Crazy Sand Eel 180 from Fiiish
It needs no introduction. The Crazy Sand Eel in size 180 from Fiiish is the lure that has given me the best results all season long, with flawless consistency. Whether it's at the start of the season when the sand eels are very present in the area, or at the end of the season when the fish are active and heavily grouped, this lure allows me to fish a multitude of spots.
Its strong point is the possibility of using lead heads from 20 to 55 grams. This means it can be used in shallow water, for fast linear action, or even deeper, to fetch fish with the 55-gram X Deep head
Illex Nitro Shad 120 and 150 mm
It's by no means a novelty. This lure has been in my box for many, many years. It's one of the shads I use regularly in fishing areas with strong currents.
Its caudal fin and rigidity mean it holds up extremely well in these highly disturbed zones. Linear or pulled through the current, this lure is formidable. I'm particularly fond of the Blue Herring, Shiner or Jelly Shad colors.
I use Nitro Shad or Nitro Slim Shad heads.
L'Asturie 130 and 150 in white
The Asturie is a highly effective surface lure. Its special shape allows the angler to achieve exceptional casting distances. This makes it particularly suitable for shore fishing, but also when it's necessary to cast into the wind.
I use it in a variety of sizes and colors, but it's clear that one color stood out from the rest this past year. The white color has enabled me to enjoy some great outings, whether from the shore or on a boat, whatever the time of day .
I found that on active hunts, where it was difficult to pick out the pretty fish when fishing with soft lures, the Asturie white in sizes 130 mm and 150 mm helped me out.
Ragot's herring jig
Yes, jig fishing is still popular. It's certainly not the most popular model, but it's very effective. I use it when fishing for pollock on deep wrecks in the English Channel, those located at depths of over 50 m, sometimes with a fairly strong current that forces the angler to cast heavily in order to hold the vertical.
It's most effective with the elevator technique. After making contact with the bottom, I make a linear recovery interspersed with pauses through the layer of water.
It's available in a wide range of weights. Personally, I use it most in 100 gram and 150 gram sizes. I have a soft spot for pink, but also for blue.
Black Minnow 160 for big bass in strong currents
At the end of the season, I caught some very nice bass. These were in areas with very strong currents, where it was necessary to fish very close to the bottom, vertically in about fifteen meters of water.
The difficulty with this technique was to get close enough to the bottom without snagging it in these veins of strong current, where drift speeds often exceeded 5 knots.
In this game, it was the Black Minnow 160 mounted on a 60-gram head that allowed me to hook these magnificent fish. The use of a Texan rig was essential to limit the risk of hooking.
Minimally animated by pulls, with the drift doing the rest, it could be grabbed as soon as it dropped to the bottom. It's in blue and khaki that it gives me the best results throughout the season .
