an increasing success with slow sinking hardbody lures. These lures, namely the Rapala Countdowns, Mini Fat Raps and the Rapala Ultra Light lures excel when targeting a variety of species with a more finesse approach. While floating lures are the most conventional technique for fishing the structure, sinking lures bring a new dimension to the game of snag bashing.

The Rapala X-Rap Countdown is a new addition to the Rapala range, being introduced for the end of 2012. By incorporating a negative buoyancy into the aesthetic finish of the Rapala X-Rap, this new little lure swims with a seductive body roll, but then on the pause, falls with an attractive flutter to entice hungry fish into a bite. With the added weight the Rapala XRCD casts like a bullet making it an accurate casting lure, even in windy conditions.

The day after the Rapala X-Rap Countdown hit the shelves I was testing these lures out from the kayak. In about 3 minutes after launching the kayak I had already hooked up on a nice yellowfin bream by just trolling and twitching the lure over the flats. With a quick change of tactics I began casting the lure deep into the mangrove overhanging banks now I was further away from the boat ramp. Once the lure lands in the snags, it pays to take it slow and give it a few sharp twitches then give it a pause, so that the lure flutters down to the bottom and imitates an injured fish.

Bream arn't the only predators in these waters. This mangrove jack smashed the lure as soon as it hit the water.

After only one day of testing out this lure I had landed 2 yellowfin bream, 2 black/pikey bream, 2 mangrove jacks and even a couple little moses perch. This little lure has really impressed me and I can’t wait to see what fish it will pull out of the snags next time.

A solid yellowfin bream tagged and ready for release.

Cheers,

Rhett Thorne

Rapala Barra Magnum Tribute

Over the years many lures have stood up to the challenge of the iconic barramundi, though few have impacted the way we target these excellent sportfish like the Rapala Barra Magnum.

The Rapala Barra Magnum 'Nordic Perch' colour

This lure is tough as nails, being constructed of the very durable Abachi wood and fitted with VMC Perma Steel hooks. The enhanced deep diving lip design allows the lure to dig deep into the structure to draw out any hungry predators.



This Big Barra smashed the BMAG11 when it was slowly twitched in the snags.



One of the most deadly retrieves is to cast the Barra Magnum as far into the snags as possible, crank it down into the ‘strike zone’ and give it a sharp twitch and pause. The key to this retrieve is to impart a darting action like a wounded baitfish, without moving the lure out of the snags. If the lure hits a snag, it will float out, in a backwards motion on the pause, due to its positive buoyancy. It is very important yo keep slight tension of the line during the pause, as most barra will smash the lure as it rises out of the structure.







This lure has proven itself on countless occasions, though all good things must come to an end. Unfortunately for the Rapala Barra Magnum the end is near, with the lure being discontinued by the end of 2012. The guys at Rapala VMC have decided to release the old favourite colours, as well as some unseen ones, in the final run of the Barra Magnum. Check with your local Rapala dealer to get your hands on the limited edition Rapala BMAG11 while stocks last.

As the door closes on the BMAG11 era, another is opened with the release of the Storm Thunder Barra. This is one of the new and improved barramundi lures by Rapala VMC and has quickly made its mark on more than a few barramundi over the last season. If you loved the Rapala Barra Magnum, the Thunder Barra will have you begging for water in no time.



A salty silver barra taken on the Storm Thunder Barra Lure





The Thunder Barra taken 'head first' into the business end of this barra. 



Hobie Fishing

After purchasing my 2012 Hobie Adventure Island I was keener than ever to take it out for a spin. Having a sail, mirage drive system, rudder and outriggers, this yak is by far a more advanced set up than my common paddle kayak.

The assembling of this yak took place where I unloaded it off the car, then used the wheelcart to transport it to the beach. On my first launch I waded out into the surf, jumped in and paddled out past the breaking waves. I then locked in the mirage drive, which on my first attempt was locked in backwards! After fixing up my pedals, I un-furled the sail, then cruised along the beach at a considerable speed. I practiced a few tacks, gybes and furling/unfurling the sail. The akas can be used to fold the amas beside the yak, which is vital when landing sizable fish.

My first launch

Being confident with the manoeuvrability of the yak I then let out my trolling lure and had a few quick runs of the beach. My trolling outfit was a 15kg Okuma Salina II Jig  rod  paired with an Okuma Salina II 5000 reel, spooled with 35Lb Sufix Tru-Braid.  With the possibility of a few mackerel hanging around, my lure of choice was the Rapala Countdown Magnum 11 in the 2012 released chrome colour. This lure can be trolled at a variety of speeds, having a wounded kicking action at slow pace, though has a tight wobble at high speeds without kicking out. This makes it a very versatile lure being used for a variety of species.

The 2012 released Chrome colour to the Rapala Magnum range

Deciding to head out towards a rocky island I locked in the dagger board and began my zigzagging tacks into the wind. When I reached the island I let out my trolling lure and continued to navigate around with both sail and pedal power.

As I passed a rocky point, the Salina II began to sing the mackerel song with a short burst run. My technique was to continue to steer away from the island, to first clear the rocks, and furl the sail. I then began to fight the fish. A small spotty mackerel was the result of the first pass of the point and my first fish from the new yak.

Travelling along the beach before heading out to the island

Gaffing through the mouth

I then headed back around and let out my trusty chrome Rapala and began on another troll past the point. Just like last time the rod bent in the holder as soon as I cleared the point. The Salina II however sung a different song as the fish hung deep in the water, pulling hard on the other end of the line in attempt to break me off on the rocky bottom. With the use of the mirage drive I was able to manoeuvre myself, rather than being pulled into the rocks. As the fish surfaced, having one look at me, made another screaming run for the rocks. With the high quality drag system of the reel, the fish was quickly subdued and brought alongside the yak. The ama was folded beside the main hull and a gaff through the mouth of the fish landed it with little fuss.

Measuring at 64cm this was my first Fingermark (Golden Snapper) and one hell of a catch from a Yak.

A great catch on my first AI trip

The Rapala CD Magnum 11 has once again proved to be an outstanding trolling lure. The chrome colour produces heaps of flash, being easy to see even in turbid water, making it a clear target for any saltwater predators.

The lure doing the damage

I can’t wait till the next trip in my new Hobie Adventure Island after having such a phenomenal experience on its maiden voyage.

Tight lines,

Rhett Thorne

Learning to Lure

Almost being blown away with winds around 20 knots, we headed down to fish the sand flats and rocky structure around the local estuary system. I was fishing with my mate George, with the aim to catch a few nice fish on light gear and lures, as George had never caught a fish on lure.

We started the day by throwing out the Storm twitching nipper lures, in hope of a flathead, over the sand flat section of the estuary. The retrieve technique is to let the lure sink to the bottom, then give it a few quick twitches then let it sink back down. Most flathead tend to hit lures on the drop so it pays to watch your line for any bumps as it sinks back down. Unfortunately we were unable to hook up on any flathead.

We soon progressed to casting hard body style lures at the rocky structure. The lures of choice were the Rapala original floater, Rapala Ultra Light minnow & shad as well as the Storm deep baby thunderstick. 

Georges first Fish on Lure

In no time George had hooked up on his very first lure fish, a goldspot rockcod, while using the 5cm original floater in the orange tiger colour. The lure was simply twitched around the rocky structure to entice out any hungry fish.

Lured Bream

I began casting the Ultra light shad in the pink colour, after catching a baby cod on the minnow. This lure is great for targeting the fish feeding near the bottom, as it can be cranked and or twitched over rocks, with a slow sinking action on the pause, while still remaining snag free. My 1-3kg Okuma X-Factor began to dance as head shakes began to pull from the other end of the line. The smooth drag of the Trio 20 reel allowed the fish to run downstream, using the current, but soon tired before it could dart for cover. A nice bream being quite a reward for the Ultra light shad.

My first brem on the Ultra Light Shad

We soon relocated to another patch of rocks where we both managed to pull off a few little cod. George then managed to catch a slightly larger cod after tying on the 4cm storm deep baby thunderstick. This fish managed to straighten the tail treble while darting for cover, but with George on the other end was safely landed, tagged and released.

A nice lure caught Cod

I made the decision to swap to the silver brown Rapala Ultra Light shad, as the highly reflective sides send out heaps of flash which imitates wounded baitfish like herring. While after catching another little cod, I put a cast right up into a washy section between two rocky patches and gave it a couple sharp twitches. The rod in one quick motion bent down and the line zipped through the water. The fish luckily swam past a barnacle encrusted rock which could have shredded my 8lb fluro leader. The fish used the wash and flow to pull downstream, forcing me do wade through the water to stay hooked up. A silver flash slowly surfaced and beached into a little cove.

Barra on light tackle

The brute force pulling on the other end of the line was a nice salty barra which was tagged and released after a few quick pics. My first barra for the Ultra Light Shad, not bad for a bream size hardbody.

This Barra ate the Rapala Ultra Light Shad in the silver brown colour

It wasn’t long before we had caught a couple more undersized cod, but then George managed to hook up on a hard pulling baby GT. He had told  the day before that the GT was on his bucket list, not sure if this is quite the fish in mind but still a great catch on bream gear and a new species for that spot.

George with his first ever GT

George was using my Okuma Taurino and Okuma Avenger II combo and was casting like a pro, getting the little hard bods into the structure, even though he had never lure cast in his life. I sure as hell can’t wait till we wet a line again.

The Storm Deep Baby Thunderstick

Fishing the estuaries is always excellent sport while using light Okuma gear and the little Rapala & Storm lures.

Hobie Adventure Island

Kayak fishing has very much evolved over the years with the production of innovatively designed kayaks, built specifically for the purpose. Hobie has reached the pinnacle of kayak fishing with a wide range of kayaks suited for the tournament bream scene to offshore fishing for pelagic.

Launching the Hobie AI for the first time

Being a kayak fisherman for only the last couple of years I have idolised Josh Holmes, the producer of the Yakass video series, for his expertise of offshore fishing from a kayak. More specifically fishing from the Hobie Adventure Island (AI). This kayak can be used regularly as a kayak, as a pontoon yak (having one outrigger), and as a trimaran when fully rigged. Equipped with a paddle, mirage drive pedal system and the furling sail, this is truly the ultimate fishing kayak.

The ultimate fishing kayak

After making the decision to purchase the Hobie Adventure Island I contacted Mal from Sunstate Hobie in Cooroy as he is the nearest Hobie dealer to the Capricorn Coast. My choice of the ‘Golden Papaya’ AI with the Hobie Trax 2 wheelcart and two Ram aluminium tube rod holders.

Picking up the yak from Sunstate Hobie

The guys from Sunstate Hobie rigged up the rod holders by attaching two Ram space saver mounts onto the inside rear crossbar. When fastened, the tubes will not be pulled backwards out of place, as they are braced by the crossbars. This is a great feature when you hook up on a big fish as it holds the rod firmly in place.



Mal and Lee from Sunstate Hobie displaying the installed Ram tubes.



The only thing left to do was to install the camera mount, purchased from Maclean Outdoors, and my Rapala decals. I will be releasing video footage of the Hobie Adventure Island in action very soon so keep your eye peeled.

For anyone who is interested in purchasing new or second hand Hobie kayak drop in here Sunstate Hobie here  http://www.sunstatehobie.com.au/

The guys are great and will look after you.

 

For anyone down in NSW I must recommend the Maclean Outdoors dealer where you can browse there online store here http://macleanoutdoors.net.au/

Learning to Fly

After watching Rob Paxevanos, presenter of Fishing Australia, fly fishing for species like trout in Tasmania, then flying for permit in the tropics, I knew at once that I had to try it out for myself. Gear is the first thing you need to think about which varies depending on what type of fishing you will be doing.

I bought the Okuma Airframe 7/9 weight reel and an Okuma Airframe 9ft rod to match with target species like queenfish, giant herring, barramundi, cod and milkfish in mind. After practicing my casts in the backyard I quickly became confident that this would become a very intriguing hobby.

A few flies and my Okuma Fly Box

On a Friday afternoon, after finishing school and playing squash with my mates, I bought a pack of flies from BCF and headed down to the local estuary system. Without having any tapered leader or tippets, I tied 8ft of 20lb fluro-carbon leader onto my floating fly line using a nail knot, then my chosen fly onto the leader with a small loop knot.

The loop knot attaching my leader to the fly proved to be quite effective

.

The sun was setting by the time I arrived at the narrow creek of the estuary. I began making casts over the sandy banks with a pink head white fly. I slowly twitched it in. The longer I stayed the harder it was to cast, becoming dark quite fast. I hadn’t planned to get there so late, as result didn’t bring a head torch.

By dark I couldn’t even see the fly line on the casts, instead listening to the line whistling through the air to depict my timing and distance.. I decided to cut my loss and have one last cast before for calling it a day. About half way along the bank the line stopped as if it hit a wall. Holding my breath, hoping it wasn’t just a rock, I gave it a slight tug then it took off. The line disappeared through my fingers and into the darkness. The biggest surprise is the 1:1 ratio of a fly reel which is quite different to my spin gear. Also having to palm the spool was the most important thing for me.

This lovely barra fell for the little white and pink fly.

In no time I was well into my backing, probably because I did not keep enough tension, while slipping over rocks, trying to lead the fish into the open sandy bank section.  Finally I gained most of my line, by palming the reel while lifting the rod, then reeling in while lowering the rod. When the fish finally gave in I beached it onto the sand. To my surprise it was a barra, not a queenfish as I expected due to its sheer speed.



My first fish on a fly 58cm Barra!

The barramundi, my first ever fish on a fly, measured 58cm in length. It really shows how persistence pays off, especially on that one last cast.

Rapala Ultra Light Series Review

With the new release of the latest Rapala lures to the Australian market of 2012, the Ultra Light hard body lures have led the charge into the tournament fishing scene with an irresistible finesse.



The Rapala Ultra Light Series



The range consists of the Rapala Ultra Light Shad 04 as well as the Ultra Light Minnows 04 and 06. These lures feature a slightly negative buoyancy, which gives the lure a finesse sinking action on the pause. Predatory fish cannot resist the tight wobbling action of the lures, followed by the seductive sinking action on the pause, which generates most of the strikes.

The Rapala Ultra Light Series comes in a range of 12 colours, including 6 Australian exclusive ‘glass’ patterns. The lure also features 3D holographic eyes, diving lip design and a weighted body which allows the lure to cast like a bullet, even in strong winds.

3 of the Australian exclusive glass patterns.

The Ultra Light Shad comes in one size (04) measuring 4cm in length, but don’t judge the size of this little bad boy. Diving 1.2- 1.5m this little shad is a lethal weapon for targeting bottom feeding fish like flathead and foraging bream.

A nice flathead taken by casting the UL Shad 04

The Rapala Ultra Light Minnow is featured in two sizes, the 4cm (04) and the 6cm (06) which are only small in size, not fish ability. These remarkable lures are ideal for shallow water presentation and flats fishing, with their hard kicking action and shallow bib, diving to around 0.6- 0.9m under the surface.

This big cod smashed the Ultra Light Minnow 06 on my bream gear

For a more shallow retrieve, ideal for targeting white, keep the rod tip up and bounce the lure just under the surface while constantly reeling in. Also for a deeper approach, let the lure sink down deeper on the pause if the ‘strike zone’ is down a bit further.

'Say Ahh'

I have caught some amazing fish on all of these lures, but when I think of these lure one unforgettable experience springs to mind. While night fishing I decided to throw out the 4cm ULM after having no luck on any other lure. Instantaneously I caught 10 estuary cod in a row. With disbelief I upgraded to my new favourite hard body, the 6cm Ultra Light Minnow. After a couple of casts I hooked up on one hell of an angry fish which screamed off into the night. After bringing the fish into the shallows I was surprised to see a 56cm barramundi thrashing around at my feet.

Casting the ULM 06 at night produced this nice barra.

After releasing the barramundi, I cast out my lure into the same spot. Just after flicking the bail arm over the line began to scream off without me even having to bring the lure in. Just as before, I pulled up another barra, this one being 2cm smaller than the last.

The Second Barra that smashed the lure as soon as it hit the water.

This really goes to show that size isn’t a barrier when it comes to fishing with the Rapala Ultra Light Series. These little lures punch far above their weight and excel as a tournament class finesse lure.

Exploring New Water

When it comes to estuary fishing, everyone has a secret spot, tucked away in the upper reaches of remote creek. I’m exactly the same when it comes to kayak fishing, as I paddle past many possible honey-holes in order to get to my own secret spot.

After having a long break from my kayak I had been keener than ever to get out on the water and flick my Rapala Lures into my favourite snag. I launched my kayak and began the paddle out to my spot in the glassy conditions of flat water and not even the slightest breeze of wind.



Picture perfect conditions



Wasting half an hour getting to my spot I happily began casting my lure at the snags most likely to hold fish. Only a minute later I was greeted by the frustrating sound of a boat motor cruising down my creek, which so happened to pull up just at my spot. Not so secret eh? I then spent the next two hours casting at empty snags or shut down fish.

 My gear of choice is a baitcast combo for throwing larger hard-bodies, like the Rapala Saltwater X-rap 10 at Barra and Jacks in the snags, and a light spin combo for casting the Rapala Ultra Light minnows and shads at flathead and bream. The baitcaster combo of choice was my Okuma V-200A on the Silstar Barra Stik rod, while my spin combo was my new Okuma Avenger II 25 on the Okuma Taurino rod.

The Okuma V-System 200a Baitcaster

After having enough I left my creek and headed off, back towards the boat ramp, where I found a small sand bottom inlet, unlikely for a boat to access.

 I cast at the snaggy bank and gave my X-rap 10 two sharp twitches and let the lure pause, as if to imitate an injured baitfish. When I began to twitch again I felt a thump… thump …thump. Then a flash of silver darted through the water. My first call was a nice little barra, but when the fish got close to the yak it became obvious it was a huge bream. The fish thrashed across the surface, shaking it’s head in attempt to spit the hooks. Unfortunately for me he did, before swimming away and down into the muddy water. I think I recall him rudely flicking his fin up at me, as if to give me the bird, while he disappeared into the depths.

Losing fish isn't fun, but you have to keep casting and hope for another.

After I finished crying over what would have been a PB bream I continued my search for a new creek.  I paddled my way looking for promising snags till I found a mangrove tree which had collapsed into the water. I cast on an angle which allowed me to land my lure between the branches of the fallen tree. I aggressively twitched my lure into the timber then SMACK it was dragged in deeper by a bronze mangrove jack. I managed to pull the jack out of that snag, but he soon hooked the other set of trebles on a mangrove root in the shallows along the bank.

 Once I made it to the bank I jumped out of the yak, into the shin deep water, then pulled him off the snag and pinned him down in the seat of my kayak, so he couldn’t escape like the bream managed to early on. The jack was tagged and released after a couple quick pictures.

The latest trend in fish fashion

I can’t wait to head back up to the new creeks I found with my 6’6” Okuma X-Factor 1-3kg rod so I can chase down those bream. When fishing close into the snags and in the skinny creeks it really pays off to have a shorter rod. But then again my  7’2” Okuma Taurino is unbeatable for castability and is by far a better option for flats, rocks and beaches when casting either soft or hardbody lures.

A nice jack from my my new 'Secret Spot'

This trip really proved to me the importance of exploring my local estuary to look for those hot spots that everyone goes straight past.

Fishing the Estuary

While on my second trip, back to the local estuary system, I was armed and dangerous with the Storm Wildeye Twitching Nipper soft plastics, and an assortment of Rapala hardbody lures.

Arriving over an hour before the peak of low tide we began the trek along the deeper creek, with tight timber banks, that fanned into shallow sand flats. My first lure to hit the water was the Storm nipper in the pearl colour as it was a proven standout when compared to other soft plastic lures. It wasn’t long before the nipper got the chomp and my Okuma rod was bent as a nice flathead darted through the water. 

A nice Flatty that smashed a Storm Nipper

As we progressed down the creek I decided to test out one of my new Rapala Jointed Shad raps. I chose the shad colour and began casting it out towards the snags. The lure floated on the water till I began my slow twitching retrieve across the bottom giving the lure an injured tail kicking action. On my third cast about half way from the snags my line tightened and the fight was on. My first assumption was a flathead because the fish hit the lure over an open sand bar, but as it approached the banks, I realised it was a Goldspot Rockcod.

The Goldspot Rockcod

I few casts later my I hooked up again, but much closer to the snags, on what I think may have been a Finger-mark or Moses perch around 35cm in length, but the fish spat the hooks before I landed it.

1st fish for my new Rapala Jointed Shad Rap

I soon changed my lure back to Storm nipper as I feared losing my little Rapala in the snags. With no more hits we started to head back up the creek. As we passed a shallow flat in the estuary we heard a splash across the surface and thought about having that one last cast. As I did I decided to use a much faster flicking retrieve in hope of a little Queenfish. In after the lure covered about 2 meters of water it was stopped dead in its tracks and raced off in the opposite direction. The fish had a very fast first run but quickly tired. My first thought was a massive whiting, but as I saw the forked tail I noticed it was a Giant Herring, which is a fairly rare catch in our area.

My biggest Giant Herring yet (thanks to the Storm Nipper)

The fish was a released after a few quick pictures and then we headed back up the creek where we landed a couple more little cod and flatties. I can’t wait till next time so I can test out the new Rapala Ultra Light Lures.