rings, ready to do the standard hardware upgrades while enjoying a cold beverage. A very experienced barra guide walked in just as I was starting on this process and made an observation that has stayed with me down through the years. “Y’know, I wouldn’t be in such a hurry to get rid of those original hooks,” he said, picking up one of the lures from the bar. “You’ll never pin barra as well on anything else as you will on these things. I’d wait until you straighten them on a fish, then change ’em.” What he’d clearly identified — and what I’ve come to recognise and embrace myself over the intervening years — is the fact that very few lures ever swim quite as well or pin fish as effectively with “upgraded” heavyweight hooks and rings as they do with their original, factory-fitted hardware.
Smaller minnows like this little Rapala can be absolutely deadly on barra in shallow, clear water. The conundrum lies in achieving enough strength via upgraded hooks and split rings to stay connected without “sand-bagging” the lure’s action in the process. It’s a fine line!
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09 SPOOLED MAGAZINE
There are several reasons for this. Firstly, good lure makers spend a lot of time precisely balancing all the fittings and fixtures on their products to achieve each lure’s optimum action and buoyancy. Secondly, those factory-fitted hooks are typically fine gauge and ultra-sharp, which equates to improved hook-up rates. Whether they also have the strength and structural integrity to keep you connected to a fish long enough for it to be landed is, of course, a moot point!