New DUO Facebook Contest

DUO, the Japanese designer and manufacturer of top quality lures, has hit a milestone on Facebook, with 5000 fans! To celebrate this, it is giving the fans the chance to enter a contest, where the winner will no doubt be in receipt of some awesome DUO goodies.

The rules are simple, in order to enter the contest, you need to be on Facebook, then you need to be a fan of the DUO Facebook page, which can be found HERE Then, on the DUO Facebook page, share the cover photo at the top, and leave a comment. And that is all you need to do! The contest will be short and sweet, running until Tuesday 4th September, so be quick!

In case you are unsure on what picture to click on, of the DUO Facebook page, you can see what it looks like below;

If you like what you see on the DUO Facebook page, then be sure to take a look at their full website, which can be found HERE For those of you who want to get a little more DUO from social media sites, then you are in luck, as DUO has it's own TWITTER account, and also has a YOUTUBE channel, so be sure to check them out.

Ecogear UK Team

As I write this blog, I have a massive smile on my face, as I am now a member of the Ecogear UK Team. I have long been a big fan of Ecogear products, and in the past, the majority of my soft plastic fishing has been carried out using their superb range of lures. Some of my best fish have fallen to them over the past couple of years, and it is for this reason, I am really stoked to be part of the Ecogear Team.

Being part of the team, means I can experiment further with products across the whole range, build on old favorites, and test out new lures in a variety of colour patterns. This is reflected in my latest collection of lures, courtesy of Ecogear.

Ecogear Grassminnow L

Ecogear Grassminnow M & Ecogear Minnow S

Ecogear 3" Powershad

Ecogear 3" Para Max

Ecogear 4" Para Max & Ecogear 4" Para Max

Ecogear 4.5" BTS & Ecogear 3.5" BTS

Ecogear 5" Power Shad

Ecogear 3" Bug Ants

Ecogear 2" Bug Ants

Ecogear 4" Power Shad

Ecogear 3.25" Straight & Ecogear 3" Aji Shokunin

Ecogear 10g Retrieve Head

Ecogear 15g Retrieve Head

Such a great selection of soft lures, to add to the existing lot, perfect for the fishing I do, targeting the Bass and Wrasse alongside the mini species. Can't wait to get a few of the new lures wet, testing them out on my marks, and seeing what works best where and for what. With the current 'Sumer' weather we are having, it is also handy that I have been supplied a really nice set of quality waterproofs. If  you bump into me out and about on the coast, there will be no mistaking me wearing these!

If you want to get your hands on some of the above lures, then click on the Ecogear logo at the top of my blog, and check out the list of UK retailers on the website. The website also shows the huge range of Ecogear lures available, soft plastics, metal vibs, hard plastics and many more.

Evening Stroll For A Bass

Work has been manic of late, and free time is at a premium for me, consequently fishing has taken a bit of a back seat. With the tides looking good, a 2200hrs high tide, took the opportunity to fish 5 mins from my front door, walking a couple of fields down the valley to the creek. As I arrived around 1900hrs, the creek was dry, but I could see the estuary at the head was flooding quickly.

I walked to the end, and rigged up, using the Nories Slow Retrieve 7'3 (0.9-5g) rod, and a Daiwa 2506 Certate loaded up with a spool of Sunline Small Game Mono. Fishing this line straight through, allows quick and easy rigging, with no leader to tie, and the freedom to swap jig heads often without loosing any leader length. Fishing into a deeper channel, with the fast flooding tide swirling around a rocky outcrop, had a take on the drop, and a feisty little Bass motoring well in the current.

The lure it was taken on is the Ecogear 3" Power Shad, teamed up with an Ecogear 3.5g Iwashi hjig head. With no more takes, the light was fading, and I needed to make my way back up the Creek, wading waist deep as it had now filled. Took a couple of pics of the estuary just before I headed off in the evening light. Hopefully soon I will get the chance to put a proper session down, work permitting!

Evening Wrasse Session

Managed to squeeze in a quick session after work in SW Devon. Headed over to a deep water rough ground mark, armed with the Nories RockFish Bottom casting rod, teamed up with my Calcutta Conquest 51DC, spooled with the ever reliable Sunline Castaway 1.5PE (25lb). The evening light seemed to fade fast, but conditions were warm and calm. Forgot to take my usual camera, so the pics came from the old iPhone 4.

Started out fishing an Ecogear 4" Powershad, mounted on an Ecogear Iwashi 11g 1/0 jighead. A quick flick out with the rod, and letting the lure fall through the water in a controlled drop, as it neared the bottom, a few plucks lead to the first Wrasse being landed, followed by a couple more.

Changed tactics, and Texas rigged a Nories Ladyfish on a weedless size 1 EWG hook. Leaving it down on the bottom, making slow movements with pauses on the retrieve, feeling out the seabed, the Wrasse were still biting, and the fish were being landed just before sun down.

None of the fish were big, maybe going 1.5lb at best, but they still gave me a chance to feel what a fish on is like with the new rod. I have to say, this baitcaster malarky is somewhat of a revelation to me. The style of casting, the way you can fish on the drop in the gullies is really useful. I was really surprised at the distance that can be achieved, and found it still casted a 3.5g jig head with a small 3-4" lure fine. I will be experimenting soon, to see how it copes with casting lighter, find out what the useful working limits are. Finished up with a final pic down the coast, as the sun was setting.

Baitcaster Set Up - Fishing Afloat

Recently acquired a baitcaster set, in the form of a Nories RBT78MHC (RockFish Bottom) 7'8 Telescopic 7-21g with Shimano Calcutta Conquest 51DC. The reel is spooled up with the fantastic Sunline Castaway 1.5PE (25lb). Having owner a few Nories rods now, including 3 others from the RockFish range, I was confident that the new rod would be a good addition. Just from the aesthetical point of view, this combo is a real beauty!

Being new to baitcasters, I thought a little practice in the garden would be a good idea, and proved to be very useful, in getting my head around the ins and outs of casting with this reel. Had a few backlashes, but was able to learn from them, and pick them out with ease. The reel its'elf makes a pretty cool noise on casting, as it does it's magic controlling the spool. My thoughts were to use this as a close range soft plastics tool, a style of fishing that lends it'self well to the various local marks I fish. 

So, onto my first outing with this set up, which was to be afloat, in my little Zodiac 310. Headed out to the Start Bay area, parked up, and began the task of pumping up the little inflatable, mounting the engine, and setting the boat up ready for action. It can be a fun little tool, with the 4hp Suzuki engine, you can easily transport it all in your car boot, pull it out, and be afloat in around 20 mins of vigorous foot pumping and carrying to the water.

Hugging the shoreline, I made my way in the Dartmouth direction, a nice sunny start, with light Westerly winds. Starting out with a Damiki Tokon 20g jig, soon into the first of many Pollack, and the first fish coming to the boat on the new rod & reel. The Pollack were coming thick and fast, biggest probably around the 2lb mark.

Drifting the boat close in over some weed and rock structure, I switched over to an Ecogear Power Dart Minnow, combined with the Ecogear Power Dart 14g head. This combo is great because it allows a small treble to sit in the belly of the lure. With a straight retrieve, the lure can be made to dart with movements of the rod tip, and this action bagged me a small Bass. The Calcutta Conquest reel makes a satisfying click as the drag works, and the fiesty spikey was brought to the boat. 

As I drifted further down the coast, I stuck with the Ecogear Power Dart Minnow, and went on to land a good few more Pollack, which made some good deep runs as I brought them in. The Sunline Castaway was behaving really well on the reel, and I was able to start increasing my distance as I became more confident with the set up. Whilst bottom bouncing, felt a dead weight on the line, and reeled in a cool looking Hermit crab, hidden deep in it's shell.

Only downside to the trip was heading back to the car, when the weather took a turn for the worst, and powering the little Zodiac back in the strengthening Westerly wind! Back safe, all packed down, and happy with my first session with the baitcaster. Looking forward to getting out on the rocks with it soon, and testing it out with some more Bass and hopefully a few chunky Wrasse.