Lure colours for NZ waters

Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote obald Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Lure colours for NZ waters
    Posted: 09 Sep 2002 at 7:01pm
obald View Drop Down
Topic Moderator
Topic Moderator
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Burkina Faso
Status: Offline
Points: 5214

Mid September and season not too far away now. At the W/E started redoing my hooksets, looking over the lures etc and got me thinking as to which lures I didn't even get wet last year and whether I should get them a new look and reskirt them. Go to the Yozuri, Pakula, BlackBart or Yamash*ta pages at BTS and there is veritable orgy of skirt selection. Peter Pakula is fairly adamant that colours should roughly be  - SC Blackish, LC Blueish, SR Purplish and LR Greenish.

Do you guys think that stands good for NZ? Do you favour different colours for east/west coasts? Different colours for different times of year? Talking Stripeys and Blues here and ignore headshapes for the time being.

Obald

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote JBoffshore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Sep 2002 at 8:47pm
JBoffshore View Drop Down
Gold
Gold
Avatar

Joined: 17 Aug 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 803

i dont know much about the colours but when we went trolling up north a new comer bought along some cheap kmart lures. we re rigged them just in case and put 1 of them over the side.

the result 118 kg stripie on a $30 lure!

a favourite of mine for tuna is zooka and yo zuri.

b.m

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Kerren Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2002 at 7:34am
Kerren View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 7534
Obald...

great question indeed...I will have a go at answering it, but very keen to read others point of view on this subject!

You know that old trout fishing quip "match the hatch"??...well this applies to palegics big time!...Find out what they are feeding on and try to set your pattern in that particular baitfish hue! (eg) Saurie = metalic silver and metalic blue, SkipJack = purple and black etc etc

I am positive Tuna and Marlin get tunnel vision.. Once they get their "peanut" sized brains stuck on a certain type of prey then it becomes very hard to get them to switch...this I believe applies not only for colouration but also size of your lures as well!

Regards West vs East Coasts and times of the year...it really doesn't mater as long as you "match the hatch"

On Pakula's reccomended spread..IMVHO..this is a great pattern colour when travelling or searching out the baitfish of the day, but once you do find the holly grail then "match the hatch"!

Those attending the Game Fishing Seminar will get an insight and some intersting statistics on this topic...lets face it when you are involved with 100+ marlin captures in a single season, one gets a fairly good overview on topics such as this!

my two cents!

B.M...Zuckers are great lures, although not limited to tuna...The Zucker 5.5 in Zuchini/Fruit-salad got a lot of attention on the westcoast last season from ol' stickface!.....I have caught Mahimahi, Spearfish, YFT and Albacore on Zuckers...great in shotgun position!...Well done on that 118kg Stripie! What is the name of the launch you fish from matey?...the lure may have been $30.00, but how many dolleros where spent on the terminal tackle?
I am Kermit, Leader of Muppets Nov 05
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote obald Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2002 at 8:32am
obald View Drop Down
Topic Moderator
Topic Moderator
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Burkina Faso
Status: Offline
Points: 5214

We are getting into lureshapes already! I would totally agree that fruit sald is a successful shotgun colour. I, like most people, use shotgun to try odds and ends and it often ends up being fruit salad.

'Match the hatch' is often trotted out and has value I'm sure, but quite how that fits with a fruit salad lure with a blue head and red eyes or a yellow and blue over pink and white (top combo IMHO) when there is not a pink maomao within five hundred miles is beyond me. I'm sure the other old adage, that lures catch fisherman well before and/or instead of fish, has a lot of truth in it. To quote a bloke from the Pakula board who signs off thus - 'look at all the pretty colours'

Obald

PS I'm in the process of planning an order of skirts from BTS - look at all the pretty colours!!

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishb8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2002 at 3:18pm
Fishb8 View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Hamilton
Status: Offline
Points: 9381

Hi Obald

The Pakula scheme is a good guide. Dark close to the boat, getting lighter towards the back.

I've had good success on Sprockets in Blue Angel and Lumo and will always run them. Another gem of a lure is the Hooker medium swimmer in grey/black, like Kerren said, a saurie look-alike that's caught YFT, Kingies and Marlin. It wouldn't catch an angler as it looks so dull, but trust me.

Never tried a Zuker on shotgun but I will this year. I love them for YFT in zuchinni but only use a 120 lb fluorocarbon leader. Might be a bit light for a billfish

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote obald Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2002 at 5:43pm
obald View Drop Down
Topic Moderator
Topic Moderator
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Burkina Faso
Status: Offline
Points: 5214

Hi Roy,

I like you always have a Lumo Sprocket at LR and also a Blue Hawaii Bagwan at LC (Blue Hawaii much like Blue Angel with a different underskirt). I also favour a fruit salad somewhere in the mix - usually  a Big T Beer Barrell at shotgun - theoretically the 'wrong shape' for there, but it works. I just posted the question to see what other people do and if any of that will change my thinking. At least now I AM thinking what I put out as opposed to just randomly throwing stuff over based on the world tin price or to match the colour of that days sandwich wrapper!

Cheers

Obald

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishb8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2002 at 5:55pm
Fishb8 View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Hamilton
Status: Offline
Points: 9381

Hi Obald

There are various shades of fruit salad and i think I have a Hooker Large swimmer in that colour. What colour is your fruit salad? A favourite lure from BOI skippers is the Pacific fruit salad, another that semms to see action is the Sea Tal in blue/silver or is it white? Run fairly close works well but is contrary to the "dark and close" theory.

Gamefish don't always follow the theory. Got a stripie on a Williamson jet head daisy chain with a small moldcraft bird aiming for an albacore. There were 2 marlin lures in the pattern that got ignored!

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Kerren Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2002 at 6:35pm
Kerren View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 7534

Hi ya Fishb8...

were the two marlin lures you had in your pattern the same colour scheme as your Williamson?...The two rules that are guaranteed in this game is that you must always expect the unexpected and that the biggest fish will climb on the smallest and lightest tackle you are soaking on the day!...

Have ya heard from Mr. Plonker?

I am Kermit, Leader of Muppets Nov 05
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote obald Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2002 at 6:50pm
obald View Drop Down
Topic Moderator
Topic Moderator
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Burkina Faso
Status: Offline
Points: 5214

HI Roy,

Pacific fruit salad from memory - I'll check precise colourings next time the lures are having a swim around the garage floor. As to your scungy looking grey/black job, I have a dirty olive/brown Hooker that looks so horrible it ought to work (has to be doing a squid impression) but has yet to do the business. Likewise a white/clear combo (fire over ice??).

Obald

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote JBoffshore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2002 at 8:33pm
JBoffshore View Drop Down
Gold
Gold
Avatar

Joined: 17 Aug 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 803

hi kerren.

it wasnt actually me that got the marlin (wish it was though) but yes there was a bit extra spent on the terminal tackle but it's amazing that some of the cheapies work. i still really beleive that you usually get what you pay for when it comes to quiality which is probably why we chaned the rigging on it.

b.m

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cullum penman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Sep 2002 at 11:35am
cullum penman View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 49
My Two Cents
No 1 Zuchini is a great shotgun colour , Kezza on the money with 5.5 Zuckers , for sheer number of marlin
caught the 5.5 would be at the top . How ever they are not my cup of tea.
No2. Out board boats seem to get more shots on the riggers and shotgun , therefore I pull
big thumpers on the corners , what your thoughts on this guys ?
No 3 Im a firm believer in the fact that a good cohesive spread will always
outfish a spread of lures that are hot lures but arent meant to fished together.I
would be interested knowing what the guy who caught the Marlin on the K-Mart lure, had in
ther rest of the spread . My feeling is that marlin are Raised by the spread not the individual lure
and then select the indivual lure .
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Grant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Sep 2002 at 12:30pm
Grant View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 183

 

Lots of good info coming out on this thread and looks like some questions raised could start a whole new thread with I�m sure will get plenty of answers in their own rights.

I�ll stick to the colour theme here, although for perhaps another topic I would like to see what importance anglers rate each of the following lure features. Say out of 100%.

  • Colour
  • Action/vibration/harmonics
  • Size
  • Bubbles

 

Apart from running mostly Pakula�s our colours pretty much are same as you have listed. This is the mainstay of our explorer pattern.

Other colour options we have had success with lately are SR Green/Yellow�our best performer marlin wise last year (could be deemed to be a small YFT, and probably why the stripes thought Yumm.Yumm and climbed all over it).

Mostly the shottie position we experiment with, anything from Blue/Silver to say Black/Amber (Frightened squid � popular on the West Coast?).Brown Pink etc�some representing squid colours.

Also read a recent thread on another board (SCMO) re shottie lures/colours for blues and one lure often mentioned and seemed to be receiving lots of hits o�seas was a Black/Pink (Bart Super pro Jet).

Re: the other posts the fruit salad is favoured by plenty of anglers and some swear by the Sea Tal in Blue/Silver and Black/silver for the blues.

 

Cheers

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote dustin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Sep 2002 at 2:26pm
dustin View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum


Joined: 25 Aug 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 1726

Besides Purple and Black one colour combo I really have a lot of faith in whenever there are lots of S.J.T is Metallic Blue Vinyl with Pink inner skirts or Dark Blue and Silver over Pink or Pink and White (Bart - Arctic Bonito or Pakula - Blue Hawaii) especially when combined with a pearl shell lurehead, this is the closest thing to the colours of a fresh skippy I can think of, dark blue back and silver belly and sides with pearlescent pinkish sheen. 

One thing to note before going on that B.T.S skirt orgy is the differences in texture and fit between skirts due to differing skirt thickness, neck size, length and so on .... certain brands of skirt are noticeably thicker/heavier and sometimes longer than others that are supposedly the same size and the neck size can differ too making Brand X skirt the perfect fit for Lure Head Y, but possibly not so good for Lure Head Z...if you've got lots of lure heads like I do it's not a bad idea to take notes which skirt combos perform best on individual lure heads,

Grant brings up the thought provoking question, which factor in a lure is most important in getting the bite, the smart-aleck answer would probably be they all function as a unit, but my feeling is the main trigger is probably lure action, my feeling is that the fish are normally attracted to a zone behind the boat first (that zone depending on hull shape engine noise etcetcetc), and some (maybe many) are hungry or aggressive enough to attack anything in that zone which explains the fish hooked on hotdogs, bananas, towed rags etc but others that won't, will eat a carefully tuned (speed-placement-leader-skirting-rigging) lure in other words the lure action gets a reaction that the hotdog doesn't, not surprising since the lure's designed to catch fish and the hotdog isn't but as for the differences between lures the fish are the best judge of what they want on a given day and some days they just will favour something that surprises you, whether its a Kmart special or a williamson daisy chain or even a good old 9" metal jet, (well I'm not surprised when a billfish eats a 9" metal jet anymore, anyway...) 

  but the more bait there's present the more impt. it is for the lure or at least some lures in the pattern to be similar to the bait in size and colour because the fish are going to be increasingly locked on to the bait the more bait there is in which case lure colour may even supersede action in getting the bite, lure smoke probably helps fish home in onto the lure from medium distance but when a fish is close to the lure I doubt the smoke in itself is a factor in the bite. 

Roddy Hays (Plankton) has made the point that with tuna you're more trying to simulate whatever they are feeding on whereas marlin seem to react to lures out of aggression or instinct as well, with marlin I feel the aggression alone can often be enough which is why it's quite possible to get a bite on a small lumo green lure when circling around a school of ten pound skipjack tuna (for instance), wrong size wrong colour but the action was enough to entice the bite

that's my thoughts, for what they're worth...

cheers dustin

ps. which Sea Tal headshape is doing the damage, from recollection they have a load of different lure patterns

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishb8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Sep 2002 at 4:49am
Fishb8 View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Hamilton
Status: Offline
Points: 9381

Talking of cheap lures and patterns and our first Stripie, out of Raglan. We'd spent some time on The 21 catching rat kingies on jigs. We then set off to The 23, 1 hour trolling. Our plan was to catch some albies, so out went 4 lures, 2 of them being small Zuker zuchinnis. We caught numerous albies and the area was alive with birds and we could see some YFT coming to the surface nearby. While we were netting an albie, there was a huge splash on the other side of our 5 metre tinnie, we looked around but just saw the waves. Off we went again and as we had one marlin lure and an old Okuma lever drag with 24kg we decided to put out the lure. This was a Boone angle-faced lure given free with a subscription from NZ Fisherman. 10 minutes lates, just as we arrived at The 23, a 120 kg stripie was dancing off the back of the boat. Colour of the lure - yellow/green, looked awfully like a rat kingie.

That's when I started my lure collecting career. Never used that cheap lure again, why should I, as I've got much better, dearer lures to try out.

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Master Jig Builder Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Sep 2002 at 1:00pm
Master Jig Builder View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 46
Just wondering if game anglers in NZ have played with Mexican Flag colours much e.g. red, green, yellow?

Some lures also have white as the 4th add in colour on them as well.
Burnin Thumbs!

Steve Badman
Master Jig Builder - Oz
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Capt Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep 2002 at 6:01pm
Capt Asparagus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 18 Sep 2002
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 13168

Colours! hah! As long as they catch an angler, they'll catch a fish!

Well, sorta.

Me, I always have a lumo somewhere in my pattern, that is a must have. Also i like Blue/whites/reds, Purple Blacks,Grenn/yellow/orange or red.

A ghost(squid browny type) is great in the white water.

A selection of those colours here and there is usually enough to fil a spread for me!

i wish icould post pics here, I'd show you a coupla lurs skirt selections that have greatly taken me recently... maybe i'll send them to Kerren, and he can post them up for me?

Cheers,

Stu.

 

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Kerren Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Sep 2002 at 7:05am
Kerren View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 7534
Do that Stu!!......no problemo!
I am Kermit, Leader of Muppets Nov 05
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Capt Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2002 at 9:54am
Capt Asparagus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 18 Sep 2002
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 13168

here are some colours i have been thinking of here lately. I posted these on the Sportsfish site in Aussie, but I'll pop them up here as well ...

and...

but my faves are...

These are just some skirts i scored tossed onto some seconds grade heads Ipinched off a lure maker in Aussie recently.

I shall not mention any names for fear of being called a spammer! :-)

I will still be using my Lumos, purple blacks and so on, and have also got myself a very sexy looking black/red that I may scan to show yez all.

cheers for now, Stu.

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Capt Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2002 at 9:57am
Capt Asparagus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 18 Sep 2002
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 13168
oh! and here is a fair smattering of lures Black magic gave me a couple of years back, I got to chose my fave colours, so I pretty clearly shows just what I like. Sadly, they lasted only one season until someone thought they needed them more than me, they were all stolen in a burglary... :-(
Back to Top
Forum Jump
Forum Permissions View Drop Down


This page was generated in 0.324 seconds.

Fishing Reports Visit Reports

Saltwater Fishing Reports
Top of the South Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Tasman and Golden Bay snapper still running hot We are not far away from daylight... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Bay of Islands Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Variety is the spice of life On one recent trip, the plan was to spend a... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Fish where the fish are! Catching fish or just going fishing? I tackle this issue... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Inner Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Thoughtful tactics required for better fish Over the course of each year the fishing varies,... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites