'Skute' mania

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    Posted: 15 Sep 2018 at 11:32pm
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I've had some fun while the littlies are away tying up some 'skutes' to try in my normal soft baiting spots. I used to enjoy tying trout flies, so it's cool to maybe employ those skills in the salt environment.
I used Berkley Stealth 3/8 oz and 1/4 oz jigheads.
The first one I tried in the water - in Bruised Banana colours - looked great in the water, lots of movement as the rabbit fur tail undulates, and the fur pulses. Only got one hit, which I missed. But I plan to give them a fair run versus soft plastic bodies.

More about the pattern here, in the salt fly tyers forum thread.

https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/topic65879_post1736397.html#1736397


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Garry 23041 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Sep 2018 at 7:35am
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Those look nice, I bet they work well.

My fishing buddy has been tying these as well as making his own softbaits for years.

Last spring he made some fairly large skutes/scoots? (feathers not hook). I would say about the size of 7" softies or longer.

For some reason we had a surge of big fish last spring and he was for sure doing better on the larger fish with the larger ones.

He caught a bunch more fish in the 3 weeks or so they were in our area in the 20-25lb range than I did with my micros.

I still got my share and lots of nice fish were returned but he did eclipse me and his big fish bite was much more reliable than mine so there you go!

I didn't try using bigger jigs because I wanted eating fish and was getting the odd big fish action I wanted to keep me happy.
I don't think if I had of upsized I would have achieved his strike rate though.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Sep 2018 at 8:41am
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Thanks Garry, we all dream of a spot with 25lbers on a daily basis!

The ones I've tied are 5-6 inches. I might try a couple of longer ones. I guess a big snapper that size just engulfs the whole thing, so tail nipping isn't a problem.
They really pulse and snake in the water, so should do the trick.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Garry 23041 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Sep 2018 at 10:06am
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Yeah it was the correct rig for the situation to be fair.

Very unusual to see a school of big snapper hanging around like that any more...

There were a lot in there at the mid teen mark so was very surprising.

we were setting up a drift and catching nice fish for 30-40 minutes per so they were there in numbers.

I tend to fish till I get 3 or 4 good eaters (40-45ish) and leave but my friend does a lot more catch and release so he had a better feel of the extent of it.

Al the best with the lures, report back sometime.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Cliff M-F Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2018 at 9:09pm
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Originally posted by The Tamure Kid The Tamure Kid wrote:

I've had some fun while the littlies are away tying up some 'skutes' to try in my normal soft baiting spots. I used to enjoy tying trout flies, so it's cool to maybe employ those skills in the salt environment.
I used Berkley Stealth 3/8 oz and 1/4 oz jigheads.
The first one I tried in the water - in Bruised Banana colours - looked great in the water, lots of movement as the rabbit fur tail undulates, and the fur pulses. Only got one hit, which I missed. But I plan to give them a fair run versus soft plastic bodies...

I'd be keen to hear how they perform compared to the regular softbaits TTK!

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2018 at 9:38pm
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I will certainly report back.

What I have noticed is that, as advertised, due to the lack of bulk when the body is wet they drop pretty fast - and quite vertically (which sounds like a dumb statement in some ways!). What I mean is that they don't hang slightly horizontally like, for example, a buoyant Z Man does.
They go down nose first.

So on the retrieve you can get an exaggerated up and down jiggling movement with the right lift. Any pause and they head for the bottom.

So I can see why Nathan on BAF has started to incorporate foam in the body of his, to slow the sink rate and get hang on the retrieve.

He uses a 1/2 oz jighead to get casting distance, but then ties some jandal material or similar around the hook shank before tying in the fur/feather.

If you go lighter - say 1/4 oz - with the lightweight body, you compromise casting distance which is crucial in the shallows.

I think that without foam they would fish better in slightly deeper water, say 15-20m, rather than 5-10m.
I doubt they will noticeably out fish softbaits, because some I use are pretty deadly, but it's fun to tie them up and it'll be neat to catch a nice fish on something I tied.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote PE Pete Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Sep 2018 at 7:20am
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They look awesome Lester...
Tight lines
PE Pete
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Sep 2018 at 10:10pm
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Thanks Pete. They'll look even better in the corner of a decent snapper's jaw - fingers crossed.
Hope  you're getting amongst it. Great to be able to put a face to the name, now.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote nzfishwhisperer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2018 at 10:36am
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Hi TTK - I have only been chucking a couple round over past 2 seasons  and quite enjoyed it, the best time was when we started with softbaits out the back of Tiri last Dec when the fish were schooling up and after some banter pointed at me from the mates of them catching better fish than I considering I fish 100 times more than them I pulled out my secret weapon - told them I'll shut them up with my skute....

They gave me that look especially the sight of it as it had been thrashed and wasn't much to it - I hadn't done that well with it so had to put my money where my mouth was and would of been a bad rest of the day if it didn't preform Ouch - I was under pressure and sometimes you just think you know the answer but it all fell my way and little did they know I was as surprised as they were LOL but I didn't let on - you know how it is...

My very first cast with it, it got smashed mid water and yip out came the banter right back at them Big smile- but yes although holding my chest out and head high I was very surprised as I didn't even have to work it...It was a nice fish to - 2nd cast same thing smashed and then the "I told you so " came out, this one was a solid fish to around 10lb and that really shut them up as most of there fish coming up at the same time were around 40-45cm which is still a good fish.

Couple more fish to my name on the skute after that it had done me proud - but it was all in fun but still with fish of the day going to the skute...

I don't think it may out fish softbaits nor take them over but I think once you get the nack of them and the last ability of them, between having micro / slow pitch jigs and skutes you may not have to spend big dollars on having to replenish your softies so much And the added bonus is they aren't plastic so don't end up in fish's stomach or over the side....

My skute was a couple season's old and still catching on it, It's unbelievable considering how beat up it is.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 4:44pm
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Very interesting, Jase, particularly that they appeared to attract bigger fish, and they swam up to take them on the drop.

The Big Angry Fish guys have certainly done well on them, but they are often fishing in lightly fished spots on the Northland or Barrier coast where most lures would go well, I think.

What sort of depth were you fishing in out the back of Tiri? 35m?

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MATTOO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 6:21pm
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I like the idea of skutes.
They are another tool in the tool box.
And boy are there plenty.
Most catch fish, bait catches fish.

I like the controlled aspect of the descent.

I know that many of these tools capture fisherman before fish.
We have to commit ourselves to there exclusive use to understand there value.

Remember bait catches well, and non bait catches well also.
You just have to decide your technique for the day.

If you align yourself to a fishing style with the effort you place into it you should always get a result.

You don't need all these extra tools.

But you do need to have a plan which you execute. Based on knowledge of the zone and target species.
With that in mind you increase your chances for a result.

The successful fisherman that are fishing for a feed or a goal will spend more time in understanding there quarry and when and where they can be targeted.
It's up to you as the fisherman to use your learned and acquired insight to make yourself successful or a legend, or maybe someone who just feeds fishes to feed fish.
Just cruising in my now sweetas pimped out Southern 755 HT0!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote nzfishwhisperer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Sep 2018 at 5:58pm
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Originally posted by The Tamure Kid The Tamure Kid wrote:

Very interesting, Jase, particularly that they appeared to attract bigger fish, and they swam up to take them on the drop.

The Big Angry Fish guys have certainly done well on them, but they are often fishing in lightly fished spots on the Northland or Barrier coast where most lures would go well, I think.

What sort of depth were you fishing in out the back of Tiri? 35m?

Yea we were fishing around that 30-35mtrs with good sign on the sounder to mid water. I think it's always at a guest that a certain lure catches the bigger fish only because it does on that day where I think can come down to just having it in the right spot at that time? If I was using a slowpitch / micro or softbait would I still of caught the bigger fish, one would have to assume so would you not? was it just chance I caught them as I just switched over to the skute? They say it can come down to colors, movement and technique which I think is a good part of it but putting it in front of the fish must be the biggest part.

Just like bait fishing and softbaiting some times one person or one side of the boat is doing better than the other and I know of a far North guy that catches many 20lb plus fish for his customers and he says most times it's his non fisho's that catch them by just dropping a big softbait to the bottom then winds up couple feet off the bottom and just gets them to bob it up and down (not really a so called technique)

I think all techniques work at the right time - being a bait fisherman my bait fishing out does lures all day every day maybe mostly to mainly doing it but many a times with nothing taking lures I drop a bait to only hook up, even when my mate is still softbaiting or dropping jigs with no joy I'm pulling fish left right and center. 

I'm heading North in couple weeks so got these ones made for me to throw around - I'm pretty keen to really give them a good go Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote nzfishwhisperer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2018 at 8:54pm
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Caught a nice 75cm Red on one of my new skutes - Blue Tango Big smile


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote White snake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2018 at 9:56pm
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That's impressive mate.well done.i see nathan from angry fish is into the skutes. Looks a bit like wet fly fishing for trout on a larger scale
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2018 at 7:47pm
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My latest efforts, about 6" long, all in Double Bunny style using rabbit strips back to back, and some sparkle and a bulky shoulder of soft material. 

I've incorporated more hard foam in the bodies of these ones, looking forward to giving them a go in the water. The prototypes at the start of this thread had a nice action, these should sink slower - as per Nathan's modifications on BAF.


 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Kandrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 2021 at 9:16pm
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So are you still fishing with these and what have the results been like
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Kandrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2021 at 5:38pm
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Had a bit of a try today at tying a skute today soon as the weather was crap again


Looked at reusing some of my old lucanus into sliders be drilling a hole up the middle
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Aug 2021 at 10:33am
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Originally posted by Kandrew Kandrew wrote:

So are you still fishing with these and what have the results been like

Sorry, I never replied to this mate. 

To be honest, I haven't given these a decent go. 

Due to having limited opportunity to fish, I immediately turn to what i know once i get to my spot and fish with something I have confidence in - which is softbaits. And human nature being what it is, once I start catching fish, I stick with what's working. So a vicious circle of self-perpetuating...

But after going to the effort of making them, I should give them a decent crack. I will this spring and report back!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Kandrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Aug 2021 at 11:33am
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Totally agree with rather the devil you know, I still flick a soft bait out even though I’m more interested in micro jigs nowadays.

I must admit your skute tying looks considerably better than my attempt so good luck.

Nice 20bl snapper by the way.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Aug 2021 at 12:11pm
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Cheers, having to re-live that trip in my mind during lockdown. the power of those 15-20lb fish is amazing, a big step up which really gets the adrenaline cranking.

The action of those Double Bunnies is awesome in the water, but I think Nathan from Big Angry Fish highlighted one issue which is the lack of buoyancy compared to say, Z Man or Daiwa Bait Junkies. The skutes sink very nose first. So may be best suited to 20m sort of depths. In shallower water over reef they'll get snagged very easily. Given the time to tie one it would hurt more to lose one to a snag.
 
Nathan started to incorporate foam in his, as a buoyancy compensator. I've done that as well with my later versions.

The other things i've considered is how to add more UV or glow to something made basically from natural materials. You can buy UV impregnated stuff for fly tying, and lumo material. But it's not cheap.
I plan to paint my jigheads with UV paint, which I have a bottle of in my trout fly tying kit.

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