Catch Livies Jerkshad Review
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Soft Bait Fishing
Forum Description: Anything to do with this latest and greatest way of catching our favourite species
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=137496
Printed Date: 16 Feb 2025 at 7:40pm
Topic: Catch Livies Jerkshad Review
Posted By: MB
Subject: Catch Livies Jerkshad Review
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2023 at 10:20am
My interest in softbaiting waxes and wanes as I prefer jigging of one form or another, but the easterlies this summer have kept me in the harbour and my feeling is that bright (or dark!), slow moving softbaits are better in dirty water compared to jigs which require a faster action.
Aside from Gulp, like most people I've used Zman, but am moving away from the brand due to cost, difficulty in rigging outside of a standard jig head and the nasty, sticky scent that many of their products are covered in. Zman claim the softbaits are impregnated with it. I'm not so sure, covered in it, yes. Regardless, I question it's value.
I've given Catch Livies Jerkshads a good go this "summer". All the colours I've tried have a good UV reaction and the glow colours really glow in the dark. Perhaps not quite as flexible as Zman, but this makes rigging worm hooks and Bleeder jig heads easier. They have a good range of colours and come in 5 and 7 inch. The 5 inch sit nicely on 3/0 Bleeders and the 7 inch on 5/0.
They do catch fish, but I can't really say if they've put more fish on the deck than Zman. The potential downside is longevity. The Livies are holding up, but looking at the teeth marks, I suspect they won't last quite as long as Zman.
|
Replies:
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2023 at 11:42am
Just had a couple of weeks in Florida, went to a few fishing shops like Basspro and west marine. Lots of soft plastic lures, gulp sort of just disappeared in with the heaps of another brands. Zman were in all of the shops, about $5us a pack but none of the colours I use. Reels rods and most accessories like tackle bags and braid same price as in NZ$ so cheaper to buy them here.
I still use Zman I have tried another brands like bait Junkie which I find quite jelly in texture and easily pulled off the jig head, they might be better on the new bait Junkie heads. But Zman still do the job for me.
Kevin at Kaveman tackle has a nice range of soft baits, check them out. Well priced.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2023 at 12:26pm
Fishing tackle shops in America are something else. Haven't been tempted by Bait Junkies and the fact that they are in the bargain bin at my local shops probably says a lot.
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2023 at 9:25pm
Interesting chat, guys. Yes, looking on the US tackle websites and the number of softbait brands is astounding. Such a massive market. Many, such as the Yamamoto and Kaitech are very popular in the bass scene, but don't last very long versus snapper. I brought in some Yamamoto with all kinds of moving tails etc for dragging over the sand in summer, and they got nailed straight away but I went through them faster than Gulps.
Kerry, I definitely agree with you on the pricing thing of rods/reels versus lures (NZ versus US). Z Man are completely overpriced here if you go down the 'Big Mac' type price comparison. Even here v Australia, way cheaper to buy Z Man there.
MB, you may have noticed that Rob Parker - the famed charter skipper out of Houhora - appears to now have a bit of a deal going with Catch. His customers who mostly appear to be softbait newbies who just drop and drag in 40m are landing some impressive catches on them. He seems to favour the bright orange one (though it wouldn't be bright orange in 40m+). He used to be Z Man, but that supply deal must have ended. He wouldn't use something he wasn't sure would work for his customers - he's got that big snap reputation to uphold.
H&F Whangarei (by the Warehouse etc - not the one in the main street) had Livies on big discount when i was there around Christmas, so I bought a couple of packets to try. i liked the look of the Glowing Gurnard for trying in the Tamaki Strait where the water's quite dirty.
I've seen some good social media content of big snaps on Bait Junkies (in both Aussie and NZ), and have tried them out. They've obviously got some well known guys using them through mates deals. They've work okay for me, but in colours you can't get here. The best movement from that waist cut on their jerk shads is on a fairly fast retrieve - which suits fast moving species such as kingies, or kahawai, not snapper.
I do use different jigheads for Gulp, which don't need big ribs to hold them on, and for the rubber stretchy brands, which do (TT Lures my choice).
My opinion is it seems to be VERY very hard to break into the established NZ market for softbaits - quite a few have tried and failed. Even some with massive overseas marketing power. Rapala had a go and crashed and burned. Now Daiwa. I think that your bargain bin observations say more about the fact that our market is small, and it's very hard to change people's ingrained habits. I know some guys who fish up north who only had one bait on board - tubs of Gulp 5" jerk shads in Nuclear Chicken on 5/8 oz jigheads. They never used anything else (until I came along and outfished them 3 to 1 on Bruised Banana - mind you, i think my heavier jighead in the windy conditions was also a key factor).
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2023 at 10:20pm
Yeah, it's interesting. I don't for a moment believe soft baits are made of angel wings and fairy dust, or that one brand is very different to another with the exception of Gulp. That said, softbaits which we throw at snapper need to be resilient (obviously, Gulp is famous for not being resilient, but that is a special case) and I do believe UV reactivity and luminosity can be beneficial at times. Funnily enough, Glowing Gurnard is my go to for snapper in the Catch range. Orange in good light which we know is a killer colour for snapper and a strong glow in the dark, what's not to like!
Small disclaimer, I genuinely believe that a microjig will out-fish softies when fished side-by-side most of the time, but under some circumstances softies take the prize!
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2023 at 8:41pm
I think the most important thing is fishing confidently and competently with your chosen method.
Jigs look deadly in the right hands in the right place, with the right gear, for sure.
A type of lure i'm very interested in - which the Aussies use a heck of a lot, but seem to have had very little impact here - are soft vibes. They seem to use them everywhere from say 15m to 60-70m, using different weights according to depth. And they work very well on fish which are similar to snapper, such as red emperor, fingermark etc fished fairly vertically. They use them interchangeably with jigs in the 60-80g weights.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2023 at 9:14pm
Vibes have caught my eye too, but the hook position looks like a nightmare for snagging up, plus I wonder how resilient they are to snapper teeth.
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2023 at 9:24pm
I tried vides not a fan of the hooks, micro jigs work better for me.
I am keen to try slow pitch jigs but I have enough fishing setups now. I do have one of the older tcurve 50 to 150gram jig rods I might have a go at slow pitch with.
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2023 at 10:01pm
MB wrote:
Vibes have caught my eye too, but the hook position looks like a nightmare for snagging up, plus I wonder how resilient they are to snapper teeth. |
I know what you're saying re the teeth, but some of the fish they get in Aussie - e.g. the coral trout, seem to have some decent gnashers and i haven't seen them destroy a vibe. They fish a lot over foul/coral reefy territory, and don't appear to snag up more than with a jig. I might have to buy one of the Nomad ones next time I order some softbaits from Anglers warehouse, just to have a sneaky go with.
I reckon in 20m+ over sand, for example, they could be pretty successful. I know they probably won't hands down out-fish other methods, but it might be fun to give one a go.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2023 at 10:13pm
Kandrew wrote:
I tried vides not a fan of the hooks, micro jigs work better for me.
I am keen to try slow pitch jigs but I have enough fishing setups now. I do have one of the older tcurve 50 to 150gram jig rods I might have a go at slow pitch with. |
I've have an old T-Curve too, 100-200g. I've put a decent size reel on it and plan to use it for deep water (100+ metre) slow and slow pitch jigging.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2023 at 10:14pm
The Tamure Kid wrote:
MB wrote:
Vibes have caught my eye too, but the hook position looks like a nightmare for snagging up, plus I wonder how resilient they are to snapper teeth. |
I know what you're saying re the teeth, but some of the fish they get in Aussie - e.g. the coral trout, seem to have some decent gnashers and i haven't seen them destroy a vibe. They fish a lot over foul/coral reefy territory, and don't appear to snag up more than with a jig. I might have to buy one of the Nomad ones next time I order some softbaits from Anglers warehouse, just to have a sneaky go with.
I reckon in 20m+ over sand, for example, they could be pretty successful. I know they probably won't hands down out-fish other methods, but it might be fun to give one a go. |
Let us know how you get on with them 
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2023 at 10:16pm
Kandrew wrote:
I tried vides not a fan of the hooks, micro jigs work better for me.
I am keen to try slow pitch jigs but I have enough fishing setups now. I do have one of the older tcurve 50 to 150gram jig rods I might have a go at slow pitch with. |
Of all the jigging methods, the slow pitch seems to be the most complicated - if you believe the articles and vids. I can see how a flipping and fluttering lure would really appeal to snaps under work ups etc.What doesn't appeal to me is what I understand is the recommended method (once you hook up) of simply winding straight off the reel with little or no rod intervention. I would find that bizarre. I was on a charter once in the middle of the Gulf, and one of the customers was into slow pitch - he had the gloves, mega expensive rod that bent like a noodle, dramatic multi-part lifts and swerves of the rod, etc. I thought we were going to see a master class, but even though he caught a few, that trip the good old inchiku jigs were by far the most successful lure. They hardly seem to be used these days...
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2023 at 10:25pm
The Tamure Kid wrote:
Of all the jigging methods, the slow pitch seems to be the most complicated - if you believe the articles and vids. I can see how a flipping and fluttering lure would really appeal to snaps under work ups etc.What doesn't appeal to me is what I understand is the recommended method (once you hook up) of simply winding straight off the reel with little or no rod intervention. I would find that bizarre. |
Rods are pretty soft, so the reel is going to do most of the work. Not so different from slow jigging with an OA Bender or similar rod.
The Tamure Kid wrote:
...good old inchiku jigs were by far the most successful lure. They hardly seem to be used these days... |
They definitely seem to have gone out of fashion. Lost ground to sliders/kabura. At one point, I was only using inchiku to the exclusion of all other methods and caught my fair share of fish. I doubt snapper lure preferences have changed that much over recent years! As ever, I don't think the lure matters half as much as putting it in front of the snapper's nose. For slow jigging, I'm going back to Lucanus jigs as they are much more amenable to quick changes.
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2023 at 7:52am
I agree I think all of the older types of lures still catch fish it’s just your preference to the type of lure that changes. It also comes down to where and what depth, I still fish SBs in the firth around the 8mtr, micro jigs work fine in this depth as well but I do catch bigger fish on the SBs. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr and have better results than SBs and then when I move out to the 40 mtr mark I move to sliders. I use a 500mm loop tied with a spider’s hitch on my trace on my slider setup so I can quickly change the head weight.
These new sliders from shimano work great and are very easy to change.
https://fish.shimano.com/en-NZ/product/lures/saltwater/a155f00000cqpumqah.html" rel="nofollow - https://fish.shimano.com/en-NZ/product/lures/saltwater/a155f00000cqpumqah.html
|
Posted By: riga
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2023 at 9:55am
Interesting comments above.
I really rate the ability of the baitjunkies. Fishing side by side I have found the baitjunkies get more fish than zman - both 7 inch jerkshads.
The major downsides are that after a few fish they slide off the jighead easier and they are no where near as durable.
So I mostly just use them now in shallow water where I am retrieving and casting a lot and can reset the lure.
For deeper water softbaiting 30m to 70m I use the zman as they stay on the hook better and hold up more to the fish.
Just my comments.
I need to keep an eye out for the baitjunkies in the bargain bins and stock up while I can then.
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2023 at 2:46pm
riga wrote:
Interesting comments above.
I really rate the ability of the baitjunkies. Fishing side by side I have found the baitjunkies get more fish than zman - both 7 inch jerkshads.
The major downsides are that after a few fish they slide off the jighead easier and they are no where near as durable.
So I mostly just use them now in shallow water where I am retrieving and casting a lot and can reset the lure.
For deeper water softbaiting 30m to 70m I use the zman as they stay on the hook better and hold up more to the fish.
Just my comments.
I need to keep an eye out for the baitjunkies in the bargain bins and stock up while I can then. | have you tried the new bait Junkie jig heads
https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/tackle-jig-heads/daiwa-baitjunkie-2x-jig-head-1-qty-6?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl8iW_tjI_QIVmQsrCh0erAzdEAQYHiABEgI-YvD_BwE" rel="nofollow - https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/tackle-jig-heads/daiwa-baitjunkie-2x-jig-head-1-qty-6?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl8iW_tjI_QIVmQsrCh0erAzdEAQYHiABEgI-YvD_BwE
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2023 at 2:59pm
riga wrote:
Interesting comments above.
I really rate the ability of the baitjunkies. Fishing side by side I have found the baitjunkies get more fish than zman - both 7 inch jerkshads.
The major downsides are that after a few fish they slide off the jighead easier and they are no where near as durable.
So I mostly just use them now in shallow water where I am retrieving and casting a lot and can reset the lure.
For deeper water softbaiting 30m to 70m I use the zman as they stay on the hook better and hold up more to the fish.
Just my comments.
I need to keep an eye out for the baitjunkies in the bargain bins and stock up while I can then. |
You could give the Hunting & Fishing stores in Whangarei a call. Both Okara Park and McCoy & Thomas have them discounted. They might even do a bigger discount for a bulk order.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2023 at 3:09pm
Kandrew wrote:
It also comes down to where and what depth, I still fish SBs in the firth around the 8mtr, micro jigs work fine in this depth as well but I do catch bigger fish on the SBs. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr and have better results than SBs and then when I move out to the 40 mtr mark I move to sliders. |
That's close to my formula!
Kandrew wrote:
These new sliders from shimano work great and are very easy to change.
https://fish.shimano.com/en-NZ/product/lures/saltwater/a155f00000cqpumqah.html" rel="nofollow - https://fish.shimano.com/en-NZ/product/lures/saltwater/a155f00000cqpumqah.html |
Thanks for that, I had seen them. I was doing something similar with these years ago and after talking to the owner of the company, so were a lot of people in Aussie!
https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/klik-sinkers-quick-change-ball-sinkers-lumo?q=klik&h=2
Unfortunately, the lumo element is very weak and can get flicked off the line if the fight is frenetic. Next generation seem better from that perspective though.
Since I fish slow pitch jigs from the same rod, I do need something that's clip on/off.
|
Posted By: riga
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2023 at 3:38pm
Kandrew wrote:
riga wrote:
Interesting comments above.
I really rate the ability of the baitjunkies. Fishing side by side I have found the baitjunkies get more fish than zman - both 7 inch jerkshads.
The major downsides are that after a few fish they slide off the jighead easier and they are no where near as durable.
So I mostly just use them now in shallow water where I am retrieving and casting a lot and can reset the lure.
For deeper water softbaiting 30m to 70m I use the zman as they stay on the hook better and hold up more to the fish.
Just my comments.
I need to keep an eye out for the baitjunkies in the bargain bins and stock up while I can then. | have you tried the new bait Junkie jig heads
https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/tackle-jig-heads/daiwa-baitjunkie-2x-jig-head-1-qty-6?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl8iW_tjI_QIVmQsrCh0erAzdEAQYHiABEgI-YvD_BwE" rel="nofollow - https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/tackle-jig-heads/daiwa-baitjunkie-2x-jig-head-1-qty-6?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl8iW_tjI_QIVmQsrCh0erAzdEAQYHiABEgI-YvD_BwE |
No I haven't yet but intend to buy some when I next make a tackle order.
|
Posted By: BananaBoat
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2023 at 9:12pm
Kandrew wrote:
. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr | off topic here would a lightweight softbait rod work a micro of that weight correctly or is it better to get a proper micro jig rod that's rated in that range of jig weight
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2023 at 9:24pm
BananaBoat wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr | off topic here would a lightweight softbait rod work a micro of that weight correctly or is it better to get a proper micro jig rod that's rated in that range of jig weight | That’s all I use, 7.6foot 3 to 6kg. I fish micro jigs just like softbaits, mainly cast forward and pick up most of my fish when the line is straight up and down.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2023 at 10:03pm
BananaBoat wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr | off topic here would a lightweight softbait rod work a micro of that weight correctly or is it better to get a proper micro jig rod that's rated in that range of jig weight |
100% fine, that's all I've ever used, plus you can fish microjigs with the same technique as cast-ahead-of-drift softbaiting. Limit yourself to fishing over sand/mud as microjgs are more likely to snag up than softbaits. Otherwise bloody lethal technique. You might be surprised at how much you catch!
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2023 at 10:17pm
Kandrew wrote:
BananaBoat wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr | off topic here would a lightweight softbait rod work a micro of that weight correctly or is it better to get a proper micro jig rod that's rated in that range of jig weight | That’s all I use, 7.6foot 3 to 6kg. I fish micro jigs just like softbaits, mainly cast forward and pick up most of my fish when the line is straight up and down. |
Didn't see your post when I replied. Luckily we have come to the same conclusion, so that's reassuring.
I catch most of my fish when microjigging after the first couple of twitches following the cast. Fishing is a funny game!
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 7:38am
MB wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
BananaBoat wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr | off topic here would a lightweight softbait rod work a micro of that weight correctly or is it better to get a proper micro jig rod that's rated in that range of jig weight | That’s all I use, 7.6foot 3 to 6kg. I fish micro jigs just like softbaits, mainly cast forward and pick up most of my fish when the line is straight up and down. |
Didn't see your post when I replied. Luckily we have come to the same conclusion, so that's reassuring.
I catch most of my fish when microjigging after the first couple of twitches following the cast. Fishing is a funny game! | No problems I do love micro jigs and the other great thing is all you need to carry is a small tackle box with some shiny metal jigs, some clips and fluro and your sorted.
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 10:13am
Really good thread, guys.
Riga, good to have a forum member backing the Junkies. I have found the TT Lures or Z Man jigheads designed for the soft Z Man material keep them on pretty well - until a bait has been used a lot, then they start slipping.At that point, I don't mind. Just a part of fishing.
MB and Kerry, great advice on the rods. I know there was a whole thread which Kaveman was also involved in which tackled the complete disparity about the soft bender style rod promoted by OA, versus the longer softbait rod which is how i understood you were supposed to do it (true 'micro' that is).
With a bit of experience under your belt, would you be willing to tell us your top 3-5 micro jigs, so we can give them a go? the market's pretty saturated with many different shapes, and even base metals, and it's tricky to know where to start...
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 10:37am
As I see it, there are two styles of microjigging. One style is fishing vertically with a light, soft tip rod and a small overhead reel, the other is a longer "softbait"-style rod for casting and retrieving in the same way as you would use a softbait. Obviously, you can use the latter for vertical fishing as well.
As for jigs, I use a Kaveman Micro Ridgeback in Orange Lumo 30g for nearly all my microjigging. The jig is fricking lethal! I have also started doing a bit of casual shore jigging/aji fishing with ultralight gear. For this, I use 10g tungsten jigs which are tiny. It's very much a novelty for me rather than a serious fishing endeavour. It's successful, but I catch a lot of undersize snapper, as well as other species.
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 12:55pm
Awesome, MB. Can't get a recommendation much better than that. i know Kerry's a Kaveman fan too, so it'll be interesting to see if he's using the same model.That flattish oval shape is popular with some of the Aussies I've watched up in Queensland - the Palms Slow Blatt springs to mind as a similar style - though theirs are a bit too heavy to be true micro jigs.They usually fish vertically, but perhaps because they're in deepish water.
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 4:09pm
Kaveman tungsten in red, orange and silver lumo strips. Red is my favourite colour for all jigs and if you can find ones that run red into orange with lumo strips, let me know and I’ll buy them all.
Kaveman Cj are very good as a slow retrieve - drop and drag lure.
Shimano wonderfull in same colours, great for deeper water, kaveman has a similar jig as well called a hornet.
Shimano soare are a very good jig, I would say the best I’ve used. The silver is great in smaller sizes 18gram.
Savage gear psycho sprat, 10gram change out the small tail hooks for small assists.
One of the biggest issues I’ve learned is to make sure your assist hooks aren’t too long for the lure. Lures normally get hit on the side where the gut cavity would be. Think about jigheads they are designed to come out of the softbait in the same place, the gut cavity. The BKK jig assists are really good and a good length.
When I first started micro jigs I fished 30 gram to get to the bottom, but now I fish 7 to 20 gram in 30 to 40 mtrs. Use a long softbait rod. Micros cast like bullets which is great then give them plenty of time to sink. I don’t twitch and jig mine much, I let it swim on through and out the back of the boat, then I let it sit on the bottom for a little while and then give it a little twitch up off the bottom.
I used to fish micros until the paint was all gone, but the catch rate drops off. So I find as soon as the colour and flash starts to fade it’s time for a new one.
Good luck
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 4:25pm
I didn't know Kaveman did a tungsten jig, he keeps that well hidden on his website Orange Lumo 25g looks lethal.
This is my favourite jig. I don't mean brand (although it is Kaveman), I mean actual jig  It has taken over 100 snapper, possibly more!
|
Posted By: footey
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 8:12pm
That’s my favourite lure as well Orange and lumo kaveman Microjig
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 8:44pm
Good stuff, guys. Thanks for posting.
The Shimano Soare looks a little bit like a Zest Gan, which i saw at the counter of Big Fish in Pakuranga, and they looked fishy.
The CJ looks a bit like a BlueBlue.
Good to have a local supplier of well priced jigs in Kev, because i could see myself going down a Japanese jig rabbit hole like a crazed magpie...
|
Posted By: BananaBoat
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2023 at 9:04pm
Kandrew wrote:
MB wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
BananaBoat wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr | off topic here would a lightweight softbait rod work a micro of that weight correctly or is it better to get a proper micro jig rod that's rated in that range of jig weight | That’s all I use, 7.6foot 3 to 6kg. I fish micro jigs just like softbaits, mainly cast forward and pick up most of my fish when the line is straight up and down. |
Didn't see your post when I replied. Luckily we have come to the same conclusion, so that's reassuring.
I catch most of my fish when microjigging after the first couple of twitches following the cast. Fishing is a funny game! | No problems I do love micro jigs and the other great thing is all you need to carry is a small tackle box with some shiny metal jigs, some clips and fluro and your sorted. | sweet as, thanks for that I use a 7.9ft 2-5kg softbait rod off my kayak, have used light weight jigs with the combo & a slider rod in the holder dragging a jig, both work well.... just thought a dedicated jig rod might be better...... saved me buying a new setup... cheers guys
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2023 at 8:35am
BananaBoat wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
MB wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
BananaBoat wrote:
Kandrew wrote:
. I fish 10 to 20 gram micros around whangaparoa in 20to 30 mtr | off topic here would a lightweight softbait rod work a micro of that weight correctly or is it better to get a proper micro jig rod that's rated in that range of jig weight | That’s all I use, 7.6foot 3 to 6kg. I fish micro jigs just like softbaits, mainly cast forward and pick up most of my fish when the line is straight up and down. |
Didn't see your post when I replied. Luckily we have come to the same conclusion, so that's reassuring.
I catch most of my fish when microjigging after the first couple of twitches following the cast. Fishing is a funny game! | No problems I do love micro jigs and the other great thing is all you need to carry is a small tackle box with some shiny metal jigs, some clips and fluro and your sorted. | sweet as, thanks for that I use a 7.9ft 2-5kg softbait rod off my kayak, have used light weight jigs with the combo & a slider rod in the holder dragging a jig, both work well.... just thought a dedicated jig rod might be better...... saved me buying a new setup... cheers guys | I do have a 2 to 4 kg 6.6 foot rod with a 1000 series reel loaded with 2kg braid, which is heaps of fun for 7kg jigs I fish in 5 mtrs of water in the firth. But I also fish light jigs with my 7.6 foot rod and I don’t believe the catch rate is any different.
|
Posted By: Keith C
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2023 at 2:05pm
“ which is heaps of fun for 7kg jigs I fish in 5 mtrs ” Jigs could be a bit heavy Kandrew.
Very interesting thread.
|
Posted By: BananaBoat
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2023 at 2:11pm
MB wrote:
I have also started doing a bit of casual shore jigging/aji fishing with ultralight gear. For this, I use 10g tungsten jigs which are tiny. It's very much a novelty for me rather than a serious fishing endeavour. It's successful, but I catch a lot of undersize snapper, as well as other species. |
Dedicated aji softies & lures are available at Yeehaa & the 2 asain food markets on aucks nth shore off wairau rd (forgot the names of them) Both these markets have fishing outlets inside with proper dedicated ajing fishing gear, which most of my jigs & softies are from You do need proper gear for them to get the right action from the lures. Im using 1-3kg rod with 2kg mono on 2500 daiwa sol reel for ultralight Bloody snapper wrecks the softies, pretty much like leather jackets & gulps The 3 & 5g jigs come with assist hooks & trebles... jig heads for softies range from 0.5g - 5g. My tackle box jig heads are 0.7 - 2.5g I havent put proper time into this type of fishing, but the 1 inch paddletails are awesome on trevs.... so Ive heard & any fish in the 50cm range is a worthy opponent.... so am using the above combo to do straylining

|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2023 at 2:34pm
Keith C wrote:
“ which is heaps of fun for 7kg jigs I fish in 5 mtrs ” Jigs could be a bit heavy Kandrew.
Very interesting thread. | yep I agree Keith just not easy to find anything smaller off the shelf in NZ sometimes . Interesting I have caught some good fish on larger jigs in 5mtrs same on softbaits. Sometimes I fish 5in Shad’s and will try 7in. If the fishing is slow and the fish are not feeding, they will take a small micro jig as it’s not too much effort. But when they are hungry they will sooner smash larger longer jigs over the smaller ones.
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2023 at 2:47pm
BananaBoat wrote:
MB wrote:
I have also started doing a bit of casual shore jigging/aji fishing with ultralight gear. For this, I use 10g tungsten jigs which are tiny. It's very much a novelty for me rather than a serious fishing endeavour. It's successful, but I catch a lot of undersize snapper, as well as other species. |
Dedicated aji softies & lures are available at Yeehaa & the 2 asain food markets on aucks nth shore off wairau rd (forgot the names of them) Both these markets have fishing outlets inside with proper dedicated ajing fishing gear, which most of my jigs & softies are from You do need proper gear for them to get the right action from the lures. Im using 1-3kg rod with 2kg mono on 2500 daiwa sol reel for ultralight Bloody snapper wrecks the softies, pretty much like leather jackets & gulps The 3 & 5g jigs come with assist hooks & trebles... jig heads for softies range from 0.5g - 5g. My tackle box jig heads are 0.7 - 2.5g I havent put proper time into this type of fishing, but the 1 inch paddletails are awesome on trevs.... so Ive heard & any fish in the 50cm range is a worthy opponent.... so am using the above combo to do straylining

 | thanks for that mate looks great, I will check the markets out.
I went into yeeha yesterday and they have a selection small jigs and hooks, picked up some size 8 assists on my Savage gear psycho sprat, 10gram jigs.
|
Posted By: kaveman
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2023 at 3:54pm
MB wrote:
I didn't know Kaveman did a tungsten jig, he keeps that well hidden on his website Orange Lumo 25g looks lethal.
This is my favourite jig. I don't mean brand (although it is Kaveman), I mean actual jig  It has taken over 100 snapper, possibly more!
|
That is the micro Ridgeback model, has a real fluttering action.
The CJ or (short for casting jig) has a real radical action, works great in the rod holder
My favourite though are the micro Hornets in 30g, the red lumo is dynamite here in BOP but if anchovies are around, the lumo silver model is unbeatable. Super fast sinking jig that seems to drive snapper mad
-------------
www.kavemantackle.co.nz
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2023 at 7:04pm
kaveman wrote:
MB wrote:
I didn't know Kaveman did a tungsten jig, he keeps that well hidden on his website Orange Lumo 25g looks lethal.
This is my favourite jig. I don't mean brand (although it is Kaveman), I mean actual jig  It has taken over 100 snapper, possibly more!
|
That is the micro Ridgeback model, has a real fluttering action.
The CJ or (short for casting jig) has a real radical action, works great in the rod holder
My favourite though are the micro Hornets in 30g, the red lumo is dynamite here in BOP but if anchovies are around, the lumo silver model is unbeatable. Super fast sinking jig that seems to drive snapper mad
| yes I agree your red and lumo hornet is a great micro, interesting does anyone use red and lumo soft bait, I’ve never seen one or do colours new penny look red in water.
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2023 at 7:27pm
That's an interesting question - because red won't be red at a decent depth where the lumo will show up. My understanding is the red will look greyish (at least to human eyes) once it's down at say 20m (depending on water clarity). Stand to be corrected.
But to answer your question from a 'what it looks like in the shop' perspective, I don't recall seeing a red/white lumo combo in the mainstream softbait brands.
However, Nuclear Chicken obviously has green with the red, and the green has lumo features in the Z Man and (I think) Gulp versions. If you light it up with a UV torch, the green glows and stays glowing when the torch goes off. I've caught a couple of 70+cm snaps up north in 25m+ on the Z Man version in a big curly tail. And a massive Rangiputa trev on the Gulp Nemesis in that colour - so it's definitely on my rotation in 15m and deeper water.
The Z Man Bleeding Banana and the Gulp Curried Chicken have red and bright yellow, but no lumo. Not that many people list the Bleeding Banana in their 'go to' colour list, but I know Shark-Bait (John Sutherland) used to do well on it in the Tamaki Strait back in his days down this way.
There's a Daiwa Bait Junkie colour which is a rusty red brown back and pale pearl (lumo glow at depth) belly.
In my old box of never-get-used baits, there's a Squidgy with red back and a gold fleck belly (colour is 'Princess'). The belly glows pale green under UV torch, but it's not lumo (ie it doesn't stay glowing once the torch goes off). I thought it looked really good in the bargain bin price section of Marine Deals, but I've never had the confidence to give it a decent go!!
|
Posted By: Downtown
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2023 at 8:01pm
Good convo. I used some of these as i liked the look of the 7inch black with gold specks. Caught decent fish still prefer zman for my snapper fishing. They tick far more boxes for me than any other brand especially as they have added more colours and shapes over the years. For trout bait junkies and savage blow the zmans away though. All depends what you are looking for in a plastic.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2023 at 10:13pm
Bit of bad feedback on the Catch Livies. Bought 7 inch Jershad in Engine Oil. On removal from the clam shell packages, all was not well. One softbait was fine, the remainder were a sticky mess. Difficult to rig and tore easily.
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2023 at 10:58pm
Gee, that sounds like a trip back to the shop for a refund, mate. Not of "merchantable quality" I think the official phrase is under consumer law. Very disappointing, hopefully just a dodgy batch?
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2023 at 1:57pm
Yeah, luckily, I fished the receipt out the bin. Haven't been able to get back to H&F to get an exchange/refund as have COVID. I'm fine before anyone asks, very mild this time.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2023 at 5:15pm
Just exchanged the packet without too much difficulty once the scepticism was dealt with. We noticed that the main colour in the faulty softbaits was quite different to the others (clear vs brownish). It was as if a component was missing from the mix.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2023 at 7:53am
The Tamure Kid wrote:
That's an interesting question - because red won't be red at a decent depth where the lumo will show up.My understanding is the red will look greyish (at least to human eyes) once it's down at say 20m (depending on water clarity). Stand to be corrected.
|
All colours disappear at some point with increasing depth of water, but red is the first to go. Maybe that's part of the attraction?
|
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2023 at 12:53pm
MB wrote:
Just exchanged the packet without too much difficulty once the scepticism was dealt with. We noticed that the main colour in the faulty softbaits was quite different to the others (clear vs brownish). It was as if a component was missing from the mix. |
A good end result, thanks for the update.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2023 at 5:34pm
Longer term user report. I've had some problems with Catch Livies pre-rigged on worm hooks. They just kind of split in two where the hook goes through the head of the softbait. Not sure what's going on here, maybe some kind of reaction with the metal? I realise this isn't how most people use softbaits in NZ, so might not be an issue for you. Back to ZMan for me.
|
Posted By: Downtown
Date Posted: 29 Sep 2023 at 6:08am
Just got some of their 6' grubs as I like some of the colours they have available that Zman don't do. Will try them during lure masters see how they go along with some squidtrex.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 29 Sep 2023 at 7:46am
Please report back. I think the Livies are good fish catchers. Also interested to hear about Squidtrex. Will you fish them classic softbait style, or vertically?
|
Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 29 Sep 2023 at 4:28pm
Awe crap ! I can see soft baiting becoming an Olympic sport
------------- I wish I was young again .... Id be heaps smarter than this time
|
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 29 Sep 2023 at 8:06pm
MB wrote:
Longer term user report. I've had some problems with Catch Livies pre-rigged on worm hooks. They just kind of split in two where the hook goes through the head of the softbait. Not sure what's going on here, maybe some kind of reaction with the metal? I realise this isn't how most people use softbaits in NZ, so might not be an issue for you. Back to ZMan for me.
| Haven’t used the Catch baits, are they made from the type of material as the Zman. I found the thin worm hook could get pulled out through the side of the bait on some of the early PVC soft baits.
I like the bait Junkie but they are better on the bait Junkie jig heads and the BKK jig heads are nice as well.
|
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 29 Sep 2023 at 9:16pm
Interestingly, both Catch and Zman claim to be made of TPE. I'm no plastics chemist, but I'm guessing that title covers a lot of different formulations. I realise worm hooks put more pressure on the material, but the Livies spontaneously split, some without being used.
|
Posted By: kaveman
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2023 at 9:38pm
MB wrote:
Interestingly, both Catch and Zman claim to be made of TPE. I'm no plastics chemist, but I'm guessing that title covers a lot of different formulations. I realise worm hooks put more pressure on the material, but the Livies spontaneously split, some without being used.
|
Yes TPE or TPR is the new super strong plastic. I use it on my new jerkshad models. Not all plastics are equal and lot of different formulas used. I know my new TPE are stronger than anything on the market. I had my first "lost tail " a month ago and that is with nearly a year of use. tbh, they are too tough, not good for repeat business
-------------
www.kavemantackle.co.nz
|
|