Some Random Thoughts and Photos

I haven't been very active with my blog lately. I keep myself very busy at work and don't have much spare time to update it.
I didn't have much time to fish either and right now I am waiting the first week of May to wet some lines. Usually May is a good month here as the water warms up and the first predator fishes start getting closer to shore. Besides the seabass I also wait for the arrival of the garfish. The garfish might not be a great fish to target but I still have fun to catch them with some ultra light gear.
Last year I enjoyed catching them with some small spoons skipped fast and small minnows like the DUO Toto42 and the Storm Flutter Stick 4cm. I also had some good results using small 3-5grams mini jigs with fast retrieves. The garfish is a curious fish that likes to follow small shiny lures. Sometimes they just chase and don't bite but I realized that the faster you reel in and better it gets.
The last time I fished them my setup up was pretty simple. 0.4 braid with 6lb fluoro leader and small 00 size snap. I consider it a good introduction for the fishing season and a great way to kill some time.

Duo Toto 48. I have used the 42 and now is time to try the
bigger brother.

Another lure that I want to try is the "cousin" of the TOTO. It is the Spearhead Ryuki made again by DUO. It is a lure specifically designed for trout fishing and I heard that it is  one of the best seller in Japan. What strikes me is the very slim and flat profile and the high weight to size ratio.
I am a firm believer that if a lure is so good with trout it must be good for small sea predators too. I still have to try and see the difference with the TOTO that comes with a fatter profile.

Looks almost like the Toto but the profile is much thinner and flatter.

Below is my garfish tacklebox. Well I also get some aji (horse mackerel) from time to time.

A typical box for garfish. Small jig (IMA gun), DUO toto 42,
Maria Pockets minnow and pencil, storm flutterstick.

More photos

I mounted some Decoy Trebles on the Toto48

Some spoons for fast retrieving action. These are trout spoons.

DUO Youtube

Photos of lures and fishes are cool but videos are much better. Lucky DUO has a nice Youtube page where you can see some great lures and fishing footage. Additionally the marketing department is so kind to offer you the chance to win some cool DUO lures. 
The rules are very simple – all one needs to do is subscribe to the Youtube page and send an e-mail at duocontest@gmail.com.

Good luck! 

Shimano TV: Casting for Dorado

It is almost midnight and I am tired. Very busy at work and the only way to charge myself up is to watch some fishing videos online. This one comes straight from Shimano's TV website.  It is fun, ıt is topwater and is about dorados.  It has a nice summer feel in it. Enjoy it here

New Maria Lure: Squash. Official Video

Here is the new lure introduced by Maria Japan. It is a lipless darter "Ima sasuke" style. It is a big and fat lure  that looks very promising for chasing seabass. The spec are not yet definitive but we are talking about 125mm for 20 grams and three treble hooks. The colors and finish looks awesome. Wait for an introduction in April 2013 (Japanese market of course)

 

How Rods Are Made. Major Craft Factory

Major Craft is a very prolific Japanese rod maker. They make many rods that anglers use throughout the world. They have anything from cheap bass to expensive tuna fishing rods.  Recently they have shared some photos and info about their overseas factory in Vietnam.
One of the reason they can afford to sale good quality entry level rods at good prices is their capacity to make rods in other countries than Japan. I think that when you start building rods in other countries you have to make sure that the quality control is top notch and that the material used are always of prime quality. According to this page here everything looks all set for Major Craft. A clean and professional looking factory in Vietnam where they make some of the series that we enjoy specially in Europe.

Make sure you check all the photos that show the rod building process.

Crazy Little Lures

Today I am writing about two nice lures I have found on youtube.
The first one is a "weird" darting lure made by Jackson Lures. It is called Dart Magic and if you check the video you will understand why. I curved, offset lure that darts like crazy. The guy enjoys catching some trouts in a lake full of them. I would really like to see hot it works in salt water with small fishes. Maybe a new weapon for LRF?

Check below:



The other one is a regular ultra small pencil (50mm). I am putting it here because looks great and it costs an arm and a leg. (2100YEN) It is made by Madcap Bros. Check here.