Salty Bait does it again.

Lately I have been experimenting with kabura and inchiku type metal jigs for my pollock fishing on the medium gear. Since the fish have started to show up again in numbers and are quite aggressive and competitive, I was thinking that something different may grab their attention.
Moreover besides the visual attraction I wanted to add something for flavour/scent as well, and thus I added some Berkley gulp as trailers to the jig.
The jig used is the Duel Salty Bait 10g, that comes with an offset hook and a rigged muppet. The lure has been successful as it is on pollock, but I wanted to see if Gulp would bring better results.
The first test was on my previous trip to Easdale, where the deep waters, snaggy bottom and strong wind didn't allow me to work my usual metal jigs and softplastics effectively. The Salty Bait on the other hand, casts well, is easy to work and with the addition of the Gulp very effective, as I caught a couple good pollock that almost engulfed the lure!
I added Berkley Gulp Minnows or Sandeels as their slim profile wouldn't affect negatively the jig's action. In truth they enhanced the action and it looks somehow like they're rigged on the cheburashka with an enticing wiggle in straight retrieve. The two ways I worked them are either a straight retrieve with some pauses here and there, or worked on the bottom with a series of abrupt pulls (not jerks!) where the rod is loaded and brings the lure up, and then let it reach bottom again before repeating.
Today I visited Loch Linnhe and I only used this presentation to see if it would work on calmer, clearer water. The casts are really good with this lure and I was able to cover a lot of water quickly and find the fish, that were typically holding near the bottom of the point at the entrance to a deep basin.
They would hit the lures on both types of retrieve, usually after a pause or acceleration and what impressed me was their confidence on the take and usually solid hook-up. Moreover codling seem to like them as well and I would like to try them somewhere that there are larger cod as I think that it can give good results. Below some pics of today's fish and lure used.

Todays presentation.

This one was kept for tea as it engulfed it!

Plumb codling.

Deep hooking...

Even little ones go for it.

Biggest of the day.

I was using my KG Evolution rod today and with its solid tip, I felt every touch and movement on the lure, thus I think its ideal for the method. The fish were mostly coming from distance but as the evening went on they started to move closer to the rocks. I had very good fun catching a good number of them and also losing some that caught me unprepared... More tests will follow but I think its a method/presentation that its worth a look and can turn up unexpected results. I am surprised that shore jigging has caught on so fast in Greece and the Med, while here where the waters and species are very conducive for it, it hasn't. I might look more seriously into it at some later point as I really believe it can throw up some monsters!

Tight lines!

Gear used.
Rod: Majorcraft KG Evolution,KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g
Reel: Shimano Stradic ci4 2500f
Mainline: Daiwa Tournament 8 Accudepth braid 10lbs
leader: YGK Nitlon DFC fluorocarbon, 8lbs.
lures: Duel Salty Bait 10g with Berkley gulp trailer.

The pollock are back!

For the past couple of weeks the pollock have been making their presence felt, more so than in the previous summer months. Apart from the occasional decent fish, the summer is not usually considered the best season for pollock and this was true for me and this summer. I'm not referring to the usual 1-2lbs fish that are ubiquitous pretty much everywhere but to the 3lbs+ fish.  I hadn't seen large fish in numbers since spring time but in the latest sessions I started getting some of them and I was thinking that a visit to Loch Fyne was in order to target them, as I caught a good one on my visit with my friend John there.
Thus I was there by midday and everything looked promising. Overcast sky, tide coming in and plenty of baitfish around. I headed straight away for the point at the entrance of the basin as this is where I usually catch pollock here. There was an other angler already fishing there but he was concentrating on the outside of the basin and fishing with feathers for mackerel. Although he hadn't caught anything.
I was fishing with the Solpara as Ive managed to break the tip of my Crostage (spare on its way) and I wasn't expecting something extraordinary so felt pretty well covered with it.
I was using the same 2.75" Lunker City Swimfish on a 7g Sakura fishead that's been effective lately and made a good cast towards my 'hot spot'. After letting the lure touch bottom on loose line, as the place is quite deep, I started a stop and go retrieve with some jerks of the rod tip. I felt a tap on the pause but kept retrieving and then I got a solid take. I struck and the rod tip just stuck down without recovering! I could feel it was a decent fish and it was bringing the Solpara to its limit.. I kept the drag setting as it was, since the rod could take it and let the fish do its runs. It was very powerful and kept diving with unstoppable force but slowly I was making progress on it. It snagged me for a while but after feeding it line it got out again.. Slowly but surely it was coming up and I was sure it was a good fish, but I did not expect it would be that big as what surfaced next! The guy fishing next to me couldn't believe it! It was my biggest pollock ever and pushing double figures.

PB!

Unfortunately I couldn't take pics with my phone as it had taken water but thankfully the other lad fishing offered to shoot a couple pics. I was planning to release the fish but seeing that the lad had no fish I decided to give him the fish and asked him if he could weigh it. He then send me a text and the fish weighed 9lbs7oz!
I continued fishing after the big fish and managed a few more descent pollock and a couple good codling of 1.5-2lbs. Most of the fish were caught on a 6g cheburashka with a #2 offset hook and various slim paddletails.
Today I decided to fish near Easdale as the deep waters there should provide me with some more pollock and good coalies.
I fished from the rocks first, overlooking a shallow bay where the water drops quickly to great depth. The pollock and coalfish usually lay around the kelp where the depth changes and attack what moves above. I was using metal jigs but due to the wind and the thicker braid on my heavier setup, I couldnt work them properly and only managed a nice coalie. I decided to change tactics and try something Ive been thinking for a while. I would use small kabura/inchiku type jigs that have been productive to me in the past in similar conditions but I added some gulp on the hook instead of the usual muppet. The lure I used was the 10g Duel Salty bait and I just added a Berkley Gulp minnow on the offset hook. These lures are meant to imitate crustaceans/mollusks/nothing in particular! But seem to draw fish. Most of these lures are worked on steady retrieve and/or pulls of the rod tip but not with the usual jerks of shore jigging. They have an intriguing action and in this case they proved successful as I managed two nice pollock although I lost the one when pulling it out of the water..

Coalies this size are superb fighters!

A successful presentation that I need to keep working on...

He wanted the salty bait!

I decided to move as there wasn't much else showing. I walked to the car but I decided to change gear to the lighter stuff and try the harbour entrance as the tide was coming in and it looked a good spot for coalies. I put on the microjig baited with 2" Berkley Gulp Fish fry and as predicted, the coalies were there and kept coming thick and fast on the lure! It was hectic action and I made a short video that I will upload soon.

Coalies!

After this I felt pretty satisfied with my days fishing and called it a day.
I'm looking forward to more pollock action as I better get the most out of it now, although I think it will be a while before I catch a pollock like this again!

Tight Lines!

Gear used.

Rod: Major Craft Solpara SPS-S792M (7'9", 0.5g-5g),   Majorcraft KG Evolution,KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g
Reel: Shimano Exage 1000fd ,Shimano Stradic ci4 2500f
Mainline: Spiderwire invisibraid 0.10mm, FinnsWindtamer braid 10lbs
leader: Dragon 7lbs Fluorocarbon, YGK Nitlon DFC fluorocarbon, 8lbs.
lures: 2.75"Lunker city Swimfish, Duel Salty bait 10g with Berkley Gulp Minnow trailer, 2" Berkley Fish Fry.