How do you retrieve your hard bodies

[Geoff R]

Hey Guys, I have Tim Bop in the shop with me right this minute and he just asked me how to retrieve a hard body. I told him to do it nice and slow but I'd like some back up on this, any one care to comment
Geoff

[jimi]

Hey Geoff, I usually just do a constant retreive, winding very slowly so you can just feel the lure wobbling through the rod (Richo put me onto this).

I've also started moving the rod slowly so that the lure speeds up and slows down very subtly as well. Both have worked for me.

I used to use the barra style twitching retrieve where the lure is stopped and then jerked fairly violently. That did work at times (especially with snap shads) but the new one works better most of the time.

[Richo]

Slow - reel slow, slow as ya bloody can and steady as well, that one simple change in my technique increased my catch rate nearly 1000%, it also depends what your fishing, its a tad different for flats.

After struggling for a few weeks, I got a 3 minute lesson from our Big Bream rec holder - thanks craig c, but my next cast was hit, and my next cast he was on. No looking back since then. Its been a fun transition. You only need to have the lure moving enough to start its action, and like Jimi said, occasionally I quicken like Jimi as well, just a variation.

Cheers

Nice and slow is the way. i dont like jerks, as i find it puts the bream off!
As slow as you can, as long the lure stilll has an action and getting to the correct depth

[jimi]

Good point about the flats Richo. I usually do the same steady retreive on the flats, but find that you can go faster than when snag fishing.

I guess it's a covering ground thing. In the snags, the fish are localised around the snag so the lure needs to stay in the strike zone as long as possible. On the flats, they are spread out so you need to cover more ground so that your lure will eventually go past the nose of a fish.

You do need to make sure the lure is working when doing this. If you go too slow, it will just float to the top. You can usually tell when it's working properly after a while.

[chris_lemess]

Anywhere but on the flats I use a fairly fast, jerky retrieve (small jerks and twitches). Geoff; you've seen me do it so I guess you know what I mean. It works for me!

[Bear]

Since Ira went through the Spads method with me I've been using it with great success. I have found that my hook-up rate is much better than just a constant slow retrieve that I used b4.

The idea is to lift and lower the rod slightly which give the lure a pause. This is when the bream hit the most.

Makes a BIG difference I've found.

[Drew]

G'day guys

i use zig zag retieve for my 'hb', after the lure hitts the water i turn the reel 2/3 times moderatly fast to get the lure working at it's right depth, once i feel it's down there i stop and let it rise and pause it on the surface for a minute(or until i see a bream using polorides), then depending wether i'm on ground or boat use the rod or reel to move the lure again(depends on how high above the water u are!), repeat this 2/3 times depending on the lenth of the cast or sang/flats area......i found twitch a minnow on the surface right beside cover, usually getts a hit (small twitch's so the lure doesn't dive-just sort of moves in the one spot)

after the zig zag i just use a slow retieve the rest of the way.......how have u guy's found using hard body surface lure's and wat sort of reteive do u use....??? 'i just let it sit there, or twick twick pause..............flow and fish on or not ................any furthe r suggestion

cheer's drew

[mark savage]

Pretty much like how Bear described it with a sloooooooooooow retrieve - well just fast enough to get a wiggle on

[MATTY]

i'm still in the early stages of learning but found the lift/lower retrieve bear showed us has definitely improved catch rates,but it does depend on where your fishing.on the flats around maylands where i spend too much time,a fairly quick retrieve works for me,up around guilford in the snags i've used a crankdown & sort of twitchy retrieve which has produced as well.but the slow & steady seems to be the tried and tested method.i guess it also would depend on what type of lure your using as well.

[wandtheswan]

iv been catching all my bream on hards with a wind, twitch stop retrieve.
i have put in a few sessions with the typical wind slow slow but yet to get a hit. i then go back to what most comfortable to get fish. I spose cause i fly fish i iam just used to twitching the fly on bream.
Use whats most best for bream for you