Bull trout and rattlesnakes: mutual love or monstrous mistake

Despite the fact that I really like to fish with stickbaits and sinking minnows, there is another type of bait that works just as well at certain times. And it is nothing but Lipless crankbaits, aka VIB, or, as it is still called in our country – rattlin. Well, in this article I want to share my experience of catching studs with these lures and will try to show that contrary to popular belief Vib is not only a winter bait.

A little history

For a long time did not pay attention to these lures

Actually, for a long time I was sure that Vibs are something about winter and ice, and I didn’t pay attention to these lures at all. Until one fine moment I did not see a video where Poles quite successfully use them while fishing for stud, and they even have special models for sheresper. Then there was a video of Andrei Starkov, where he told in a little more detail that originally this class of baits was mainly created for catching bass, and then and it is in our country it became popular in winter fishing. In general, we can say that they definitely managed to interest me, and I went to the store …

About lures

For each vibe there is a horizon of wiring

In my conditions best of all showed themselves relatively small rattlins, and I very rarely resort to lures more than 80 millimeters long. This is primarily due to the fact that the places where I use them are not very deep, and the weight of 10-20 grams is quite enough for them. It is also worth considering that the weight of a rattlin is not the same as the weight of a jig with a silicone bait. Since there is sealed air inside the plastic bait, depending on the model, even with the same weight, they will sink at a completely different rate. Experimentally, we can always pick up exactly the bait that will “go” in the horizon necessary for us. Some manufacturers even indicate on the package “working” depth, where it will be comfortable, most importantly – to use this bait correctly. Naturally, we can always slightly level a shallow depth with a quick wiring, but still against the laws of physics can not be defeated, and for each vibe there is its own optimal depth.

In spring, the rod reacts better to noisy vibes

Regarding the division of vibes into “dystrophic” and “fat”, I have an opinion that the rod still prefers more elongated models. This is most likely due to the fact that the frequency of vibration in this case, as a rule, is higher, and the sherespur likes it very much. Another important point concerns the “noisiness” of rattlins, because even our Russian name of these baits came from the designation rattle in (noisy, rattle). According to my observations, in spring, the stud reacts a little better to noisy vibes, and in the fall on the contrary prefers quiet ones. But naturally, this is not an axiom, and you may have everything completely different or even vice versa.

Traditionally, of course, I will list my favorites, but I will say at once that do not be surprised by the sheer glut of products from TM TsuYoki, as the consumption of baits when fishing in the throw is quite large, we have to “twist” so as not to leave the family to starve ….

Catching tactics and places of application

Classic jig wiring works well

If we consider fishing in the pits and areas of reverse current, the “standard” depths of application of vibes – 3-5 meters. Since in such areas, as a rule, the fish stands at the bottom and the best way to deceive it is the classic jig step with the only difference that we do a little more turns of the reel to raise the bait above the bottom and let it plan. Directly the throw itself I make perpendicular to the stream or even at a slight angle downstream. The most interesting thing is that it is mostly due not only to the preferences of the corsair, but also to the fact that in this version of wiring the body of the vibe closes tees and partially helps us to avoid snags, if there are snags in the place of catching.

Success largely depends on the right choice of fishing spot

But still, the main places where I like to use vibes are various spits, “navels”, remote rolls – in general, places with any anomalies of the bottom, where the stud, as we know, and likes to organize “beatings”. The tactics of catching and wiring in this case is that we lay the bait on the bottom and then begin to very quickly rotate the coil handle. I call this technique “mad malek” and, as a rule, it is quite enough to provoke a jerk. Naturally, in this case, “working” will be the first meters of wiring until the rattlin will not leave the dump from the elevation and then the bait can simply reel out.

Also quite good “shoot” rattlins and when fishing coastal dumps or just the coastal zone in the spring, when the stud squeezes to the shore. In this case, the wiring is done at an average pace with micropauses, just to have a small failure in the game of the bait. And although the rattlin at this point practically does not have time not only to plan, but even a little deepen, the bite in most cases occurs at this very moment or in the first seconds after the resumption of winding.

Tackle and everything else

A speed reel is best

Since you never know where exactly will have to catch a corsair, in the case of vibes, I prefer to use spinning jig oriented. Firstly, if you have to catch at depth, it is, as they say, their very direct purpose. And secondly, due to the length and structure of such spinning rods are very good at throwing, which in turn will be very helpful when you need to “get” the corsair from somewhere from afar.

I prefer to use a high-speed reel, as it is convenient to perform both the wiring itself, and reel out the bait, so as not to waste time. In terms of size, most often it is either an “honest” three-thousandth or standard four-thousandth, if we start from the size of TM SHIMANO.

At the moment the favorite set looks like this:

As for the cord, I believe that there is no need at all to sacrifice throwing and use thick braiding. As a rule, if the vibe already “sits down”, it does it for sure and there is absolutely no difference what to tear. Therefore, I mainly use #1 (according to the Japanese classification), but because of the constant contact with the abrasive prefer four stranded cords and preferably not the cheapest, as the control of the bottom when fishing for rattlins is very important.

From what I used myself can recommend:

Otherwise, when fishing for rattlins from the shore, and even not necessarily that it was exactly a gerich, the main thing – it is, depending on the specific situation to correctly select the weight of the bait itself. Because it depends on this depends on both the wiring itself, and the final result, because if we can not control the bottom or our rattlin will be stupidly carried by the current past the fish, we may not wait for a nibble…

Author: Bob Nudd is an expert fisherman with over 20 years experience and winner of many competitions.