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Quake Vibing Australian Bass
By David Brace
Over the past couple of months David Brace has had the opportunity to trial the new range of TT Quake Power Vibes, prior to release, seeing how they stack up chasing Australian bass.
QUAKE POWER VIBE SENSATION
If there were any doubts or misconceptions about these lures only being suitable to entice saltwater species, freshwater anglers think again and get excited! These new generational soft vibes will be an incredible inclusion in your lure trays. They come in lengths of 75 mm, 95 mm, and a larger 110 mm model, designed to target those larger implosion feeders such as barramundi and Murray cod.
Quake Power Vibes come in a large range of unique and vibrant colours, to suit all conditions and water qualities. They are fitted standard with 4X strong Japanese trebles, and quality split rings, which are all attached to a single heavy-duty stainless-steel frame for additional strength. Additionally, there is a holographic finish on the internal weight of transparent models for added realism and attraction.
The unique shape of the vibe features a slim baitfish profile with a forked tail. The body of the vibe has realistic fins and a contoured head section. The Quake also features oversized UV-reactive eyes, providing a strike zone target for fish!
ROD, REEL & LINE
I fished the Quake in the bass rivers and impoundments on a TT Black Mamba BMS701M 7’0”, 3-6kg spin rod, paired with an Okuma ITX 2500 reel and spooled with 10lb Platypus Pulse X4 Braid and 15lb Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader.
I managed to get my hands on three 75 mm Quake Power Vibes prior to release, each a very different in colour, and I was very strategic where I used each of these colour.
LURE COLOUR CHOICE
I managed to trial the Purple Reign and Frothy coloured soft vibes in a river system, where the water was very good quality, with great clarity. Both lures didn’t miss their target and attracted their fair share of bass, utilising a slow rolling (slow winding) retrieve technique on the edges, and among patches of lilies that lined the grassy banks. For some reason I was attracted to the Purple Reign coloured soft vibe, mostly due to having confidence in the purple colour, from experience and due to the attractiveness of the translucent body.
If I was to truly trial the capabilities of the Red Alert soft vibe, it had to be in water quality where the clarity was poor and had suspending sediment. This particular soft vibe colour is made up of a body that is all black, finished with blood red stripes. A deadly lure presentation that is fit for purpose in exactly the water quality mentioned above. In this type of water, the lure colour produces a solid silhouette and is quite distinctive to the fish, especially when they are also zoning in on the lure’s vibration.
Trialing the Red Alert at one of my local lakes on the Sunshine Coast, it caught over 20 bass alone in one session. The retrieval methods that I used when fishing the lake were the ‘Hop and Skip’ and the ‘Burn and Kill’ techniques.
TECHNIQUES
The techniques that I used listed above are described in more detail below. Don’t discount mixing them up to see what might work on any given day as Australian bass on certain days can be fickle feeders.
Slow Rolling
Targeting edges over dense weed beds, I found that the lure was best slow rolled, attracting inquisitive fish that were hiding within their ambush posts among the aquatic weeds. This technique is a great option for seeking out and attracting fish that aren’t necessarily in a feeding mood. The action of the vibe is subtle but extremely effective. The lure can be actioned in a variety of ways when being slow rolled by combining different techniques, such as adding small twitches of the rod tip. Under the water this will cause the lure to swim erratically, simulating a nervous baitfish.
Hop and Skip
Having the opportunity to target some schooled fish in my favourite local lake, I found the Quake vibe to be an outstanding presentation. Slow hopping the lure through a bass school, holding on the downward slope of an old, submerged road, was an effective technique. The fish were feeding on masses of baitfish and this lure presentation attracted so many fish from among the masses of bait, that it was a testament to the lure action and capabilities of this presentation.
Imitating a dead baitfish was the key to the successful session. Casting the lure on top of the old road, I allowed the soft vibe to sink all the way to the bottom. Upon the braided line bellowing as the lure touched down, I waited a few seconds before skipping it down the slope of the bank to where the fish were holding. I just repeated the process again and again. The bass found the lure too irresistible and took the lure either on the drop or when skipping it off the slopes bank.
Burn and Kill
Another technique that was extremely effective was the burn and method, targeting bass in a feeding mode. I cast, allowed the lure to sink to where the fish were in the water column, then engaged my reel and started burning (fast winding) the vibe back at pace. Imitating a fleeing baitfish at high speed, the lure vibrated vigorously, and the sleek profile vibe cut through the water seamlessly with its forked tail pulsating violently. I could feel the action of the lure all the way through my rod tip.
Throughout the fast retrieval I would intermittently feel the lure being hit by an aggressive feeding fish. Upon this occurring, I killed the retrieve immediately, allowing the lure to fall naturally of its own accord. The fish, still in the hunt, followed the lure and smashed it as it was in free fall. In turn, the fish would hook itself without any mistake.
On other occasions, I would just kill the lure mid retrieve and allow it to free fall to the bottom. I caught numerous fish immediately on the uptake of the line, as the lure was lifting back off the bottom, again imitating an injured baitfish.
LET’S GO FISHING
As the warmer weather approaches, I am super excited and very keen to put the larger soft vibes to the test, especially targeting impoundment barramundi using the same techniques outlined above… bring it on!
Cheers, Dave
Gearing Up:
TT Black Mamba Spin Rod – BMS701M 7’, 3-6kg
Okuma ITX Carbon Spin Reel – ITX-2500
Platypus Pulse X4 Braid – 10lb
Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader – 15lb
TT Quake Power Vibe – 75mm