By Stephen Booth
These final samples allowed us the chance to really put them to the test to discover just what they bought to the table – and let me tell you, from my limited opportunities, that table is full to the brim!
Unlike the boys fishing the comp, I chose to fish the smaller 130mm Flat Shad X JIghead Rigged – they were using the bigger 145mm model. And being me, it was a no-brainer that I’d use the Fat Betty colour.
The Jighead Rigged 130mm model comes with an overall weight of 28g (1oz) making it perfect for casting on almost any tackle, but, unlike its bigger brothers, does not have a ready-rigged treble on the jighead stinger attachment. For me this is great as it means you can fish this lure through timber more easly, you can fish it through weed beds easier or you can fit a treble of your liking for a bit of extra hooking ability.
I chose to fish it with a treble attached underneath as I was fishing in Kinchant near weed beds but not necessarily through the weed beds. I was fishing with Rob Payne and we were targeting the gaps between weed towers, so the extra hook points were important to us.
The Rigging
The photos depict what steps we take to make this lure extra sticky and we chose to glue the plastic to the jighead weight. This is an important process as in the developmental stage the team wanted to give anglers the option to change out jighead weights to suit their fishing style. As I was happy with the 1oz weight, I just put a tiny drop of glue on either side of the jighead, pressed on the plastic just behind the eye and the job was done. I’d suggest, once you settle on the jighead weight, that you glue whatever jighead you are using to the plastic body. Many will say this should not be necessary and the lure should come pre-glued, but we know barra anglers are mad tinkerers and will change even the greatest of lures to suit their own needs – we certainly didn’t want to diminish that option for them.
You can glue the head first or last in the process and I have done both, but after doing a few over the last week, I would do it last as it’s easier for an old man like me to rig up the double split ring set up with the plastic able to be pushed out of the way.
Rigging the treble is easy. I used 2 x 44lb Sure Catch split rings rigged together and a size 4 Mustad 4x strong Saltism treble. This combo allowed plenty of swing for the treble, allowed the barra to twist it around a bit during the fight and stay connected and the Saltism is a bloody tough little treble that handles the punishment.
With the treble attached, the jighead glued in place and everything sorted, it was time to go fishing.
Fishing the lure
The Flat Shad X is so unlike the original Flat Shad it’s like chalk and cheese. There are times on the barra when the original Flat Shad worked a treat and other times when the Flat Shad X was the perfect option. My night on Kinchant, the Flat Shad X was king for the night!
The method I used was to cast out in about 12-18 feet of water, let the lure sink to the bottom and then slow wind for 10-15 winds. Then I’d let the lure sink again and repeat the process for the entire retrieve. This retrieve kept the lure within a metre or so of the bottom and with a slow retrieve speed the tail pulsed beautifully.
In two hours of mayhem we landed 8 barra between 73cm and 98cm and I was totally sold on how good the Flat Shad X was for chasing barra – especially in the Fat Betty colour scheme!
These lures are in shops now and will add a brilliant slow retrieve tool to your tackle kit, but this lure can also be retrieved with a fast burn if that’s what is required to get the bites. The size variations, colours and different weights, plus the ability to alter just about everything on the lure apart from the tail, mean the Flat Shad X is going to catch a truck load of barra in the coming months and years.
Exciting times ahead.
