New to lures

[Justl1keRaven]

Hey. So I normally don't join forums but recently I have tried a new way to fish and I am completely baffled. I normally fish with bait, but when I went into Richard's Tackles, they have told me to try the Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110SP Zebra Sardine.

I did some research, and even found a page from Wingnut (sp) I believe... That shows how great LC FMs are--especially when modified.

I bought one with a friend and decided to head out. Again, I am new at this and only eager to learn.

We went to Redondo Beach and unfortunately we all had a bad experience. I am not sure how to tie a jerkbait, so I basically tied it to its nose without weights. We heard Redondo have halibuts so we gave it a shot. There were so much sea weed that every time I reel my FM in there would be something attached to it. I was so frustrated and felt like I wasted $20.00. My friend didn't catch anything but saw a halibut (about 14 inches guestimate) stalking his FM--which left when he couldn't reel anymore.

I was also wondering how are you able to cast it. I normally don't stand too far into the surf. I usually go about thigh deep and cast out. Without a weight, a FM doesn't go so far. I also don't know how to jerk and reel it properly to attract fish. Does sunlight matter on the shininess of the FM?

After a few hours of short distance cast, and a bundle of sea weed, we gave up. It was our first time using lures and after this experience, it makes me never want to go to Redondo, and totally just lowers motivation for using lures.

[tacklejunkie]

Ooops,
See reply in the surf report section. hehe

My friend didn't catch anything but saw a halibut (about 14 inches guestimate) stalking his FM--which left when he couldn't reel anymore.

You almost had one! Sounds like just a "salad" day. Try again when it's clearer water! I've caught 8" butts on the 4" LC! Tiny ones will eat it.

[vanillagurilla]

ill give you a little insight. 10lb test, 7 foot rod ( i use a 6'6" but a 7' will give u longer distance but you dont need it), medium action rod and a slow steady retrieve with intermitant pauses. takes time to know where to cast and u just gota work at it. try areas where the waves arent breaking hard or not at all.

[spooks]

Good Info TackleJunkie. but I wish some one would get more in depth with detail on how to work this Lure. After all this are the sites we go to for learning.
I some times get the impression that we only give 50 or 75% of the info
I do understand that the best way to learn is to do it yourself,but in some cases the beach is so far we can not afford to go often enough.never the less I do thank all of those that teach.

as for my experience with this lure
you dont need a broom stick to fish the surf a 8-17 or 10-20lbs soft tip fishing rod will do. you need a rod that will help you launch a good distance. I like 7'6" to 8'6" foot rods.
as for line I like 10 Lbs Izor XXX
now the lure. Tie your LC directly to your line using a good Knot.
you should get a good cast with this set up. (just remember you are not casting a sinker.so you will not see the same range as if you were casting a sinker of the same weight.Do to the shape an material the lure is made of. it behaves different in the cast than a sinker will.
the Ideal water, is as close to a lake conditions as you can get. what I mean is little wind.
wind affects the water to much. wind creates waves,slows down your cast
big waves will make it impossible to work your bait. Remember this bait was made to be fish for freshwater bass picture those conditions.
a Lc is a visual lure which means the fish has to see it. the sun will help the lure become more visual to the fish so will clean water if you can see it so can the fish.
as for working the bait slow and steady just remember reels come in a few different ratios they pull the line in at different speed depending on the gear ratio. I crank just fast enough to see the lure swim. try other things like pausing the lure a second or two.
try a slight twitch. just remember you are the puppet master and that you have to use the right lure for the condition. if the wind is blowing to much or the current is to much i use a metal lures Krock or Kastmaster. I will also use swimbaits (gulp jerkshads BH,FT etc.)
Halibut love flat beaches,sand near the rocks rocks,holes in the surf. etc
anyways I hope this will help you. by no means do I have all the answers. just somethings that I have learn. please add to this info if you can.

[bsp]

As a general rule, halibut like calm areas (small waves like 2ft or less or no waves) with structure nearby to ambush bait fish. Structure can be kelp, boiler rocks, jetties, pier pilings, eel grass beds, riptides, holes, and troughs in the sand. All these can be found by taking a few minutes to look at the beach before fishing. The presence of bait fish is also good indicator of halibut or other predatory fish. If bait can be seen puddling on the surface or in the waves, chances are halibut will be actively feeding. Sometimes you'll even see halibut go air born!

Some things to think about when scouting an area are:

If I were a halibut, where would the best place be to put myself to ambush bait with the least amount of effort? Is there access to an escape route nearby in case I get spooked? Where are there the most options for cover (an area that combines cover types is preferable to one that does not)?

I like clear water and sunny skies for halibut fishing, but other people, like Wingnut, like overcast days with clear water. You can catch halibut in murky water, but clear water is much better. Tides are a tricky one because some spots are high tide spots, others are low tide spots, and sometimes there is no real difference. As long as the swell is down and the water is clear you have a chance at halibut.

As for specific lure choice, the Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110 has accounted for hundreds of not over 1000 legal halibut from the surf along with countless shorts. You made the right choice by buying it.

Retrieve speed is slow and steady without any rips or twitches nearly all the time. Stick with that and you will catch halibut. You want to reel just fast enough that your LC wobbles on the retrieve.

Now for your setup. You are doing the right thing by tying the LC straight to your line without any weight. Don't change that.

Your rod and line though you probably should change. You will get a ton of variation between specific brands, but look at 7' or 7'6" rods with a moderate or moderate-fast taper rated for 8-17lb or 8-20lb test. Fiberglass or graphite rods both work, but make sure it has a moderate or moderate fast taper. The perfect rod for this is a largemouth bass crankbait rod. I use a Phenix X-10 crankbait rod (7', mod taper, fiberglass tip and graphite lower) and won't be using anything else, but other guys use different rod brands like Carrot Stix, Lamiglass, Powell, Shimano, St Croix, etc.

10lb or 12lb line is what you want to use. I use 10lb Seaguar InvisX currently, but used 12lb P-Line CXX before and caught plenty of halibut with it. Stick to good brands like Seaguar, P-Line, Izorline, or Toray (if you have the $$$) and you'll do fine.

Reel wise, get a small baitcaster/low profile bass reel with 5:1 or 7:1 gear ratio. The thinking with the 5:1 is that you want to reel in slowly anyway, so you don't need the speed of the 7:1 and the 5:1 gives you more power. Thinking with the 7:1 is that you can pull the halibut in fast enough that you don't need the extra power, and the faster ratio lets you burn in your baits when they are in unproductive water. The problem with that is halibut will often strike right at your feet, so you don't really need to eliminate that water. Still, some guys like them and catch fish, so figure out what you like and use that.

I use a Daiwa Luna 203 and it is awesome, but again there are plenty of other options. Shimano Curado or Citica 200s, Cardiffs or Calcutta 200s, and the Daiwa Luna or Pluton 200s (and a wicked customized Sol if you are TJ) are some of the more common reels people will use for tossing the LC.

Don't worry about casting distance. Halibut are generally within 10 to 20yds of shore once you have found an area that holds them, so massive casts like you are fishing for sharks with mackerel chunks are definitely not needed. The maximum distance you get with the above mentioned gear is ALL you need to catch halibut from the shore. If you are standing in thigh or waist deep water when there aren't any waves and casting 20 or 25yds out you are getting plenty of distance.

As for the kelp problem, some days just suck like that. They are inevitable, and all you can do is move down the beach to try and get away from it. The halibut are still there, but catching them is next to impossible because your Lucky Craft can't swim correctly. Don't worry, and just try again another day. The South Bay beaches can hold good numbers of halibut, so you are in the right place area wise. They just can be a little harder to pattern because the structure is constantly changing from day since it is an open beach.

Feel free to ask questions if have them (unless it's "Where's the best spot to catch halibut near location X?"). There are a lot of talented halibut fishermen on the board who will help you out.

Remember to release your personal best!

-bsp

Edit: The Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110 is not the only way to catch halibut. Drop shotting 4in or 5in Zoom Flukes with 8lb line and a 3/8oz or 5/8oz is also very productive too, and will catch halibut when the LC isn't working because they will eat it even if they aren't aggressive. Use a sensitive fast taper 7' or 7'6" spinning rod. I use a Phenix 76M dropshot rod, but go with what you can afford. 3in swimbaits on 1/4oz or 3/8oz lead heads like Big Hammers or Pearls can work too (and can be tossed on the dropshot rod), but I prefer the LC or dropshotting most of the time.

[Justl1keRaven]

Thank you very much. It's very informative and makes me want to go back to Redondo to give it another try. I won't ask where is the best spot, but I fish next to the jetty next to the pier where the kelps are. I don't think that spot is too great.

What do you mean by my LC won't swim correctly if I move down the beach? Also, what can LC actually catch inaddition to Halibuts? I mean, what can I expect if I were to go to Santa Monica.

And does the sun matter? And does rod and reel really matter in the long run--because I am not rich enough to drop money on specific reels and rods =(.

[vanillagurilla]

dosnt matter to much on the rod and reel but u can get a shimano corvalus for about 80 bucks new and a decent rod at wal-mart for around 50 that will work great plus u can use it for catfishing or bass fishing. the LC wont swim right if its fouled up with grass and kelp. try to find some clean water. also the afternoon incoming tide is usualy dirty with grass and stuff. ill help you out and tell u that u should fish 2hrs b4 high tide untill 2 hours after high tide.

[bsp]

Thank you very much. It's very informative and makes me want to go back to Redondo to give it another try. I won't ask where is the best spot, but I fish next to the jetty next to the pier where the kelps are. I don't think that spot is too great.

What do you mean by my LC won't swim correctly if I move down the beach? Also, what can LC actually catch inaddition to Halibuts? I mean, what can I expect if I were to go to Santa Monica.

And does the sun matter? And does rod and reel really matter in the long run--because I am not rich enough to drop money on specific reels and rods =(.

1. Move away from the kelp and find clear water. Jetties are good to fish near if they haven't trapped kelp as they cause areas of deeper water to form. Once the kelp has gone away, that area should produce halibut. For now though, you are better off walking North or South and fishing in areas where the waves aren't breaking. This signals a hole or trough in the sand that will hold fish. Riptides are also good to fish near and in.

2. I wasn't too clear with that. Your Lucky Craft won't swim correctly with the kelp catching the hooks, so move down the beach to get away from it. Always make sure there is nothing on your LC before you cast again. Any junk that is on it will throw off its swim.

3. LCs can catch pretty much anything in the surf. People have caught yellowfin croaker, surf perch, halibut, white sea bass, stripers, calico and sand bass, leopard sharks, corbina (very rare catch on the LC), and accidentally snagged rays with them.

4. Santa Monica has the same fish that swim in Redondo, but is worth hitting up because the conditions might be different (like no kelp, less waves, clear water, or it could be worse too). The only way to find out is if you try, so go check it out!

5. I prefer to fish in sunny conditions because I think it results in a better bite, but other people, like Wingnut, prefer cloudy days. Water clarity is MUCH more important than sun, so focus on that instead. Go out and fish whenever you can and don't worry about how cloudy or sunny it is.

6. For this technique it is pretty important. The wrong rod and reel will result in lost fish, and sometimes will mean you won't catch a fish at all. Your 10ft surf combo probably isn't casting as far as a 7' crankbait rod because the surf combo is designed for much heavier weights than the 5/8oz lucky craft.

You are probably looking at $100 to $150 for a decent set up, and $300 to $400 for a nice one, so it definitely isn't cheap. If you post your budget, I'll try to find a good set up if you want. This set up can be used for a lot of bass fishing techniques too, so it's not completely specific to halibut.

[tacklejunkie]

Just make sure you put that lure on some good 12lb line. Change the line often too as soon as you see it degrade or sooner! You will thank yourself for changing line often when the big one hits!

15lb line might be a little hard to cast but it should still work. (but you will cast farther with 12lb line)

If you hook a halibut, and then the lure pulls out of it's mouth every time, you need a different rod. If you hook the halibut and the lure stays hooked on the fish most of the time, your rod will be OK.

That lure will catch all kinds of different fish.
Rays, sharks, halibut, WSB, BSP, cudas, spotties, sandies, croakers, corbina, seals, dolphins and even moby dick! Get out there and find yourself a good spot to throw it and give it some time. It will reward you for sure.

[Justl1keRaven]

1.

6. For this technique it is pretty important. The wrong rod and reel will result in lost fish, and sometimes will mean you won't catch a fish at all. Your 10ft surf combo probably isn't casting as far as a 7' crankbait rod because the surf combo is designed for much heavier weights than the 5/8oz lucky craft.

Actually, my rod is around 8 feet, I over estimated it. I actually bought it at Sports Chalet for around $50.00 as a combo, and it has caught me everything so far. I never really had a line snap on me. I currently use a 15lb line. I don't understand how a wrong rod/reel will result in a lost fish. Would it not set a hook properly?