"Kakerlakker" til Golavl. Anden del

In the second part of my narration about the bareback lures for fishing with the method of “roachanning” we will talk about more complex devices than simple silicone “roaches”. The main direction in spinning fishing these baits are mostly also trout or bass. Structurally, they are most suitable for the definition of “wobblers”, but their basis is all the same ways of attracting predatory fish, as in simple silicone “cockroaches” – legs, tendrils, wings. But in some models, in addition to this set of wobbler blades, as well as noise balls inside the plastic body of the bait. That is, such roach-wobblers look much more thorough, and some of them have even managed to become cult, like the Hama ku-ru Spider. This bass topwater from Jackall company is very well known to all maternal minnows, but, unfortunately, it was taken out of production and is now sold as a collector’s item for some unthinkable money.

Such cockroach wobblers look much more thoroughly

Blade wobblers

This is not the only cockroach wobbler, in whose design there is a blade. Another Japanese manufacturer with a popular name Jackson, whose lures are best known to salmon hunters, for many years in the assortment has a wobbler-spider KUMO LURE. This ultralight trout roach-wobbler is only 25mm long and weighs 1.7g, so unlike the massive Hama ku-ru Spider, it can’t be thrown far. The wobbler is very original, it will not be confused with anything else. Compact SSR class crank blade, a pair of double hooks on the sides of the lure and four elastic legs made of silicone strips. Color options are numerous, but there is also a version with a pile coating. This is it for catching chub, perhaps, the most attractive, because the water is slapped this spider in a furry coat is very realistic, which often leads to an instant reflexive bite “on the splash” or, as they say, – “on the spit”. And it also happens that the chub cautiously bites the “cockroach” for his foot, and this “live” tufted coating of the body may well deceive the most vigilant chub and will not allow him to spit out a cunning deception.

It happens that the chub cautiously bites the “cockroach” for his foot

Bladeless wobblers

Here, perhaps, the models of “cockroaches”, having in their design a blade, end. Now let’s move on to a more numerous format, among the samples of which there are many different interesting baits, whose bladeless wobbler bodies are equipped with various kinds of devices from silicone legs, tendrils and sometimes even wings. And to begin, perhaps, it is worth with known to most hunters for chub baits French brand Sakura. In their developments pleases first of all that they were created precisely for catching chub, which in Europe is plenty. The first roach from Sakura is Notobug. This bait is available in two sizes – 30mm with a weight of 3.5g, and 22mm with a weight of 1.4g. Both “cockroaches” have long ago taken their places in our boxes, having earned trust with their stable catchability on the rivers of Russia. Colorful color palette of plastic beetle-shaped bodies, plus a set of six bundles of silicone rubber bands on the belly of each roach, which in the water at jerks resemble the moving legs of some insect like a beetle.

There are quite a few baits, whose bladeless bodies are equipped with silicone legs, tendrils

Following the successful Notobug, the company released another model of roach-wobbler, or more precisely roach-popper – Gemibug. This bait differs from the previous one by a slimmer oblong body, on the belly of which there are almost the same silicone legs, and in the head part there is a recess, which makes Gemibug a popper. The model is also available in two sizes – 35mm/4.4g and 30mm/2g. Personally, I found the Gemibug to be a more catching lure than the Notobug, and this is not due to the fact that it can also gurgle like a popper. I try not to use the popper option, otherwise it won’t take long to cause trouble in the form of pike, which have already cut off a couple of such wonderful “roaches” from me.

Just the same option popper I try not to use it

I found something similar to Gemibug at the Thai brand MIMIX. Their cockroach-popper Chug Bux also turned out to be quite catchable, and it is far ahead of the French “cockroaches” in the throwing range. So it is definitely a useful lure for wide rivers where there is room to swing. Its dimensions are 45mm/6,5g. But with the work of the popper here you should also be careful, fearing pike attacks.

And here you should be careful with the work of the popper, too, for fear of pike attacks

Among Japanese baits I managed to find something similar in design from Tiemco. Their roach Tiny Cicada Bass Tune 34mm/2.7g is not a popper, so it is simple and clear as any similar roach – throw and light jerks make it move its silicone legs on the water surface, representing some fly, gadfly or bee that fell into the water. Unlike its competitors, the Tiny Cicada Bass Tune can be partially disassembled by removing a couple of screws and replacing the time-worn and fishy silicone legs (or wings) with new ones.

Unlike its competitors, the Tiny Cicada Bass Tune can be partially disassembled

Wobblers with wings

And now we will talk about roach wobblers, whose device is based on the work of their wings, located during the movement of the bait almost across the stroke. At us, this type of wobblers, which have a wide transverse spade built in the front, are usually called crawlers (crawlers). But the lures I’m writing about are not arranged quite like that, they don’t have any blade, just their wings do almost the same job, making the lure actively wag its tail and make noise, splashing water when wiring. Of those roach-crawlers, with which I had a chance to fish, I will note here several models at once. I will start, perhaps, with a couple from Megabass, the model SIGLETT 36mm/5,3g and its younger brother Tini SIGLETT 30g/2,7g. In general, lures of this brand are always distinguished by the highest quality, so the appearance in the assortment of the respected Japanese company bass, but so suitable for the needs of our chub “roach”, I was very pleased.

And I was also pleased with the presence in their line of variants with a hairy coating of the body, such as that described above, the baits from Jackson. These roach from Megabass I can call the leaders in terms of throwing range, which is achieved by the general rounded shapes and folding in flight plastic soft wings of baits. They can be used on any rivers, from small to the largest and widest, everywhere getting to the golovlevy stands. During the wiring is not necessarily to include such roach-crawlers at full power, most often there are enough light jerks and pulls to entice the chub to bite. Noisy crawler wiring is more likely to attract pike and perch, rather than chub.

Pleased with the presence in their line of variants with a hairy coating of the body

Jackall Kana Kana. This model is largely similar in behavior and catchability with the previous one. It is distinguished by the device of wings, which are also folded when throwing, but are not made of soft plastic, but of metal based on aluminum alloy, plus equipping them with two hooks (double and treble), against one treble at Megabass. With all its brutal appearance, this bukazoid can be easily damaged, because its wings, although metal, but are attached to plastic miniature loops, so with “cockroaches” Jackall Kana Kana should be handled very carefully.

The bait is distinguished by the device of wings, which are also folded when thrown

Perhaps my favorites among such baits, I will call cockroach-crawlers Tiemco. They have the widest size range of these baits, excellent equipment with hooks and soft plastic wings that fold at throwing, and removable, that is, you can upgrade these roaches. Cicada Bass tuned and Cicada Bass tuned Magnum are bass baits. But the most compact Trick Trout Tiny Cicada is referred by the manufacturer to trout. The differences are in the slimmer body of the trout cicada, and its body corresponds to the body of the above described bass Tiny Cicada Bass Tune, only instead of silicone legs Trick Trout Tiny Cicada has wings and other hooks. Cicada Bass tuned and Cicada Bass tuned Magnum differ in their sizes – 35 and 45mm and the fact that the smaller one is equipped with tees more than required, so you can and should remove the extra tee, two for chub is more than enough. Catchy, long-range, reliable and durable lures, suitable for upgrading thanks to removable wings.

Catchy, long-range, reliable and durable baits, suitable for upgrading thanks to removable wings

And now about similar “roaches”, but whose wings do not have the ability to fold. Japanese company DUO has a couple of similar to each other very beautiful models Realis Grade Shinmushi and Koshinmushi, 40mm/5.7g and 30mm/3.1g. Both roach are essentially true transformers in the world of similar baits. Their collapsible design allows you to upgrade or repair Shinmushi and Koshinmushi even while fishing. In addition to size, there is a difference in noise effects between the models. The smaller cicada is equipped with a rattle ball, while the larger one is not. The package itself has a picture with instructions on how to disassemble the bait, for which it is enough to unscrew a single stud, on the ring of which through the crown ring is attached to the lower tee. The bait is disassembled into two parts – upper and lower, between which are inserted soft plastic wings of the bug and silicone legs, all this can be replaced by anything – feathers, legs of different colors and sizes, everything that boils your imagination.

From myself I want to advise not to equip these lures with a lower tee, it is quite enough and the rear, the fact is that a large golavl – from one and a half kilograms – can damage and screw-in stud, and the lure itself because of it. Whether to leave the tail tee with a fly or replace it with a simple one is up to the owner, who likes it. Throwing Shinmushi and Koshinmushi is not as good as baits with folding wings, but the older model can be thrown at 25-27 meters, the younger a little closer. Wiring, as with other croaker roach, without fanaticism, light jerks.

Whether to leave the tail tee with a fly or replace it with a simple, it’s up to the owner, who likes it as it is

And another very curious version of the roach-wobbler is available at SMITH, the model is called BISEN and, like most of the company’s baits, has a salmon direction. With a length of 38mm weighs cicada from SMITH 2.6g. Taking into account that its wings are folded, the throw of the lure is quite decent, despite its lightness and appearance. The wings of BISEN are rigid from transparent plastic, fixed on the back of the cockroach pointwise in two places, you should be careful with them, so as not to break them when throwing against branches or stones. Equipping hooks are found in the form of single hooks, and in the form of trebles. During the wiring of this bug works not as a crawler, wings only rock the bait in the water, forming behind it a trace in the form of fine ripples, the tail part is swinging from side to side, and the ball embedded in the tail of the wobbler, softly tapping. You can lead BISEN not only jerks, but also evenly or better alternating wobbling. Since a large chub is quite capable of swallowing this slender bug entirely, it is better still to choose a rigging with single hooks, so as not to forge after catching the bait from his mouth to “carrot’s head”.

Large chub are able to swallow this bug entirely, it is better to choose a rigging with single hooks

Wobblers made of soft material

And at the end of the story a little about one more cockroach, which just do not know what category to refer to. It is structurally similar to silicone models, but made of foamy soft polymer – “foam”, as they call such materials. This bait is produced by the company Biovex. The model is called Moth and is produced in different sizes, I had such a weight of 2g and 3g. This is a bass bug. It is not complicated, but quite tricky – through the cylindrical soft body is passed wire frame, on one side equipped with something like a tiny jig head with two fastening loops, located not symmetrically to each other. On the tail side through the winding ring on the frame is fixed tee. The front of the body is decorated with colored feathers and silicone legs or tendrils. In my opinion, these baits best of all show themselves when catching rafting, when you can get them under the sprawling branches of coastal vegetation and there is already a little twitching to include in the work. Nibbles are not frequent, but the chub is caught on Moth large, the small stuff has never been caught yet.

Here are a dozen more than a dozen different roaches in addition to those I told you about in the previous article. Of course, it is not necessary for everyone to collect such a large box of these intricate bugs, as I have, enough to choose your favorite models and during the season to try to catch them on their reservoirs. And when you feel that you have accumulated enough experience in roach fishing, you will know exactly what other baits you do not need for complete happiness. Another season of tarakaning is coming right now, good luck to all lovers of catching noble chub!

Forfatter: Bob Nudd er en ekspertfisker med over 20 års erfaring og vinder af mange konkurrencer.