Best Needlefish Lure?
- Thread starter Seafever
- Start date
Charter Tofino
Well-Known Member
Green/beigh needlefish hootchie hands down. Even if they are feeding on small herring.
Charter Tofino
Well-Known Member
I'm horrible with numbers and can't even remember the brand. They are a bc company, package their hootchies with totally barbless hooks and 40lb maxima. It's the best ECVI lure I have used. Deadly off FC.
eaglemaniac
Well-Known Member
I would truly like to hear C.S. fave.
eman
eman
.
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
Ng55r...............
scott craven
Well-Known Member
Green/glo splatterback, blue/glo splatterback, and the cricket all work well.
(NG142R) (NG143R)
(NG142R) (NG143R)
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IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Been kinda struggling with this one for quite a few years now...
There are certain times when sandlance (needlefish) are THE primary food source out there. And, there are also periods when even with good showings of other bait species, the springs decide, for whatever reason, to key almost exclusively on these little buggers.
While there are a great many needlefish hootchie patterns designed to imitate them (the J-55 is the most consistent through the winter and early season IMHO), there is a noticeable lack of well designed spoons to do the same. Always made me wonder - in the case of herring (and these days pilchards) it seems like every manufacturer offers a myriad of spoons to represent these prey species and catch salmon (and of course even more so those who fish for them). Why not needlefish?
Yes, there are a few. The venerable old Diamond Lance (# 5) and the McKnight's do a passable job, as do the smaller Coyotes (notably the green/white or glow most of us are familiar with). But that is damn little to choose from, and my experience is indeed that they only work as suggested: passable. As in Not so much a Killer.
Given the heavy reliance of most salmon on needlefish for large portions of each year, methinks the manufacturers are missing the boat in this regard.
I designed a spoon, what I believe to be a "good" representation of a sandlance several years ago. While there are obvious tests and trials required to ensure the right flutter at speed, and a host of color patterns that should be considered, I do believe this represents a damn fine starting point to get the ball rolling. It seems the manufacturers disagree...
I've sent the idea to several Companies over the past couple of years. From the responses received to date, it has become apparent they are simply not interested. Amongst the most common responses are:
- Too expensive to water tank test to establish the correct action;
- Too expensive to set up the tools & dies to produce;
- The detail of finish would be costly to produce;
- etc etc etc.
Frustrating. I simply do not have the tools on hand to develop this spoon beyond the theory stage. Those that do express no interest in doing so...
I guess at this point it is going to come down to me attempting to create a working prototype. Something I have thought about, and am thinking about even more these days. IMO, the one thing we lack out here in our West Coast Arsenal is a productive needlefish spoon - something that you could be confident of pulling fish consistently with. I must admit I am quite surprised that the various manufacturers out there apparently don't agree.
If anyone out has a suggestion or two regarding Companies that might be interested in developing such a weapon, please let me know! I understand several on this site have a much closer working relationship with some of those than I do. Failing that, I guess I'll have to take the bull by the horns and attempt to do so myself...
Cheers,
Nog
There are certain times when sandlance (needlefish) are THE primary food source out there. And, there are also periods when even with good showings of other bait species, the springs decide, for whatever reason, to key almost exclusively on these little buggers.
While there are a great many needlefish hootchie patterns designed to imitate them (the J-55 is the most consistent through the winter and early season IMHO), there is a noticeable lack of well designed spoons to do the same. Always made me wonder - in the case of herring (and these days pilchards) it seems like every manufacturer offers a myriad of spoons to represent these prey species and catch salmon (and of course even more so those who fish for them). Why not needlefish?
Yes, there are a few. The venerable old Diamond Lance (# 5) and the McKnight's do a passable job, as do the smaller Coyotes (notably the green/white or glow most of us are familiar with). But that is damn little to choose from, and my experience is indeed that they only work as suggested: passable. As in Not so much a Killer.
Given the heavy reliance of most salmon on needlefish for large portions of each year, methinks the manufacturers are missing the boat in this regard.
I designed a spoon, what I believe to be a "good" representation of a sandlance several years ago. While there are obvious tests and trials required to ensure the right flutter at speed, and a host of color patterns that should be considered, I do believe this represents a damn fine starting point to get the ball rolling. It seems the manufacturers disagree...
I've sent the idea to several Companies over the past couple of years. From the responses received to date, it has become apparent they are simply not interested. Amongst the most common responses are:
- Too expensive to water tank test to establish the correct action;
- Too expensive to set up the tools & dies to produce;
- The detail of finish would be costly to produce;
- etc etc etc.
Frustrating. I simply do not have the tools on hand to develop this spoon beyond the theory stage. Those that do express no interest in doing so...
I guess at this point it is going to come down to me attempting to create a working prototype. Something I have thought about, and am thinking about even more these days. IMO, the one thing we lack out here in our West Coast Arsenal is a productive needlefish spoon - something that you could be confident of pulling fish consistently with. I must admit I am quite surprised that the various manufacturers out there apparently don't agree.
If anyone out has a suggestion or two regarding Companies that might be interested in developing such a weapon, please let me know! I understand several on this site have a much closer working relationship with some of those than I do. Failing that, I guess I'll have to take the bull by the horns and attempt to do so myself...
Cheers,
Nog
scott craven
Well-Known Member
"I designed a spoon, what I believe to be a "good" representation of a sandlance several years ago. While there are obvious tests and trials required to ensure the right flutter at speed, and a host of color patterns that should be considered, I do believe this represents a damn fine starting point to get the ball rolling. It seems the manufacturers disagree..."
In addition to squirts I find the original #01 K.K. spoon does well when needlefish are the primary bait source.
The size is about right, the only thing lacking is coloration.
Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Thanks DogBreath and RS. I've used both of those (did actually color up the KK, and tried various patterns in the Silver Horde offering). They did work, again, only "passable" IMO.
What I am seeking here is a KILLER! Something you KNOW will grab onto a spring every time it is lowered to the mud, regardless of whether The Bite is on or not. To me, the proof in the pudding is when a terminal catches quickly & consistently even when scratching. That is the mark I judge all terminals with, and to date, I have yet to find that for needlefish...
Cheers,
Nog
What I am seeking here is a KILLER! Something you KNOW will grab onto a spring every time it is lowered to the mud, regardless of whether The Bite is on or not. To me, the proof in the pudding is when a terminal catches quickly & consistently even when scratching. That is the mark I judge all terminals with, and to date, I have yet to find that for needlefish...
Cheers,
Nog
Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
So what about these things? http://www.redgill.co.uk/c/174/original-lures
I've used them for Coho both right on top and subsurface they work well but so does everything else-never tried them right on the bottom.
I've used them for Coho both right on top and subsurface they work well but so does everything else-never tried them right on the bottom.
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