Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Pro-Lure-Fishing-Tips » Flicking the Switch - Fishing Blades

Flicking the Switch - Fishing Blades

By Ryan Fogg

Ryan has been fishing the TT Switchblade and successfully landing a mixed bag of species. In this article he discusses how he fishes the Switchblade and gives a thumbs up to the new Switchblade+, with fish already caught on the new release blade.

At the start of the year, I set myself some goals to become a more complete angler. This meant that I needed to write a list of different techniques to explore and species that I don’t often chase, so that I could start making a plan. I also started a fishing diary to record information about my sessions, both good and bad.

One style of angling that I wanted to explore further was using the very versatile blade lure. The TT Switchblade is something I have had in my fishing kit, both when I fish the impoundments and the estuaries, however for some reason I only ever tied them on sparingly.

They are an ideal presentation for land-based anglers fishing open areas as they enable you to cover plenty of ground, especially when you don’t have your electronics to identify bait and fish holding in certain areas.

The TT Switchblade comes in various sizes, from the bite sized 1/8oz, right through to the larger 1/2oz for fishing deeper water, faster currents, and larger target species. Each blade offers either 3 or 4 different tow points, allowing the action and vibration of the lure to be tuned for fishing different water depths and retrieves.

I fish the smaller 1/8oz – 1/4oz sizes on a 1-3kg TT Red Belly spin rod, matched to an Okuma Ceymar HD 1000 size spin reel. Once I step up in size and weight to the larger blades, I then move to a TT Red Belly 2-4kg spin rod and an Okuma Ceymar HD 2500 size reel. Braid wise I use 6-8lb Platypus Pulse X8 Braid and Platypus Hard Armour Supple Leader in 10lb. I find the Pulse X8 Braid to be super fine and it has great visibility in any conditions.

Though most rods and lines are sensitive enough now to negate the need for line watching, doing so will still increase your bite detection and hook up rates. Keeping your rod tip slightly raised will allow you to be in good contact with your lure, enabling you to feel any bites as your presentation sinks to the bottom.

When rigging the TT Switchblade, I tie a simple and reliable uni knot. Once I have trimmed off the tag, I make sure that the knot is sitting directly on top of the lure so that when the lure is worked it doesn’t pull off to one side on the hop.

When working flats on the bottom of the run out tide, I will tie my leader to the front hole for the 1/8oz and the second hole for the 1/4oz and 3/8oz. This enables maximum action from the lure when a short fast hop is used to get those reaction bites. Once the tide has pushed up onto the flats, a slower and more constant retrieve is my go-to.

Attaching the leader to the rear holes allows for maximum vibration, while also giving the blade a slightly better snag resistance with the trebles hidden behind the lure. This works well in the impoundments for Australian bass, when you’re a dragging the blade slowly over the old creek beds that are full of natural structure.

Recently the weather has been playing twister and this has increased the amount of sediment floating in our rivers. As I have mentioned in a previous article, when the water clarity is low you may need to change it up by using a larger plastic that displaces more water. Whilst you could change the size of the blade, a simpler solution would be to change the way that you have your presentation rigged to maximize the vibration that the lure is putting out.

Fish sense vibration through their lateral lines and even with a gentle lift of the rod you can feel the vibration of the Switchblade working. Blades can be worked just the same as you would a soft plastic, with a single or double hop, followed by a long pause. On the pause they present as a small baitfish or crustacean scouring the bottom for food. When fishing them of late, the long pause of around 10 seconds has been working well. This allows the fish to move towards the presentation, before you feel a subtle bump or notice the line swimming off.

The trebles are super sticky and have great hook penetration. Just be mindful of setting your drag too tight as they can easily tear out from the soft mouths of some fish species, so set your drag accordingly.

Blades have the versatility of catching fish on the vertical jig, cast or troll and one of my favourite ways to target flathead either side of low tide is to troll. Using my sounder mapping I can keep my presentation in that 90cm-1.2m sweet spot for flathead. The TT Switchblade is very effective for this application, and I rig it on the rear tow point, with the drag just tight enough so that when I work the lure it just engages the drag. Flathead will sit with their head into the current, in full ambush mode, so working with the tide I find to be most natural and effective.

As far as colour is concerned, I like to have:

• A bright colour like Pink Hussar or Chartreuse (Switchblade+ in Pink Suji Prawn and Flamin’ Shad)
• A natural baitfish colour in Silver Minnow or Golden Boy (Switchblade+ in Silver Minnow and Golden Minnow.
• A silhouette colour like Orange Nightmare or Red Nightmare (Switchblade+ in Nightmare and Blacktreuse)

Applying some Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent to the blade adds another element to your presentation and I am a firm believer in Scent. I carry a couple of different flavours in my kit, depending on what baitfish I am imitating.

Overall, the TT Switchblade has many features that make it a cracking presentation for multiple species and fishing scenarios. I look forward to hearing how you fish them and what you have caught.

Tackle Tactics have just released the new TT Switchblade+ and SwitchPrawn+. The new Switchblade+ builds on the original metal vibration lure and adds new colours and finishes, with many in the range featuring UV Reactive options, fitted with Japanese Owner trebles. The SwitchPrawn+ is a powerful prawn vibration blade that features Owner assist hooks, and on the pause sits upright on the bottom waiting for hungry prey. These additions to the range will account for a range of species in both the fresh and salt.

Taut lines and bent rods.
Foggy

Gearing Up:

TT Red Belly Spin Rods – RBS701L 7’, 1-3kg
Okuma Ceymar HD Spin Reel – CHD-1000HA
Platypus Pulse X8 Braid – 6-8lb
Platypus Hard Armour Leader – 10lb Supple
TT Switchblade / Switchblade+ - 1/8oz – 1/4oz

TT Red Belly Spin Rods – RBS701ML 7’, 2-4kg
Okuma Ceymar HD Spin Reel – CHD-2500HA
Platypus Pulse X8 Braid – 6-8lb
Platypus Hard Armour Leader – 10lb Supple
TT Switchblade / Switchblade+ - 3/8oz – 1/2oz

Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent