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Prepping for Prospecting
By Jeff Wilton
There is always something cool about exploring and fishing some new water. This could be in the form of travelling somewhere new for the day or an extended adventure, such as a fishing holiday. It can also be as simple as pushing further up a creek or river that you fish all the time, packing extra fuel and running further than last time or turning left at a creek junction instead of right. The only common occurrence about going somewhere new, is the feeling of the unknown.
What an exciting feeling that feeling of the unknown is and you can’t help but wonder what might be in store for you! These trips can also go the other way and by the end of the day, you’re wondering why you didn’t stick with what you know. That’s fishing and I’m certain everyone out there has had plenty of moments where things didn’t go their way when trying somewhere new. If there is one thing that certainly helps when prospecting new fishing grounds, it’s being prepared!
It is very easy to grab a handful or two of rods, jam them in the boat with a bag of tackle and head off. What I would suggest is breaking this down a little first by pre-rigging rods and reels for SPECIFIC tasks. This means that no matter what is in front of you in terms of fishing and structures, you have a combo ready to fish it properly. Below I will break down five rod and reel combos that I would rig and pack for a day of prospecting new grounds. For the information of the reader, I live in Lucinda North Queensland so my choices are based on the species I may bump into. Obviously, you will need to chop and change certain things to suite the species that reside in your local waters, however you will see a clear breakdown of combos to cover the bases that may be encountered.
Topwater Spin
TT Robs Black Mamba Spin Rod BMS701ML 7’ 2-4kg / Okuma ITX-2500 Spin Reel
Platypus Bionic Braid - 12lb / Platypus Hard Armour Leader - 40lb Tough
This set up is number one for me as I like to fish topwater first over any other method. This will be rigged with a TT ChinlockZ jighead, with the hook size based on the size and profile of the plastic that I’m going to use. These days the trusty ZMan Pop FrogZ, GOAT or GOAT ToadZ will be first to go for a skip into the unknown.
Simple Spin
TT Rods Black Mamba Spin Rod BMS701ML 7’ 2-4kg / Okuma ITX-2500 Spin Reel
Okuma Cerros Spin Rod CER-S-701ML 7’ 2-4kg / Okuma Inspira ISX-30B Spin Reel
Platypus Bionic Braid – 12lb / Platypus Hard Armour Leader – 40lb Tough
You always need a trusty spin stick to pick up and punch out long casts. Rigged with a TT HeadlockZ HD jighead in a size that allows me to work the desired water depths in front of me. This setup will normally be the most used combo for me, with just the odd jighead / plastic swap to adapt to my surroundings. For instance, my go to ZMan 3” MinnowZ swapped to a 3.5” EZ ShrimpZ if I find fish eating prawns.
Snag Bashing Spin
Okuma Cerros Spin Rod CER-S-701ML 7’ 2-4kg / Okuma Helios HSX-30
TT Rods Red Belly Spin RBS701MH 7’ 4-8kg / Okuma ITX-2500
Platypus Bionic Braid - 12-20lb / Platypus Hard Armour Leader - 40lb Tough
Rigged up with a TT SnakelockZ weedless jighead and ready to be lobbed into those laydowns, snag piles and any other structure that comes my way. This is the combo that is always ready to be picked up as soon as those snaggy stretches of bank show up. I will be pre-rigged with a ZMan 3” MinnowZ or 4” DieZel MinnowZ, with the benefit of the SnakelockZ option to take the hook off the weighted head and swap sizes or styles without having to re-tie your jighead.
Allrounder BC (Baitcast)
Okuma Cerros Baitcast Rod CER-C-661MH 6’6” 4-8kg / Cerros CR-266V Baitcast Reel
Platypus Bionic Braid - 20lb / Platypus Hard Armour Leader - 40lb Tough
This combo is ready to pick up and punch out casts, rigged in many ways. For me this will be pre-rigged with a 1/4oz TT HeadlockZ HD jighead and a ZMan 4” SwimmerZ. The best thing about this combo is that it can be fished throughout the entire water column. Let it sink and you can search the bottom or count the plastic down and slow roll through different parts of the water column. This rod also seconds as a good setup to throw a few small / mid hardbodies around.
Heavy Duty BC (Baitcast)
Okuma Komodo Baitcast Rod KM-C-661MH 6’6” 6-8kg / Komodo KDS-273 Baitcast Reel
Platypus Bionic Braid - 20/30lb / Platypus Hard Armour Leader - 60lb
Probably not used as often as the other combos, however this combo has its place when you encounter heavy structure or potentially large fish. In most situations I will have this combo rigged with a 1/2oz TT SnakelockZ weedless jighead and a ZMan 4” or 5” DieZel MinnowZ. In most cases I will also increase the leader size as when this combo is picked up you are normally about to go into serious battle.
There you have it, my five pre-rigged combos for fishing around my local waters. I am a big believer in the fact that more fish are consistently caught when good planning and preparation has taken place. Being able to pick a rod up that is ready to go for specific tasks means that you are not wasting any casts. Putting the correct presentation into the correct strike zone is critical and fishos that do this consistently will always get better results.
As always, get out there and good luck!
Jeff