Zest Trolling Blades
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Heavy Metal - Jig fishing
Forum Description: Anything related to jig fishing here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=60109
Printed Date: 28 Jan 2026 at 6:35am
Topic: Zest Trolling Blades
Posted By: kingcrush
Subject: Zest Trolling Blades
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 2:51pm
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Has any body tried these trolling lures and can any one shed some light on how they perform.
I gave one a go last night and got hooked up to a king and then lost the fish. Maybe it was the way I connected this lure to my leader.
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Replies:
Posted By: seansurfy
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 3:01pm
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yep, I've used them and had good results. Mainly used them in the tropics, catching Yellowfin, Wahoo, etc....but also have picked up Southern Bluefin Tuna on them....
Very low maintenance, bullet proof lure....I attached it using a heavy duty split ring/grommet...
I reckon you could do well jigging with them too in the right circumstances
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Posted By: kingcrush
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 3:06pm
| Thanks for this, I tried to connect a split ring but found this was too wide across the back of the lure. I may have to use a snap swivel to connect this. I tied this on directly on to the lure and got busted off upon the strike. |
Posted By: Murph
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 4:01pm
| What speed can you troll them at? I'm looking for something that I can drag at up to 20 knots on the way out to the grounds, might as well use that time for something I reckon!! |
Posted By: seansurfy
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 6:17pm
20knts might be too much I think. 6-10knts worked for me.....you might get them to swim at 15knts....not sure. They have a very slim profile and don't provide too much resistance when trolling...they can also take a severe flogging and still keep tracking straight....which is a bit of a problem with some other bibless lures
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Murph wrote:Posted By: scottej
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 7:35pm
20 knots let us know if you find something!!
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Posted By: alan syme
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 9:00pm
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i have used them in the tropics, caught wahoo, yellowfin and skippies on them. i have not used them in nz but suspect they would be good on kingies and tuna. they swim well and put out a good vibration, they swim about half a metre below the surface at 6-7 knots. i think that they would swim well faster than this but i have not tested that. they are quite tough but the paint can chip and peel off, especially with toothy fish. i suspect your line was cut by the lure if you tied it directly through one of the attachment holes, the edges are quite straight and can cut into the line under pressure, i use a snap swivel through the hole or a split ring to attach the line.
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Posted By: alan syme
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 9:07pm
 i found this photo showing a orange trolling blade with paint peeling off and snap swivel connection, may 2010
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Posted By: Murph
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2010 at 10:51pm
| I went to a seminar with Bonze, (Graham Fleet) as the main speaker and he told of a blue marlin he caught while trolling a lure at that speed, so it can be done, apparently. |
Posted By: ChrisW
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2010 at 9:31am
Ben, a previous regular here did some extensive testing while trolling commercially for ablies, he said that max speed was 8 knots and the lure attracted lots of interest but it was on the verge of breaking out. Most effective speed for good hookups was around 6 knots.
The only thing you can troll at 20 knots is probably a heavily weighted bullet nosed tuna lure. ------------- give it death! |
Posted By: kingcrush
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2010 at 4:43pm
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When I got my hit on my blade that I lost I was trolling at 6 knots, this seems to be the right speed for these lures. |
Posted By: samax
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2014 at 5:05pm
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hopefully im going to give these a go over the manukau bar this weekend and ill let u guys know how i get on |