CHOOSING TAILS

Which Squidgies For What Jobs?

By Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling

One of the most common questions I get asked is about choosing the best Squidgies’ action (as dictated by the tail design of each model) for a particular fishing scenario. While there are actually multiple answers to such questions and no absolute “right” or “wrong” selection, here a few guidelines I use every day that I fish. Hopefully, they might help in YOUR decision-making process:

All Squidgies soft plastics (both the original, PVC-based plastisol models and the newer, tougher, stretchier and more biodegradable Bio Tough ranges) are highly effective fish catchers that work in an incredibly broad range of situations. However, certain shapes, designs and patterns DO work better than others in specific applications, at least in my opinion.

The best way to look at this question is to grade or sort the whole Squidgies line-up, starting with those models that have the LEAST built-in action (and which therefore track straighter through the water when simply retrieved in a direct line) and work our way up the action scale to the tails that have the MOST in-built action. Roughly speaking, that means starting with the likes of our Flick Baits and Critters, then working up through the Wrigglers and Pro Prawn Wrigglers, then the Lobby and the Bug, before moving on to the Whip Bait and Shad, and finally to those models with the largest paddle tails and the strongest swimming actions: the Fish, Pro Prawn Paddle, Slick Rig and Mongrel. So, let’s list them in a rough order, from 1 to 12, with 1 representing the LEAST in-built action and 12 the MOST in-built action. Here they are (and please feel free to argue with my ranking!):

1.      Flick Baits (Standard, Pro Range & Bio Tough)
2.      Critters (Pro Range)
3.      Wrigglers (Standard, Pro Range & Bio Tough)
4.      Pro Prawn Wrigglers (Pro Range)
5.      Lobby (Pro Range)
6.      Bugs (Standard & Pro Range)
7.      Whip Baits (Standard & Pro Range)
8.      Shads (Pro Range)
9.      Slick Rigs (Standard & Pro Range)
10.    Mongrels (Pro Range)
11.     Pro Prawn Paddle (Pro Range)
12.    Fish (Standard, Pro Range & Bio Tough)

Now, a newcomer to the game might figure that they are ALWAYS best off choosing the lure with the strongest, most pronounced action… But they’d be wrong! Sometimes a more subtle, discrete and downright sneaky swimming action is actually MUCH more effective than a strong, obvious action, and far more likely to fool a wary fish into striking.

So, when is a more subtle action from the bottom half of that 1 to 12 scale likely to be more effective? ANSWER: In at least these four scenarios:

A.    Ultra-shallow water
B.     Super-clear water
C.     On extremely finicky, wary or shy fish
D.    Whenever attempting to imitate a food source with a subtle swimming action

Conversely, when is a strongly-actioned lure from the upper end of that 1 to 12 scale likely to be more productive? ANSWER: In at least these four situations:

A.    Dirty, discoloured or muddy water
B.     In low light or at night
C.     At greater depth
D.    On aggressive, highly predatory fish

Hopefully, these tips have given you some clues on where to at least START when it comes to choosing a particular Squidgies tail or lure for a given fishing scenario. In future instalments we’ll look at the important questions of picking the size, colour and sink rate (weight) of you Squidgies to further optimise your catch rates. Until then, Tight Lines… oh, and remember, whatever Squidgies you choose, always add a smear of S-Factor. Like sauce on a pie, it can only serve to make a good thing even better!