KEEPING a bait or lure in the strike zone for as long as possible can dramatically increase your catch rates. A bait or lure that lingers can elicit an attack response from defensive predators and gives hungry predators more time to find and eat your offering. The strike zone is broadly defined as the area that a fish will comfortably travel though to attack your bait or lure. Typically, fish will hold tight to certain types of structure to avoid predation, conserve energy out of the current or to optimise their changes of finding a feed. It makes sense that fish will leave this habitat if they spot an easy meal within striking distance; the distance from their resting spot to how far they’ve willing to chase a baitfish or lure defines the strike zone. Every presentation should target the strike zone, which can be adjacent to a tree stump or snag in the lakes or rivers, a distant gutter in the surf and even the upwelling of current due to deep water reefs many miles out to sea.
SPARE RIGS AND RIGGING EARLY
To catch a fish let alone target the strike zone, you need a bait or lure in the water; whilst this might seem obvious there are a few key points that I’ve observed over the years which have helped give an edge compared to fishing buddies that aren’t in the know. Having your gear rigged and ready to go from the night a good starting point; when you reach a spot you want to be in the water fishing rather than wasting time rigging. Secondly, I will focus my efforts on one species and rig spare rods that allow me to optimally fish the conditions encountered during the day so that I can switch rods without needing to stop and rerig thereby maximising fishing time. Finally make every cast count and assume that the next cast is the one that will catch the fish of a lifetime; honing your casting to optimise accuracy and distance will in turn increase catch rates; I have experienced many of my mates give up and start getting a little lazy then jolting back to action when they see someone hook a fish!
RIGGING PROFILE AND SURFACE AREA
Current, depth, surf action and other forms of turbulence can wreak havoc with keeping a bait or lure in the strike zone. Physics and fluid dynamics are at play here as any object moving through water experiences a drag lower surface area decreasing the amount drag. When applied to fishing, this supports the notion that thinner lines are subject to less drag and will help keep your bait in the strike zone for longer if fishing in any modest current or depth. Similarly, more slender baits are less likely to be impacted by current or turbulence and will drift at a slower pace, remaining in the strike zone longer. Also, slender jigs fall quicker through the water column quicker than those that are bulky or flutter; the dynamics of these different profiles should be considered depending on where the fish are holding and the prevailing conditions such as depth, current and drift if in a boat.
MORE OR LESS WEIGHT
Adding more weight helps you stay in the lower part of the water column, on the other hand less weight allows for a more natural drift and subdued fall your bait. Weights are an interesting variable but need context; it is all good and well to use a light weight for optimal presentation but there’s no point doing so if fishing a 100m of water with the fish stacked up on the bottom or if the strike zone requires a long cast from shore. You can also add more weight and counteract the weight with a float if conditions suit – a heavily weighted bobby cork can be cast long distances yet can still float a bait high up in the water column. Adding more weight to a float can slow down its movement in fast current, further increasing your drift and time in the strike zone. A bubble float partially filled with water will remain buoyant yet provide mass to cast an unweighted fly.
ROD AND LEADER LENGTHS
Being able to wind a lure almost all the way to the rod tip maximises time in the water and opportunities of converting a chasing fish boat side. To do so requires longer leaders and a leader knot that can be easily wound through the guides such as an FG knot or Slim Beauty. Rod lengths also play a part when targeting the strike zone. Short rods are great for accurate casting in tight situations such as when throwing lures into snags or around structure. Accurate casting in turn allows for targeted presentation directly into the strike zone. Longer rods on the other hand allow for greater distance when casting allowing you to target feeding fish in the distance or avoid impediments in close whilst also providing greater control of your line, especially when navigating obstacles near shore.
SLOW THINGS DOWN
Slowing down your retrieve is another obvious yet often forgotten way of keeping our lure in the strike zone. Lures that suspend or sink slowly can be left to linger for longer periods and periodically twitched or retrieved more so than lures that sink at a faster rate. Reels with lower gear ratios will also force you to slow down your retrieve. One of the ultimate go-slow techniques is dead sticking which involves casting a soft plastic lure out and leaving it stationary for a minute or two. Once you have cast out into the strike zone, leave a little slack in the line and keep an eye on the line for any subtle takes.
