10 Tips - Fishing Blades

By Justin Willmer

Metal vibration blades, including the TT Lures Switchblade and Switchblade HD, have long been productive lures across a wide range of species and environments. Unfortunately in recent times the Switchblade has become one of the most copied lures out there, with the cheap knock offs letting people down in terms of both quality and performance, and as a result turning people off blades. Many of the copies fail in terms of hook, paint and blade quality, while others have failed to understand the lure and R&D the product to ensure the materials, design and balance allow the lure to vibrate at slow retrieve speeds (not swim like a stick), while not blowing out if you rip or burn the lure quickly (not doing big loops that spook the fish).

The Switchblade is a favourite for me and I always have a few in my kit. Here's some tips for rigging and fishing this dynamite presentation, a lure that catches everything from redfin, trout, bass and yellowbelly in the fresh, to bream, flathead, snapper, threadfin salmon, coral trout and pelagic species in the salt.

1. Less is More

When it comes to fishing blades I believe that the biggest mistake that people make is to get excited by the vibration of the lure and work the lure too aggressively and pull it away from the fish. When fishing shallow water and drop offs I will work the blade very much like a soft plastic, hopping and pausing it or slow rolling (slow winding) it over the top of weed and other structure, with the occasional twitch or pause at times.

When fishing vertically, an application where blades excel, I will use a short, sharp lift of the rod tip, followed by a pause. The idea is to create flash and vibration, like a spooked or fleeing baitfish, without moving the lure too far away from the bait and structure that you are fishing.

Trolling is another option and we will slow troll the blade, occasionally adding a few twitches or dropping the rod tip back and then pulling it forward to mix up the action. Another technique is to drop the motor in and out of gear to allow the blade to rise and then fall through the water column as you approach structure or schooled fish.

2. Size Selection

Blades come in a variety of sizes / weights and one thing that I have found over the years is that big fish will eat a small blade, so don't be surprised when a big grunter or mangrove jack, 40+cm bream or 60+cm flathead eats a tiny 1/8oz blade. Often it will be the depth and current that will dictate your blade selection, while also looking to match the bait that the fish are feeding on - 'match the hatch'.

When fishing saltwater rivers and estuaries I tend to run 1/8oz in the shallows, 1/4oz for edges, drop offs and deeper water when there is little run, 3/8oz for deeper edges and structure where there is increased run and the 1/2oz for heavier current and deeper water structure, bait and schooled fish. The Switchblade HD 1oz is also effective in the deeper sections and around river mouths and headlands, transitioning to the bluewater, where the 1.5oz and 2oz also come into their own.

In the freshwater your blade selection may be based on drift speed or depth, however without current it is often likely to be based on the target species and what they are feeding on. The 1/8oz is extremely popular for trout, redfin, golden perch and smallwater bass, as is the 1/4oz when the fish and bait are larger. As the lake or impoundment gets larger, the bait larger and when the fish are schooled deeper on thermoclines, the 3/8oz and 1/2oz come into their own, attracting the attention of the big bass and holding deeper when retrieved.

Here's a quick look at each size and a few key species that are commonly targeted on that size blade.

1/8oz (3.5g/36mm) - bream, estuary perch, snook, trout, redfin, grunter, whiting.
1/4oz (7.0g/43mm) - flathead, bass, golden perch, estuary perch, silver trevally, grunter.
3/8oz (10g/48mm) - flathead, snapper, bass, golden perch, mulloway, threadfin salmon.
1/2oz (14g/57mm) - flathead, snapper, mulloway, threadfin salmon, barramundi, bass.
1oz (28g/76mm) - Murray cod, larger river and estuary to bluewater species.
1.5oz (42g/90mm) - Bluewater reef and pelagic species.
2oz (56g/90mm) - Bluewater reef and pelagic species.

3. Heavy Duty Blades

For those chasing larger predatory species, the Switchblade HD is an effective option that is built on a stainless steel blade and fitted with heavy duty clip, hooks and rings. In the 1oz weight this larger blade has proven itself in deeper river and estuary situations for threadfin salmon, snapper, pelagic species and barramundi, while also being a popular offshore size for targeting reef flats, reef edges, bombies and pelagic species. When additional weight is required you can step up to a 1.5oz or 2oz model.

Trolling for pelagics, rolling the reef flats, vertically fishing structure, bait and schooled fish or anchoring to target bombies for coral trout, the Switchblade HD is a versatile presentation that is built to handle big fish. The flash, vibration and noise created by a metal blade is different to other lures and at times the only presentation that will switch fish on. We have had sessions where coral trout will venture out from a bombie and smash a Switchblade HD, while live baits are sitting down there untouched.

4. Hooks

Out of the packet the Switchblade comes fitted with two black nickel chemically sharpened hooks that are designed for maximum penetration and light sports fishing. These can be upgraded if you decide to target larger species on small blades, which can be very effective. The Switchblade HD comes ready to go with heavy duty trebles for targeting larger species.

Being fitted with two trebles, blades can be prone to snagging, so I tend to fish them in areas that are fairly open, around and over sand, weed and rubble, or I carry a lure retrieval pole to free the lure up if it is snagged when fishing the shallows or lure retriever on a cord for deeper water structure. You can also reduce the amount of snagging by removing one treble and I will often remove the middle treble on small blades when chasing bream or the rear treble on larger blades when chasing flathead.

Other options to reduce snagging when fishing around structure include switching the trebles for jigging singles, along with the popular option of stinger or assist hooks. The trebles on the Switchblade are ready to go straight out of the packet though and I will fish these as they come most of the time for bream, flathead, bass and other small to medium species.

5. Casting

Metal vibration blades cast like bullets, making them an excellent option for covering water. They also draw fish to the lure, making them an excellent prospecting lure for bream, bass, flathead and more. The weight then allows you to fish the entire water column, making a long cast, allowing the blade to sink and slow rolling and hopping the bottom, or start the retrieve earlier, increase the speed or raise the rod tip to swim the lure higher in the water column. Ideal for land based anglers fishing open water or rolling the lure above structure, allowing them to cover plenty of water and attract a wide variety of species.

When casting from a boat, kayak or other vessels I love targeting mangrove edges, casting to the mangroves, retrieving reasonably quickly until the lure is out past the annoying, snaggy mangrove spikes and then I allow the blade to fall to the bottom where many fish hunt along the edge of the roots, before hopping it back. When fishing the weed, sand and rubble patches I will make a long cast and with the rod tip up roll the blade over the weed and rubble, pausing and allowing it to bump the bottom when working through the sandy patches.

When fishing drop offs I cast ahead of the drift, to the shallow edge, then hop and pause the blade down the drop off, much like fishing a soft plastic. A blade is always worth a try if the soft plastics aren't attracting the bites. When fishing further north I will use the aforementioned techniques, however another deadly technique is to fish along the mud edges and around the mouths of drains on the lower stages of the tide, rolling and hopping the blade in the dirty water, with the vibration attracting mangrove jack, grunter, trevally, barramundi and more.

6. Vertical Jigging

Vertically jigging or 'vibing' a metal vibration blade is a dynamite technique for targeting structure, bait and fish that you have located on the sounder. This can include everything from schooled bass to solo threadfin, bommies to bait balls and wrecks to redfin holding around a submerged tree. You can also set yourself up a rod length from a jetty or bridge pylon, standing timber or concrete wall and use the blade to fish the vertical structure, using small hops and allowing the blade to settle on the bottom, or if it's snaggy hop and pause the blade anywhere along the depth of structure.

You can take the same techniques and apply them to open water structure, schools of bait and fish marked on the sounder. It is important to stay as directly above the lure as possible to maintain control and feel. You can alter the blade weight selection to assist with this, allowing you to drift and stay above the blade or hold on the structure with the electric motor and still work the blade vertically.

If you are having difficulty staying directly above the blade you can cast it up current if stationary or ahead of the drift when drifting, allow the blade to sink to the bottom and then work it as vertically as possible as it comes back toward you and until you are directly above it. As it then moves back behind you open the open the bail arm or freespool the blade back to the bottom, hop it a couple of times, allow line out again, hop it a couple of times and continue this until the blade is too far behind you to effectively feel it working and stay in contact with it. You may be able to freespool it half a dozen times and still maintain contact, before having to retrieve it and cast again. Hits are often brutal on the blade, however for species that inhale the lure it may be a subtle 'tick' on the line, so be prepared to set the hook.

7. Trolling

Another effective option is to slow troll the blade and you will note on the packaging for the Switchblades that there are multiple tow points and moving the snap to different tow points will make it work more effectively for different retrieves, for example slow rolling and hopping shallow water, trolling or fishing vertically.

The Switchblade can be slow trolled for a stack of different species, including bass, trout, redfin, flathead in the shallows and a mixed bag of other fresh and saltwater species. For offshore trolling the Switchblade HD will attract the attention of both reef and pelagic species, including mackerel, tuna and trevally.

You can place the rod in a rod holder, however for those that like to hold onto the rod you can mix up the action by pulsing the rod tip forward, or drop the rod tip back and then draw it forward so that the blade stalls and then speeds up, triggering strikes from following fish.

Another technique is to use the speed of the boat to vary the action until you find what works on the day, or to drop the boat into neutral around structure, bait or schooled fish, allowing the blade to stall, flutter down and then spring back into action as if fleeing. These techniques can work across trout, redfin and bass in the lakes and impoundments, to targeting bluewater species offshore.

8. Colour

There is a comprehensive range of colours available in the TT Lures Switchblade and Switchblade HD range and colour can be important when it comes to different conditions and target species. I am a big believer in carrying a few natural / light colours for clear water and bright days, darker / silhouette colours for darker days and dirty or tannin water, along with a couple of fluoro colours in case the others aren't firing.

Natural / Light - Gold Noggin', Green Back, Purple Glimmer, Silver Minnow
Dark / Silhouette - Red Nightmare, Orange Nightmare, Purple Minnow
Fluoro - Chartreuse, Pink Hussar, Peacock Blue, Orange O Ranga

Over time I have developed a few favourites for different target species, while also observing the colours that numerous species favour. Here's a few examples -

Flathead - Purple Glimmer, Pink Hussar, Green Back
Bream - Red Nightmare, Gold Noggin, Brown Mongrel
Mangrove Jack - Golden Boy, Gold Noggin, Green Back
Coral Trout - Green Back, Purple Glimmer, Green Slimy
Bass - Chartreuse, Purple Minnow, Aussie Green & Gold, Silver Minnow
Redfin - Red Nightmare, Pink Hussar, Peacock Blue
Trout - Pink Hussar, Peacock Blue, Aussie Green & Gold

These are just some observations and colour selection will often come down to the mood of the fish and the conditions being fished, including level of light, water clarity, season, temperature and so forth.

9. Scent

Pro-Cure Super Gel is a gel based scent, so it is designed to stick to all lure types and stay on longer, including on metal blade lures. As I will often hop and pause the blade, with fish picking it up off the bottom, or fish it with short, sharp pulses, the fish have time to look at the blade and decide to eat it, so I believe scent is important.

Pro-Cure combines powerful amino acids, bite stimulants and UV enhancement with real ground bait to attract fish and trigger strikes. When fishing blades in the salt I will scent up with Mullet, Pilchard or Inshore Saltwater, and in the fresh it's Mullet again, Aniseed, Shrimp and Garlic Plus. It's worth carrying two scents so that if the bite shuts down on one you can switch it up and try to fire them up again. I apply a small amount of scent to the head of the lure and smear it down to the tail, scenting the entire lure. I apply Pro-Cure every 30 or so casts, after catching a fish and add a little more if the bite is slow.

10. Landing & Handling

The bulk of my lure fishing is based around soft plastics and there is one piece of equipment that you must remember to include in your kit when your session includes lures fitted with trebles, such as blades... a pair of pliers. The trebles on the Switchblade are chemically sharpened and when landing a fish on a lure that has six hook points, you need to be careful. Hooks can end up in the net, clothing, carpet, kayak seat and potentially the anglers, so it is important to use the net and grips to handle the fish and pliers to remove the hooks.

So there we go, that's my tips for fishing blades. Remember with any fishing to mix up the retrieve until you find what's working and if you're not catching on the blade try slowing things down and fishing short hops or lifts of the blade, with a pause that allows it to fall naturally. Be ready for a brutal strike or a subtle 'tick' that signals that you should set the hook, mix the colours up until you find out what they're after, scent up and have those pliers handy for removing hooks... don't grab those trebles with your fingers! Blades account for a stack of different species in both the fresh and saltwater and are definitely a worthwhile addition to your kit.

See you on the water...
Justin Willmer