Tackle Tactics » Pro Anglers » Lubin Pfeiffer
Lubin Pfeiffer
HOW DID YOU GET INTO FISHING?
My first fishing experiences were with my Nanna taking us down to the Murray River in South Australia bait fishing for callop (golden perch). Once I was old enough I was able to ride my bike to the local North Para River here in the Barossa, where I would catch redfin on worms, before moving on to catch them on lures.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT FISHING?
I love the challenge that fishing presents. I’m all for going on adventures that test yourself, whether it’s exploring little known locations, camping out of the boat for a long-range Murray cod mission, or catching a marlin out of the tinny.
WHERE IN AUSTRALIA DO YOU FISH AND WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN TARGET SPECIES?
I’m very fortunate to be able to travel right across Australia in search of great fishing, but locally I love chasing big Murray cod in the Murray/Darling basin and searching rivers and lakes for brown and rainbow trout. I also enjoy inshore lure fishing for big kingfish and snapper.
WHAT ARE 3 OF YOUR FAVOURITE SPECIES AND WHY?
I would have to say at the top of the list would be big Murray cod, simply because they are such a challenging fish and one that I’ll never quite get to know everything about. They always keep surprising and testing you and I’m always learning new things while out on the water targeting them.
We are very lucky here in South Australia to have the biggest shallow water kingfish in the country and possibly the world. Every spring I love getting out on the flats and sight fishing to these thugs. They’re really big, angry and again they can often leave you guessing, which I really like.
Another one of my favourites is chasing big blue bastards on the flats, either with fly or a Ned Rig. They’re an awesome, challenging fish!
It’s definitely hard to narrow it down to just three, as there are so many cool fish out there to catch!
WHAT ARE A FEW OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CAPTURES?
One recent capture that springs to mind would be a giant topwater cod out of the Murrumbidgee River in NSW. I’d wanted to fish the middle stretch of the Murrumbidgee for quite some time but hadn’t had the right water flows to do it. After quite a bit of investigation and searching of likely areas, we planned to do a five-day drift. Camping from the boat is the best way to connect with big topwater cod, simply because you can be on the river for each prime bite time until one of the big fish stuffs up and gets fooled by your surface lure.
It was the third morning, and we were working some likely logs when it all happened. I’m sure the giant fish followed our lures out on the first cast and then set itself up underneath the boat ready for when the lures came past the next time. When my lure was almost at the rod tip, this absolute giant erupted from the water in a huge, very loud explosion, and engulfed the lure. It’s a great feeling of achievement when something that took so much planning comes together and you get to hold such an incredible fish.
Another capture that comes to mind would be from spring last year, when we towed the van and boat almost 4000kms to Exmouth, WA, in search of billfish. During my trip there the year before I caught some incredible sailfish but really wanted to tick a marlin off. There’s something just a little bit crazy about catching marlin out of a dingy and I was super stoked when it all came to together. Seeing a marling tearing the water up, tail walking across the surface and then being about to get ahold of its bill… all in my dingy, was something really special.
In 2020, my wife and I won the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships in NZ, which was a really special moment in my fishing career. Over the last twenty years I’ve been fortunate enough to be selected to represent Australia at six different championships across the world, in Europe, USA, Australia, and New Zealand. Standing on the podium receiving a gold medal, while representing your country, is truly a magic feeling!
Over the many years I’ve fished I’ve been very fortunate to tick off some special captures, including 100lb+ wild Murray cod on the cast, 40lb sight fished flats mulloway on fly, metre plus long snapper, 10lb wild brown trout on fly, sight fished metre plus barra, permit on the flats, metre plus Murray cod from each state in Australia… are just a few that spring to mind!
GO-TO TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS AND SOME TIPS FOR USING THEM?
You can’t go past the TT HeadlockZ jigheads, matched with a ZMan 2.5” GrubZ in either Motor Oil or Bloodworm colour. This is an absolute gun bait for inshore or freshwater lure fishing. In fact, I would say that this would be without a doubt my go-to confidence bait, whether I’m fishing somewhere new, or fishing is tough. A simple cast, hop and drop technique is usually all that is needed to find out what fish are in the area. The greatest thing about this bait is that you never know what fish might it eat it. It’s just crazy effective.
Another go-to TT bait of mine is the FroggerZ range of spinnerbaits. These are quality baits that are just awesome for chasing natives such as Murray cod and golden perch. I like both the FroggerZ Snr and Jnr, as with both sizes you can cover all water types. The technique is simple, just cast them at the structure, get in contact with the bait, give it a pull to get the blades spinning as it sinks, and then just slowly roll it back!
GO-TO OKUMA PRODUCTS AND WHY?
If I had to choose one it would be the Komodo swimbait combo, the 802H rod and 364 reel, loaded with 50lb Platypus Bionic Braid. This is my go-to setup for throwing large lures for big cod, which is something I do a lot of! The great thing about this outfit is that it makes throwing the big baits so much easier, which is so important when you’re doing big days on the water. The 364 reel is bullet proof and can withstand the constant repetitive casting that’s involved when you chase Australia’s largest freshwater fish.
Another great Okuma product is the ITX range of spinning reels. Super smooth and perform faultlessly for all my light tackle applications.
WHAT SPECIES ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? WHY?
The one fish that I really want to catch is a big tarpon on the flats on fly. They just seem like such a crazy fish, with amazing jumps and they are found in some really cool places. Hopefully in the next few years, I can make it happen!
WHAT IS A PIECE OF FISHING ADVICE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAT STILL STICKS WITH YOU?
Many years ago, an angler from Canada told me “If you think you gotta do it, you gotta do it!” This has always stuck with me because I’m a huge believer in confidence for successful fishing. If you are confident in what you’re doing, you fish better and put the right vibes down the line and usually this brings success. If it’s playing on your mind that you should change something, it usually means you’re lacking confidence and you need to make a change.
WHAT ARE 3 TIPS FOR SOMEONE NEW TO FISHING?
Keep it simple and fish within your capabilities. As you grow as an angler, you will understand the process more and then you can grow your techniques.
Do what you love and don’t take other opinions to heart. We are both lucky and unfortunate to have a plethora of fishing brag pics being thrown at us all the time. If you enjoy going and catching carp on worms, that’s awesome. If you only want to catch trophy fish with your fly rod, that’s awesome too. Everybody gets something different out of fishing and that’s the greatest thing about the sport.
The last piece of advice is ‘Never Give Up’. It doesn’t matter what you want to achieve in fishing, if you set your mind to it, it is possible. None of my greatest captures or achievements have come easily. If you stick with it and keep yourself in the game, you never know what might happen!
ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?
I’m very proud to be a part of the Tackle Tactics Team. Not only do they have such a great range of products that make fishing easier, they’re also a great bunch of people and fantastic to work with!