South African Artlure Angling: How To Target Fish Species
Catching All Sorts Of Freshwater Fish Species Using Artlure Fishing Methods
Ever since I started fishing I have always been amazed by the diversity of freshwater fish species we have in South Africa! And I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea but this article is about fishing for the smaller species of fish in South Africa using artlure techniques! Artlure gives you the possibilities of targeting fish you would not normally catch with larger hooks and lures, this is one reason why I love it! Seeing what you can catch in our South African waters with a little plastic lure is quite amazing, and remember Artlure will let you target almost every single one of the freshwater fish that occur in South Africa!
What Do You Need?
When
targeting small fish
using Artlure it is
best to use extra light tackle...
- Small rod 5-7 foot
- Small reel 500-2000
- Light line 2lb-7lb
- Hooks - size 10-16
- Split shots - very small
- Hard Plastic Lures - Nothing bigger than 3cm
- Soft Plastic Lures - 1-5cm - worm, grub and paddletail imitations of various colours.
How To Target The Fish On Artlure?
After you have set up it
is time to find a nice area to cast your lures. As with most fish species, the
fish we will be targeting enjoy structure or artificial light. At night
structure is negligible if artificial light is available as many species of fish
will be attracted to the light as there are insects and other food items
attracted to the light. If you are lucky enough to find such an area the fish
will often feed in a frenzy and you can have hours of fun catching all sorts of
species. For day time fishing reed beds, underwater structure such as logs, grass
beds or rocky areas are perfect. The small fish hang around these structures all
the time and you just have to change up your style and lures to see what they
prefer to take on the day.
When To Target Fish?
Artlure is a fairly seasonal form of angling and winter is tough fishing as many fish go off the bite and feed less. Summer and Spring are the best times to target fish and they can be active almost 24 hours a day regardless of the conditions which is one of the great reasons targeting smaller species is so great!
What Can I Catch Using Artlure Methods?
In
theory, almost anything! But as you will be using very small lures these are the
species of fish you are likely to catch as well as the occasional larger
species:
- Papermouth
- Largescale Yellowfish
- Three Spot Barb
- Makriel
- Redbreast Kurper
- Vlei Kurper
- Blue Kurper
- Canary Kurper
- Perch
- Mudfish & other Labeo species
- Bass
- Carp
- Barbel
Artlure fishing is very enjoyable and once you get into and catch your first fish, you will love it!
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