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This pikey bream fell for the rainbow trout colour XRCD |
Over my last few yak fishing trips, in the local estuary systems, I have had an increasing success with slow sinking hardbody lures. These lures, namely the Rapala Countdowns, Mini Fat Raps and the Rapala Ultra Light lures excel when targeting a variety of species with a more finesse approach. While floating lures are the most conventional technique for fishing the structure, sinking lures bring a new dimension to the game of snag bashing.
The Rapala X-Rap Countdown is a new addition to the Rapala range, being introduced for the end of 2012. By incorporating a negative buoyancy into the aesthetic finish of the Rapala X-Rap, this new little lure swims with a seductive body roll, but then on the pause, falls with an attractive flutter to entice hungry fish into a bite. With the added weight the Rapala XRCD casts like a bullet making it an accurate casting lure, even in windy conditions.
The day after the Rapala X-Rap Countdown hit the shelves I was testing these lures out from the kayak. In about 3 minutes after launching the kayak I had already hooked up on a nice yellowfin bream by just trolling and twitching the lure over the flats. With a quick change of tactics I began casting the lure deep into the mangrove overhanging banks now I was further away from the boat ramp. Once the lure lands in the snags, it pays to take it slow and give it a few sharp twitches then give it a pause, so that the lure flutters down to the bottom and imitates an injured fish.
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Bream arn't the only predators in these waters. This mangrove jack smashed the lure as soon as it hit the water. |
After only one day of testing out this lure I had landed 2 yellowfin bream, 2 black/pikey bream, 2 mangrove jacks and even a couple little moses perch. This little lure has really impressed me and I can’t wait to see what fish it will pull out of the snags next time.
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A solid yellowfin bream tagged and ready for release. |