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What's in My Kit? Tim Vincent - Victoria
By Tim Vincent
Tim is a Victorian based angler whose target species list includes bream, snapper, estuary perch, trout, salmon, mulloway and redfin, while also venturing north for barramundi and jungle perch.
I'm a tackle junkie. I'll readily admit that I have an addiction to fishing with new and interesting tackle. While I try new things every trip, there's a few tackle items that I wouldn't be caught on the water without. Here's a few of the items that never leave my tackle bag, regardless of species.
ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ
The Slim SwimZ would undoubtedly be my favourite plastic of all time. It's just so versatile! While I do fish with the 3" from time to time, the 2.5" matched with a 1/16oz or 1/12oz TT Lures HeadlockZ jighead has caught me more fish than anything. Bream, mulloway, estuary perch, trout, redfin and snapper locally here in SW Victoria, as well as barramundi, jungle perch, bass, flathead and GTs up north. A lure that can rack up a set of species like that is as versatile as you get in my books. The colours I prefer are Midnight Oil, Watermelon Red, Bad Shad, Bloodworm and Calico Candy, however there are very few that I haven't got fish on.
Tribe Fishing Jig Spinner
If there's one seriously underrated lure out there, it's the Jig Spinner... and if there's one underrated Jig Spinner on the market, it's the Tribe Fishing Jig Spinner. The blade is an Olympic blade, which is the perfect cross between a Colorado and Willow blade, with a flashy gold finish that never dulls. It also has quality swivels that won't rust and always spin properly and a sturdy wire construction that I have put some serious pressure on and yet never bent out.
I tend to target estuary perch and redfin with the spinners, landing fish to 47cm out of heavy weed, however cod, golden perch, bass and even trout will all happily chase down a Tribe Jig Spinner. The best things ever for slow rolling over freshwater weed beds and you wouldn't catch me without a packet or two. One final trick - buy a few Mepps spinners with the Tribe Jig Spinners and experiment with swapping the coloured Mepps blades on the spinner. This trick has caught me some very impressive fish.
ZMan 2.5" GrubZ
Like the Slim SwimZ, I am constantly impressed at how versatile these little guys are. I fish with the Slim SwimZ 70% of the time for light tackle plastics work, but when the water is clear or the fish aren't feeding on baitfish, the GrubZ shines. A subtle curl tail, with little action to spook fussy fish, however enough movement to attract fish in muddy water. My favoured colours are Motor Oil, Midnight Oil, Black, Gudgeon and Pumpkin.
The Midnight Oil has been a real stand out for consistently nailing the biggest bream nearly every trip, regardless of location. If I had a dollar for every bream caught on one of these... let's just say I'd never have to work another day!
ZMan 3.5" Trick SwimZ
Best light tackle mulloway lure. End of story. Whenever I find mulloway in my local river, the Bad Shad 3.5" Trick SwimZ is always the first lure on the rod. Fishing these with a 1/8oz 2/0 TT Lures HeadLockZ jighead and 8lb Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader, you will soon find if the mulloway are on.
Clear or dirty water, these lures continue to produce, not only on mulloway but also snapper, barramundi and even large jungle perch and bass. Big bream are also known for scoffing down these while rolling through a mulloway school. I even gave my mate a pack while he was holidaying on the Gold Coast last year and he quickly sent through a photo of an 82cm dusky flathead from his first trip. Whilst Bad Shad is the main colour that I use, any of the natural and even bright colours will produce results.
Pro-Cure Mullet Scent
Very rarely do I cast a plastic into saltwater or an estuary without Pro-Cure Mullet Super Gel scent. I have just landed so many quality fish on it now that I believe it makes a huge difference. Bream, mulloway, perch, barramundi, GTs, snapper, flathead... they all love it. Whether you're having a tough day or a great day, take the ten seconds every hour to apply some fresh Mullet Pro-Cure to your plastic. You will not regret it.
ZMan 3.75" StreakZ
Snapper, flathead, bream, jungle perch, yet again, versatility! The StreakZ has also claimed me some monster redfin fished over weed beds. The 3.75" size in Opening Night is my favourite, however Motor Oil, Baby Bass and Redbone can all be found in my tackle box.
Fish Inc. Flanker 85mm
Perhaps the best salmon lure ever for beach spinning? That might be a big call, considering how many fish have been taken over the years on metal slugs, yet trip after trip I have watched these little weapons out fish slugs. I believe it is due to three features of the lure.
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The skinny, long body shape, with a single treble hook on the tail allows for huge casts for beach fishing.
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The realistic finish, unlike any metal lure designed for beach fishing, puts more fussy fish on the deck or beach than any other, with holographic colour patterns. Natural and Pink Back are my two favourite colours.
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The tight sweeping action of the stickbait looks just like a fleeing garfish, once again adding to the realism of this lure.
Give one a try next time you are after light tackle salmon or tuna!
Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader
To finish with something all anglers use, fluorocarbon. It is easy to find good fluorocarbon these days, but finding the best fluorocarbon is extremely difficult. The Stealth FC Leader by Platypus is the best I have come across. I tend to always keep 4lb for bream, 6lb for general use, 8lb for trout and mulloway and 10lb for snapper, mulloway and perch in my bag.
Extremely strong, thin, abrasion resistant and very difficult for the fish to see... what more could you want? The packaging on these spools is also fantastic, with a free elastic spool belt and a keeper so that you don't have five types of fluorocarbon all tangled beyond salvage in your bag, which occurs with some brands.
Hopefully you have discovered some new products in this article and maybe they will find a permanent spot in your tackle kit as well! It was hard to decide on a handful of products as there are just so many choices from the Tackle Tactics range. Honourable mentions include TT Lures HeadLockZ jigheads, Sardine / Pilchard Pro-Cure, TT Lures Switchblade, TT Lures Vortex spinnerbaits, Okuma SLV 5/6 weight fly reel and the Okuma Epixor Squid Rods.
Anyway, I'm off to put a few of my favourites to work.
Cheers, Tim