cowherder
09-24-2008, 01:59 PM
This guy, Ken Legge of Noreast, wrote some great stuff about bombers and darters. I learned more in this article than I could have in a year of plugging. Hope it's ok to post, great article Ken.:clapping:
Swimmers In The Surf
by Ken Legge
http://www.noreast.com/images/blank.gif
http://www.noreast.com/images/blank.gif
In this article I focus my attention on Bombers and Darters. I find that these two lures are so productive along our shorelines, back bays, harbors and inlets that they deserve some attention.
BOMBERS AND DARTERS, THE BASICS
So let's kick this off and talk about a lure you will always find in my surf bag both day and night, the Long-A Bomber. The lure is simple to use, extremely versatile and will drive a hungry bass or bluefish crazy. Even if they are not hungry, the allure of easy prey is one they cannot resist. If bass or blues are in the area you are fishing and are on the feed, a Bomber will get their attention for sure. The Bomber will imitate just about anything. I have caught some nice fish when there was bunker, spearing or sand eels in the area. My preference is to use these lures during the night tides, but under certain conditions they are effective during the day. Bombers work best in moving water and I focus their use almost exclusively where current is a factor.
Bombers come in several sizes, styles and colors and I will talk more about colors later. The A-Salt is a two hook 5.75-inch lure at 1 ounce; the Long-16A has three hooks and is 6 inches long at 7/8 ounce and the Long-17A is 7 inches long and weighs in at 1.5 ounces. Bomber produces both solid and jointed body styles. My favorites are the solid models as they have out produced the jointed bodies for me, but the action on a jointed model is incredible. They just released a new line of swimmers called the windcheater that I will be testing this summer and fall.
I go with the A-Salt when the baitfish is smaller in size such as spearing or small sand eels. The A-Salt swims about a foot deeper than the Long-A so if the fish are feeding a little lower in the water column then the A-Salt should be used. If the baitfish are longer in profile then go with a Long-16A but if you need a little more casting distance the 17A will get the job done nicely. The Long-16A and 17 will dive between 2 to 3 feet and the A-Salt dives between 3 - 4 feet. Experiment a bit and you will find one to match the conditions you are fishing along with bait patterns in the area.
So let's talk about another one of my go-to lures, the Darter. The Darter is another versatile and deadly lure that I use mostly at night and always in current driven water. I find that a Darter is useless in non-moving water, as it does not have the action needed to attract a bite.
Darters and inlets are like peas and carrots, they just work well together. Darters have become very popular with the Montauk surf crowd and over time spread along the eastern seaboard where others found them to work wonders on very large bass. I never make the trek to Montauk or to any inlet with moving water without several sizes and shapes in my bag. My go-to darters are Gibbs, Super Strike, Tattoo's and YoZuri Mag which all come in various colors. Each does a very good job depending on the environment you fish. Super Strike makes a plastic slender body version at just shy of 7 inches long at 2 3/8-ounce. Gibbs makes a similar style out of wood in 6 3/8 inch and 5-inch at 1.5 ounces and 1 5/8 ounces respectively. I find these work best when the current is moving nicely and when the fish are hitting closer to the top of the water column as they dive between 2 and 3 feet. I think thin profile bait for either lure when fishing these particular Darters. Tattoo's makes a fatter 2 and 3 ounce version that I will use when the adult bunker are in thick. With all that said I couldn't forget about the YoZuri Mag Darter, which tends to be a go to Darter for me on the north shore of Long Island. I prefer the mackerel green color and black as both produce very well for me. The YoZuri swims like a blend of a Darter and Bomber due to its lip and body design. The patented Mag System helps with casting distance and adds an underwater noise factor when twitched which helps tick off a non-aggressive fish. The Mag Darter I use is a 5-inch, 1-ounce lure.
LIKE IT OR NOT COLOR MATTERS
Ok, here is where the opinions get mixed. There are many published articles on the topic of lure color and I speak with many anglers who all have their preference, but I will tell you that in all my years of working both Bombers and Darters, color matters. What I have proven is that on dark nights with new or a late rising moon, or a cloud covered night sky, that black and blurple (black and purple combo colors) tend to capture the eye of bass and blues. During the full moon tides or on any bright evening, I go strictly with white or yellows. I have found that yellow is the most versatile and if I could only have one color in my bag it would be yellow. Yellow tends to work during either period but dark colors only work with any sense of consistency when it is really dark out. Since I am not a scientist or marine biologist, I will save myself the embarrassment in trying to explain the eye color spectrum of striped bass. All I know is that there is a whole lot of opinion on this topic and all I can add to it is my personal experience. I also like the red head Bombers and the Mag Darters with white body and red head. They too would be used during a bright night.
http://www.noreast.com/magazineIssues/photos/2501.jpg
On the right are my favorite Bombers and on the left some classic Darters.
Swimmers In The Surf
by Ken Legge
http://www.noreast.com/images/blank.gif
http://www.noreast.com/images/blank.gif
In this article I focus my attention on Bombers and Darters. I find that these two lures are so productive along our shorelines, back bays, harbors and inlets that they deserve some attention.
BOMBERS AND DARTERS, THE BASICS
So let's kick this off and talk about a lure you will always find in my surf bag both day and night, the Long-A Bomber. The lure is simple to use, extremely versatile and will drive a hungry bass or bluefish crazy. Even if they are not hungry, the allure of easy prey is one they cannot resist. If bass or blues are in the area you are fishing and are on the feed, a Bomber will get their attention for sure. The Bomber will imitate just about anything. I have caught some nice fish when there was bunker, spearing or sand eels in the area. My preference is to use these lures during the night tides, but under certain conditions they are effective during the day. Bombers work best in moving water and I focus their use almost exclusively where current is a factor.
Bombers come in several sizes, styles and colors and I will talk more about colors later. The A-Salt is a two hook 5.75-inch lure at 1 ounce; the Long-16A has three hooks and is 6 inches long at 7/8 ounce and the Long-17A is 7 inches long and weighs in at 1.5 ounces. Bomber produces both solid and jointed body styles. My favorites are the solid models as they have out produced the jointed bodies for me, but the action on a jointed model is incredible. They just released a new line of swimmers called the windcheater that I will be testing this summer and fall.
I go with the A-Salt when the baitfish is smaller in size such as spearing or small sand eels. The A-Salt swims about a foot deeper than the Long-A so if the fish are feeding a little lower in the water column then the A-Salt should be used. If the baitfish are longer in profile then go with a Long-16A but if you need a little more casting distance the 17A will get the job done nicely. The Long-16A and 17 will dive between 2 to 3 feet and the A-Salt dives between 3 - 4 feet. Experiment a bit and you will find one to match the conditions you are fishing along with bait patterns in the area.
So let's talk about another one of my go-to lures, the Darter. The Darter is another versatile and deadly lure that I use mostly at night and always in current driven water. I find that a Darter is useless in non-moving water, as it does not have the action needed to attract a bite.
Darters and inlets are like peas and carrots, they just work well together. Darters have become very popular with the Montauk surf crowd and over time spread along the eastern seaboard where others found them to work wonders on very large bass. I never make the trek to Montauk or to any inlet with moving water without several sizes and shapes in my bag. My go-to darters are Gibbs, Super Strike, Tattoo's and YoZuri Mag which all come in various colors. Each does a very good job depending on the environment you fish. Super Strike makes a plastic slender body version at just shy of 7 inches long at 2 3/8-ounce. Gibbs makes a similar style out of wood in 6 3/8 inch and 5-inch at 1.5 ounces and 1 5/8 ounces respectively. I find these work best when the current is moving nicely and when the fish are hitting closer to the top of the water column as they dive between 2 and 3 feet. I think thin profile bait for either lure when fishing these particular Darters. Tattoo's makes a fatter 2 and 3 ounce version that I will use when the adult bunker are in thick. With all that said I couldn't forget about the YoZuri Mag Darter, which tends to be a go to Darter for me on the north shore of Long Island. I prefer the mackerel green color and black as both produce very well for me. The YoZuri swims like a blend of a Darter and Bomber due to its lip and body design. The patented Mag System helps with casting distance and adds an underwater noise factor when twitched which helps tick off a non-aggressive fish. The Mag Darter I use is a 5-inch, 1-ounce lure.
LIKE IT OR NOT COLOR MATTERS
Ok, here is where the opinions get mixed. There are many published articles on the topic of lure color and I speak with many anglers who all have their preference, but I will tell you that in all my years of working both Bombers and Darters, color matters. What I have proven is that on dark nights with new or a late rising moon, or a cloud covered night sky, that black and blurple (black and purple combo colors) tend to capture the eye of bass and blues. During the full moon tides or on any bright evening, I go strictly with white or yellows. I have found that yellow is the most versatile and if I could only have one color in my bag it would be yellow. Yellow tends to work during either period but dark colors only work with any sense of consistency when it is really dark out. Since I am not a scientist or marine biologist, I will save myself the embarrassment in trying to explain the eye color spectrum of striped bass. All I know is that there is a whole lot of opinion on this topic and all I can add to it is my personal experience. I also like the red head Bombers and the Mag Darters with white body and red head. They too would be used during a bright night.
http://www.noreast.com/magazineIssues/photos/2501.jpg
On the right are my favorite Bombers and on the left some classic Darters.