SUNSHINE … ON MY SHOULDERS

[Des 818]

SUNSHINE … ON MY SHOULDERS MAKES ME HAPPY

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I had checked the weather ahead for this week.

And I could see there was a spell of Sunshine ahead.

So I managed to rearrange my week and set off fishing on this Sunny day.

It was such an enjoyable day, fishing in the brilliant sunny conditions today. And there were some good results.

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Here are a few reasons why sunny days are great for lure fishing Yellow Fin Whiting on the Sandflats.

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Simply put, on sunny days you will catch more Yellow Fin Whiting !

There is the extra warmth in the water that a sunny day adds. Increasing the fish metabolism and their eagerness to feed.

There is usually much better water clarity on sunny days.

Your lures are so much more visible to the fish.

Bright sunshine will also reflect a lot more off your lures, gaining the fish’s attention from a long way off.

Fish will notice your lure from a much greater distance, and often come hurtling in, at right angles from afar. Most often this happens very late in your retrieve.

Importantly, strong sunshine produces an extra “attractant”. Another stimulus. Something extra for YFW to chase.

The strong overhead sunlight casts a strong shadow from your lure onto the sand below. The stronger the sunshine, the stronger the shadow, and the stronger the stimulus.

Yes, in bright sunshine, you will often see whiting chase the lure shadow cast onto the sand. They will chase and frustratingly grab at the shadow along the sand, before looking up and striking the lure above.

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The sunny days also provides the fisher with better visibility.

One can clearly see all the terrain on the sandflats. It is much easier to identify and target your casts to known fish holding spots.

Structures like sand steps, shallow ledges, gutters and channels can all be easily seen and cast towards.

You can spot fish a lot easier and further away, in bright sunshine without disturbing them.

Sight casting your lures to and hooking up visible fish while wading the shallows is such a thrill.

The greater visibility of the lure, the chase, the strike, the runs and the fight of the hooked fish, all enhances the experience for the fisher.

It is so much more fun in Sunshine.

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But really, on these days, it does not matter if you don’t catch fish ! Sunshine on your shoulder just makes you happy.

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This day started with light winds creating a strong ripple on the surface, under the bright sunshine of a clear blue sky of a hot day.

Clear or lighter coloured lures work better in strong sunshine for me.

These were my successful lures today.

 

Zipbaits Skinny Pop and Fakie Dog DS in their clear colours took fish.

 

Smaller lures are easily seen in bright sunshine, and are a bit more subtle in the high visibility and light wind conditions. .

A new lure I tried for the first time today; Zipbaits ZBL Zoea Lipple 45F Floating Lure Col:248. A small juvenile shrimp imitation worked very well. I think they may have been designed for Bream but I knew they would catch YFW on days like today.

 

Jackson Ebi Panic in the clear colour comes to the fore in these conditions.

The ever reliable Sugapen in MB16 was still producing the goods. Although it was the smaller 70mm that was successful rather than my fave size, the 95mm.

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As every thing is seen so much clearer on these days, I don’t like to give shy fish a second look at the lure immediately. If they have chased the lure and have not committed, my next cast will be 90 degrees away to let them settle before I cast back at them. On windy and cloudier days fish are more aggressive and you can send repetitive casts their way with out scaring them off.

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The breeze died down later in the afternoon. And the water had glassed off.  Fish were getting timid, not hooking up well with many dropped fish.

I finished with 16 fish. Ranging in size, from 30 to 40CM. With 5 fish around the 40cm mark.

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Sunshine on my shoulder made me very happy on this day.

Cheers, Des

 

[yellow door 1 1,814]

Awesome tips and insights there Des.



 

[imfishn 58]

Nice catch there Des! Some ripper fish...

[Territory Lad 1,137]

How did you find the assist hooks impacting the Lipple? I grabbed the same lure about 18 months ago as something different to throw at them but yet to get around to it. Assume just a straight wind back, or do you twitch it along?

Always found bright, sunny days harder, unless there was a solid breeze. Great to always hear an opposing perspective.

[Des 818]

1 hour ago, Territory Lad said:

How did you find the assist hooks impacting the Lipple? I grabbed the same lure about 18 months ago as something different to throw at them but yet to get around to it. Assume just a straight wind back, or do you twitch it along?

Always found bright, sunny days harder, unless there was a solid breeze. Great to always hear an opposing perspective.

Bright sunny days with a breeze ... are the Best! The day started that way but then glassed off and progressively deteriorated. 

The assists did not hinder the lure action. Mind you I did not try it with both trebles. My first session with this lure.  I will probably get rid of the other treble as well. With the small bib you can also work it subsurface which also took fish. I mainly used a high rod action and a hopping, skipping surface motion. A bibbed very light weight lure with a long sensitive ultra light rod ... you can get it to do anything. 

[Territory Lad 1,137]

Yeah I figured it might be a good sub surface option for those days when they aren't keen to break the surface and take one completely off the top.

[Meppstas 4,961]

A great write up there Des, plenty of good info & tips.. 

cheers Adrian