What Jerk ??????????

Its not too often you find a lure that is super cheap and catches a heap of fish. I was put onto these by good mate Chris Cleaver a few years back. It was just one of the many topics that came up after spending 17hr in a car driving up to QLD. Chris’s story went something like this, don’t quote me as some points many be wrong as it was a few year back now.
“The Jindavin Jerk was one of my go to lures when fishing the rocks”
“What Jerk?” I quickly replied.
“From Big W, the Jindavin Jerk. By far the best hardbody lure for the stones, and only $5. When ever Big W got a shipment in, they would all be gone within a day or two. It was a like our own little competition in seeing who could get them before the others found out they were back in stock”.
“What was so good about them?” wanting to know more about this cheap fish catching lure.
“They were the perfect size and shape. You would have to upgrade the hooks and rings as they were crap but the action was just right. It had a tight wiggle that sent the Bonito, Salmon and Rat King into a frenzy”.

Trying to get as much info out of him as I could “What colour did you find the best”.
“They came in a few different colours but only two worked a treat. The Green mackerel colour and the Mullet colour were the ones you needed to have”.
So with this information in the back of the brain I found myself in Big W. What, there were heaps on the shelves, like 20 or more. Feeling like a little kid in a toy shop I had them all over the floor looking for the two colours Chris mentioned. There were about 12 in the two best colour all up so I grabbed them all. And the best part was they were on sale, yep only $3 each.
That night they were upgraded with owner hooks and split rings ready for the next day on the rocks.
A week latter I was down on my local rock platform spinning for a few pelagic species. There were 3 other guys already fishing and had not caught a thing. You wouldn’t believe it but the first cast I hooked up. The shock on the face of the three guys fishing was priceless. A Bonito around the 2 ½ kilo mark was washed up onto the rocks and into a large rock pool. After a few quick photos the fish was unhooked and released to fight another day.
Two cast latter I was in again, another bonito around the same size, it was photographed and released also. This was to be the norm for the next hour or two. Unsure how many were caught that day but the Jindavin Jerk was making a good name for it self.
The other three guys were high speed spinning metals and only caught two fish between them. They were also in shock that in this day of high end Japanese lures, A $3 lure could be so affective.
I was too.

Gyotaku Fish Printing

Attention to detail is what makes gyotaku prints so special, something I haven’t mastered YET. I hope to over the next few years master this process.
On a white background, the fish is painted black and the print is transferred. The print itself is then hand-colored using watercolors or colored pencils.
In Japan the tradition of fish printing, or gyotaku, goes back to the 1800s, when fishermen began using ink and paper to record their catch. Sounds like a great way to remember those special fish

These are the steps I followed, they are a cut and paste piece from

http://freshaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=freshaquarium&cdn=homegarden&tm=43&gps=144_29_1259_640&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_p812.0.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//bluewaterfishrubbings.com/myo.php

1-Cleaning Your Fish
Scrub your fish gently with some detergent, lemons, or vinegar; to remove all of the dirt and slime from the fish. Be careful not to damage any of the scales or fins. Avoid letting the fish soak in water or it may take a long time to dry.
Blot dry the fish with some paper towels.
Place the fish on a table covered with old newspaper or cardboard.
Gently stuff the gills, mouth, and vent of the fish with small pieces of paper towel to prevent leaks. If the fish's insides have been removed, gently stuff the belly with paper towel until it is firm.

2-Pinning (This step is not absolutely necessary)
Place your fish on a piece of cardboard or rigid foam board.
Spread each fin out as far as it will go and pin it to the board.
Gently brush the fish from tail to head with a paintbrush to help raise the scales, but try not to remove any.
Allow the fish to dry for 1 to 2 hours. This process can be sped up by placing the pinned fish in a refrigerator. (Do not put the fish in the freezer!) You can tell when the fish is dry enough to print by removing a few pins. If the fins don't move you're ready! If the fins move, replace the pins and wait another 15 minutes or so.
After the fish is dry, carefully remove all of the pins.

3-Inking
You can usually make at least 6-10 rubbings from a fresh fish. You can use 1 color or many colors to make a print. It is best to start off printing in 1 color and then progressing to many.
Place the fish on a clean paper towel.
Open your paint containers and have your brushes ready. Paint the fish with a thin layer of ink, brushing from tail to head. Paint the body of the fish first and the fins last because they dry faster. Try not to apply too little or too much ink to the fish. Applying too little ink will result in a very weak print. Applying too much ink will result in an unsightly blob. Do not paint the eye of the fish, it does not print well.

4-Pre-Print Clean Up
Transfer your inked fish to a clean paper towel. Wash and dry your hands. Look for blotches of ink on the paper towel and board surrounding your fish. Cover the ink blotches with pieces of clean paper towels. You don't want ink smudges on your print!
A clean table is a must before printing!

5-Printing
Take out a sheet of printing paper. The paper included in the kit is newsprint. Rice paper is the nicest when you get really good. A flexible absorbent paper is best for fish rubbing.
Hold the paper a few inches above the fish and adjust the paper to the angle you want your fish to appear on the paper. Carefully lay the paper on the fish. Leave the paper wherever it falls; do not move it or your print will get smudged.
Place 1 hand on the fish's belly to hold the paper still. Gently rub the rest of the fish with the palm of and fingers of your free hand. Try to "see" the fish with your fingers. Rub everywhere on the fish's body but try not to rub the same place twice to avoid smudges. The paper will wrinkle some but that is how you can tell a real fish rubbing!
When you feel you have finished rubbing; gently pull the paper away from the fish. You've made a Gyotaku!
Study your rubbing. If you see a blank spot you probably didn't rub the fish in that spot; if you see a smudge you probably moved the paper a little. Don't worry! Be happy! You can master these points on your next rubbing.

If you are going to make another print with the same color re-ink the fish now. If not, wash your fish and wipe it clean before re-inking.
Set your rubbings in a safe place to dry. Paint in an eye with the small paintbrush and sign your name.

25-7-09


Two new prints using silk. A Sea Bass from the local wet market for $5Aus was the fish used. Hope to soon print a BIG Hong Kong Sea Bass

Micky Ts LBG style

Rain, rain and more rain. I snuck back to Australia for my Dad's 70th with out him or Mum knowing. Well anyway after the birthday party it was time to fish. Wife free and Kid free for a week. Sleep was not on the cards. Didn't take long before the phone was ringing as friends found out I was back down under. Jabba (Andrew Burke) rang just as I was walking out from two days on the rock down the south coast. Things had been slow with a few rat Kings and Bonito.

"Bla, Bla, Bla heard you were back and are looking at going fishing. Im going up the coast for a day trip are you keen"

"You bet, what time, where and how?"


Well later that night I was in a car with Jabba and Del who we picked up in Sydney. Having not seen Jabba for a few years there was lots to catch up on. Plus it was the first time I have met Del and chatted. We soon worked out we had fished the rock together many years ago and landing Marlin off the rocks the same day.

We pulled the car into the car park at 4.30am and were pleased to find it empty. A quick power nap and we were on our way out to the rocks before the sun poked its head up. Baits were easy to come by until the Tailor moved in. They made short work of any bait hooked plus the jig they were on. After a while they moved on and we were able to set live baits out with hassle free drifts. Things were slow to start with but fish were getting hooked and some landed. By 2pm we had a Mack each but that was about to change. As the afternoon shadows started to hit the water the place came alive. In the next 2hr there was a bait eaten I would say every 10-15min. Andrew hooked into some thing that took alot more line than a Mac should. On 6kg there was not much he could do but just watch and enjoy the fun. Then after a screaming run the hook pulled.


The Mac's were still around to play games with and a late afternoon hook up made for a great way to finish a quick trip back to Oz.

Singing pore with PB’s

Singing pore with PB’s well not really, this was my first real over seas fishing adventure.

Got into Singapore airport at 11.30pm and decided to sleep at the airport. Tomorrow afternoon I would be meeting the other guys for our trip to Rompin to mix it with Sails on fly. Well to say I got sleep at the airport would be an understatement. The pic on the advertisement inside the airport was misleading. A pic of what looked like a small room with a bed made up with a blanket, sheets and pillow was a lie. After paying to sleep (by the hr of course) I was taken to the room. A communal room with about 50 beds and people coming and going, people snoring and others were talking.

ARRRRRRRRRRR.

By 5am I had had enough, not sleep LOL. Red bulls are a wonderful thing

First impressions of the impoundment was WOW, got the camera out to get some pics and the lens fogged up straight away. It must have been 30deg and about 99% humidity the poor camera didn’t know what hit it. After about 15min the thing was able to take pic’s again.
In a hundred meter stretch I must have seen 10 No Fishing signs and there must have been 30 odd people fishing. Anglers out number the signs so it must be ok. Fished until midday and would have caught over 20 Peacock Bass. These are one of the best looking fish going around. The big black dot on the tail is the biggest stand out. They use it to confuse others as it looks like another eye. The 4wt was just the trick for these guys; they hit hard and put in a good account for themselves. Unsure what they taste like but the locals were keeping all the fish they caught and laughed at me each time I let one go.

Mini Toxic Poons

Indo-Pacific Tarpon, Oxeye Herring or Mini-Poons (Megalops cyprinoides) look a lot like their BIG brother Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) but just down sized. These are a species that legends and dream are made from. Well the big brother anyway. Tarpon have been on my wish list for many years. Tarpon are purely for the sport fishers as they are not a table fish.
Little did I know that the backwater or should I say blackwater’s of Hong Kong have many of these little speedsters swimming around in them. They are also a sucker for a small well presented fly. Down sizing to a 4wt made each encounter fun and enjoyable. Flies such as Toads, X Toads, Bentbacks and small Clousers have been the most successful.

Tarpon are big performers and fight to the end. Jumps, short but fast bursts of speed and more jumps add to the excitement of these Mini Poon’s. Can't say the same for the environment they were caught in, Slaughter house outlet, China's border and just a toxic waste dump but that another story.

Rompin Sails

No need for words as the photos say it all. Over 100 sails raised in two days, unsure how many shots and heaps landed. Theres a short vid at the end to have a look at.

Deep Fly Bass

Once again I felt the all too familiar bump through the rod. This was about the tenth bump for the morning. The 1/8th black and purple spinner bait was failing despite the fact it had been the go to lure on Bass Electric tournaments. After trying soft plastics, lipless crankbaits and divers that littered my tackle box the fly rod was rigged. I was ready to try again. With a black and purple Bass vampire connected to the leader by a loop knot.
The ABT requirements for these tournaments are, two Bass per angler greater than 30cm to the fork. All anglers have six hours to fill their limit and penalties are enforced if anyone is late back. It may sound easy but when there are forty other top Bass anglers trying to do the same thing the pressure is on.
With the new fly rigged, I made the first cast and it was a rough cast at that, not a long cast, only about 40ft in length. As the fly line was sinking, I stripped the remaining line from the reel in preparation for the next cast. With the whole fly line neatly coiled on the floor of the boat the retrieve was started. Now the point I was fishing had a wall that was about 15m long and dropped off from 3ft to 30ft. the fly line was laying straight under the boat by the time I started the retrieve.

Strip, strip, strip, ‘BANG” fish on

I would love to say that the fly line was stripped through my hands and was losing backing at a great number of knots, but this is Bass fishing. Deep power surges were transmitted through the fly line and into the rod. The Bass made a few more last chance power dives before it was safely in the environet. Why did it take so long to pull out the fly rod? Within the next hour I had landed 15 fish and my limit of two Bass over 30cm was filled

Tackle Box
A fly rod outfit between 6wt and 9wt is recommended. 6wt’s are great for, the social/fun aspect but when its tournament time go for the heavier outfits. The wind seems to always be stronger on comp days. This is the world of the new age fast action fly rods. Full length sinking lines are heavy and require a high line speed to cast them effectively.
Reel need to be of the large arbor type. These reels help prevent line memory and have a quick line retrieval rate. Good if that monster takes the fly at the start of the retrieve you will be able to retrieve line quickly. Types of reels are a personal thing starting at the low cost graphite to full bar stock coloured anadised aluminum reels. Most guys when setting up their outfits for tournament fishing choose the low cost option and spend their money on other reels such as baitcasters and threadlines. If you are serious about fly, go for the best you can afford. Tackle bling is always a good thing.
Lines come in two form for deep fly fishing
1- Full length sinking lines which sink at around 6 inches per second
2- A shooting head system with a running line. Especially the lead core lines
Twisted fluorocarbon leaders are the most effective leader system. They help turn over the weighted flies used and they sink quicker than the more traditional tapered leader.

Flies
There’s not much that a Bass wont eat, therefore there are hundreds of flies out there that will catch them. Vampire styles, Pink things, Clousers, Deceivers, BMS Fuzzles and Bulletheads to name a few. These flies need to be tied sparsely as a bulky fly will sink slowly.

Counting down
For this technique to work you must know where your fly is throughout the retrieve. I am young (well young at heart) and didn’t go to school when inches and the old foot were used but these units make this style of fishing easier. The line sinks at six inches per second. Therefore with your sounder set up to show the depth in feet all you have to do is count down the fly to double the depth. Eg: if the fish are showing at 10 feet on the sounder simply count the fly down after the cast for 20 seconds. It’s that simple, I get confused if I try and work in metric units 150mm, 300mm, 450mm what’s next.

Retrieves

This can change from day to day and Dam to Dam. Two retrieves that have served me well are the strip, strip, strip pause technique and a consistent retrieve. Once you have counted down the fly to the depth the fish are holding at, start your retrieve with three 20 to 30cm sharp strips. Pause for five seconds and start the three strips again. Keep this up all the way back to the boat. Secondly, try to get the fly moving at a medium pace and keep it moving consistently with as little break in the retrieve as possible. The ability to lay out a long cast is a huge advantage for this technique. Bass are known to follow the fly almost to the boat and than strike. This makes for some white-knuckle fishing.

As always the rod should be facing straight down the line. Put the rod tip in the water or just above it. This prevents any slack line and increases the sensitivity between the angler and fish. If a bite or bump is detected just keep stripping and usually the hook will find its mark. Do not strike with the rod as this will end up being a very frustrating day.

With two of the biggest Bass in the live well, it shows how effective this technique really is. The long rod is now my go to technique for impoundment Bass. Pick it up and show others that the fly rod is still a force to reckon with.