INDIANANGLER

Hi folks,

I ordered some plugs from Cabelas recently and will be trying them out for mahseer this season. The smaller plugs should do well in malvalli. Have a dekko at the picture below.

Bops

Hi Bops,

The experience I have had with plugs, the blues work the least not saying that they dont, at least with Salt water fish, greens, yellows, red-white, seem to work best. Bright Orange - Red White on overcast late evening seem to work like charms.

The second lure looks like a Killer..

Hi Bops,

So did you buy me a couple of the SSR 14's ? hmm I remember a thread some weeks ago..........what was that it said?

Mighty Marlin

Hi MM,

I remember the thread rather well! But you did mention that Cabelas did not have the pattern you were looking for. So I ordered one of each of these as a sample to see what works. I have a buddy coming down in December-Jan so I might order some more.

Bops

Ok Bops,

The jointed shad X Rap and the SSR 14 will probably deliver the goods for you. More fish will go to the jointed, I'm assuming. Cool, let me know when your buddy's coming down I'd like a couple of SSR14's to use in the rapids near Haira.

Regards,
Mighty Marlin.

For Jointed plugs, there's a new one called - Lucky Craft Live Sammy, its available on Cabelas but expensive. Looks like it will very well.

Cheers,
Alexis

My ten rupees:

Lucky Craft are well-designed lures, and expensive. One word of warning though. They are generally armed with relatively light hooks. Mahseer may make mincemeat out of them! Not recommended to change the hooks, cos it will change the action of the lure. That's advice from the maker himself!

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Alexis/Bops,

There are some new plugs made in Japan that are truly amazing. They're soft bodied plugs with a lip and look exactly like small fish. Swim like fish as well. When you see plugs like that you realise the amount of RnD that goes into their manufacture. The days of hard baits like rapala may be numbered.
Mighty Marlin

I MM i have got some Japanese hard lures that are actually soft...well that is the best way I can describe them. Just like a hard lure soft to touch somewhat rubbery and they bend as well with some pressure.

If any one is interested I can post a picture

Please post it Bobby

Yes Bobby i too would like a deko at these. I have a couple of small rubbery looking fish plugs with wagging tails. Have always wondered about trying them out on the river. As i mentoned before, i have caught bugger all on plugs till date.

Pat like you said the river seems to dictate what bait or lure to use.
Though i think MM has had some luck with plugs on the Galibori stretch, hardly anyone uses them there. But not so up river at Bheemeshwari where i hear quite a few people use them regularly.
Strange just 10 to 15 km difference on the same river and what works well in one spot doesn't in the other.
Regards
Owen

PLastic lures are the rage here, especially those made by Pure Fishing (Berkley range). Very lifelike, got scents and all, and realtively cheaper (they have to be, cos they're more disposable). Most of my lures are plugs, and spoons, but now I'm also going for those plastic fellows.

Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are proven for murrel, but probably not for mahseer. The plastic fishes with mega single hook up the dorsal looks like the best bet. Some models now even come suspending, with bibs, just like a plug.

I tried plastic crabs for mahseer at Bhimeshwari stretch last Nov, but no success; the water was terribly high and coloured, cos of that cyclone.

One more potential is the plastic worm. It's proven for murrel, but a large one, say of 14 cm, could be good for mahseer 'on the rocks'. It's weedless too. I'm trying it this Dec.

What's the best trebles for mahseer? My favs are VMC 4X and Owner 4X, the tinned, shortshanked ones. Any others?

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These lures are more expensive than the normal hard lure, I have posted one straight and one where I am bending the same lure. I could bend it a lot more but given I was pressing it against a table I was afraid of getting impaled in the palm by hooks. Length is 5".

Hi Bobby,
I hope all is well.... Yup those are the ones I was talking about. They look pretty good and are really 'lifelike'. I guess in the future plugs may head this way.

Regards,
Mighty Marlin.

Hi Bobby, what make are those plugs?
Regards
Owen

I am not 100% sure, but I think they are Duel/Yo-zuri.

I have also got some flat ones that sink and are made of a very similar material. These flat ones are killers, but it is the way they are retrieved.

JB is talking about some other soft baits (rubber), I have got some of these berkley and storm lures, they are what I call consumable lures, they are sented and flavoured. I have even gone to the extent of biting and tasting one, by giving it a bit of a chew it's not disgusting, salty and slightly fishy, tastes like a tear, but I would not make a meal of them I prefer my fish fried or steamed..

What won't you do for a fish mate

I've never done any good with the SSR. In fact, although I've had a few hit's, I din't think I've ever actually landed a fish on one !

The jointed X-Rap looks the business though. It's relativly small but heavy so it should cast well and might be just the job for barra.
Does it have much of an action ?

Pat , have a couple of Rapalla slivers ... u need one mate ?

Hi Fred, can i put up my hand for Pat?
Regards
Owen

Have got my hands, legs and everything else up, mate..

Hey Pat

Plugs work on the Ramganga - in the marchula beat, my friend caught a 10-12 pound mahaseer last month and last week my brother caught a 20 plus on the same beat with a plug.

The problem is that very few anglers are plugging the stretch - and the locals also recommend atta/chilwa.

Pat dates ?? when the next one planned .. most probably im off the durg this weekend .. can u make it ??

My two yard shot:

Up the Ramganga, at the right time of the year, every artificial will have it's day. Artificial time means after the spring spawning (fish very hungry after dropping eggs&milt) and after the rains (same reason). Flies good too: turn over the stones and you'll find baetids, ephemerids and the godawful hellgrammite at upto 2" long (these you can mount on single hooks)
What with the beat managers feeding mahseer with atta, the rest of the year sees them looking for free food. The big stuff moves only at dawn/dusk timings when all anglers have gone back to their bottles and beds. Had to spend a night between Marchula and Balooly (visiting informants). Went out on a 4am patrol and actually saw several 5 foot mahseer hunting in water that barely covered their backs. Cast plugs at them from far off. Got a small one- 22lbs.

Up the Saryu, atta useless. Live bait and plugs best for most of the year. Low light conditions essential for success. Spinners for smaller fish. The Kali favours atta in addition to Saryu baits- you might even get snow trout (good for food or bait). Otherwise the fish are extremely canny.

Pong Dam in Himachal respects Abu Toby (upto 3', all chrome or chrome/gold. 2" best), DAM Effzett and Effzett Slim, ABU Atom. Haven't taken anything on plug there. Singhara catfish (Aorichthys seenghala) out there go mad on size 5-7 Mepps Aglia Longs, as well as live/deadbait.
Bhakhra dam will entertain plugs but you need a boat for best effect. Heavy sinking plugs (used a 12" Believer in Pike pattern 2 years ago. Got broken after being towed around for 30 mins. 20lb line but the fish was absolutely intractable). Atta is top bait but I've seen some 30plus mahseer taken on ledgered chilwa.

Beas river, Kangra District above Pong dam loves Krocodiles in chrome, perch, firetiger and hammered brass, max 2". Also ACME Kastmaster, Little Cleo. All in small sizes.

Ahhh.. pahaari rivers....

Cheers,
V.