Predatek Fishing Lures

Aussie fishermen and Aussie fish can be damn tough on fishing gear, especially lures.

We've seen some less than adequate imports coming into this country for at least two decades and a few still show up every year.  You know the type...split rings that look like they're made from old copper wire; trebles that jacks, sooties, bream, golden perch, cod etc. use for chewing gum; and bodies that split from end to end at the slightest impact.  

Aussie lure makers have addressed these shortcomings and turned out products that are equal to the best from overseas giants of the tackle industry.

The one Achilles heel of otherwise robust lures had been the clear plastic bib, especially on deep diving lures that are used on tough fish.

There are few fish that are harder on lure bibs than big barra...a point driven home at the 1999 Barra Classic, where many competitors reported bib breakages on lures, both domestic and imported.

One domestic lure manufacturer, Predatek (who didn't suffer embarrassment at the Classic), has invested in research and development in an attempt to solve the problem.

Thanks to Aussie ingenuity they, in conjunction with a moulding specialist, came up with a breakthrough that enables the production of the toughest clear bibs in the world, proprietary enduroShok bibs.

These blokes are very tough on their product when destruction testing and were not happy being slightly above par...they were striving for perfection.  This technology produces so great an improvement over anything previously seen on the Aussie market that the new product is being marketed under a new brand name...Predatek (predator technologies)

The Predatek brand incorporates an entirely new product, not just a name change.  We all know that the downunder crew can make lures that look sharp and catch heaps of fish. The Predatek range adds one more important aspect...durability -- these bibs are as close as you'll ever get to unbreakable.

The testing methods for their lures include an impact test where the lure is cast at warp speed onto a concrete slab...ouch!
They did some original comparisons with products from some of the big names in lures from abroad with interesting results.

A very commonly used lure from the US that sees use over here for barra, jacks, flathead, etc. had its bib snap off after only nine impacts. Another big name lure from Finland broke after just four, and no lure tested, imported or domestic, survived 20 impacts.

The tests on Predatek's current flagship - the Spoonbill - are impressive, with the original crash test lure having been subjected to an amazing 1000 impacts and the bib still intact. The Predatek blokes reckon that this much abused lure looks like it's been the plaything of a pit bull, yet the bib just refuses to fracture.

The Spoonbill is an all-purpose estuary trolling and casting lure perfectly suited to flathead and salmon in southern states and jacks and barra in the north.

I've been using Spoonbills on all manner of fish from impoundment bass, gorge country cod and light tackle offshore  pelagics like mackerel and tuna as well as bream, estuary cod, fingermark etc.

Predatek are producing Spoonbills in 25 colours...an extensive range that's sure to have a pattern to suit every need. Personal favourites for estuary work include Elton Jack, Barra Red, Kakadu Tiger, Parrot, and Yellow Rainbowfish. In freshwater I've had outstanding success with Purple Rainbowfish, Mulga Frog, Tropical Frog, Yellow Tiger and Hot Tiger.

When trolling for light tackle pelagics like spotty mackerel, bonito, dolphin etc. Redhead, Jabiru and Purple Thing have been producing well. In very clear water in the estuaries we'll often switch to natural patterns like Tarpon, McSea and Barra Blue...the latter is a hot colour for salty barra.

The secrets to the enduroShok bib's resilience lie in entirely new plastic alloys being used, new moulds, and in fact an entirely new moulding regime. I won't go into any more detail on the technical side of things, as they obviously need to protect the result of their investment.

The Predatek Viper is now being constructed with enduroShok bibs and has been incorporated into the Predatek range. I've recently returned from another trip to the big barra capital of the world, Tinaroo, where I gave some Vipers fitted with the new bibs a workout. After being chewed up and thrashed by fish up to 60 odd pounds the lures remained unscathed. Even being tangled in the mesh of the landing net with big angry barra didn't have any detrimental effects.

If you've been looking for a quality lure that'll stand up to the rigours of tough fishing conditions and brutal fish then give the Predatek lures a run.

Ask for them at good tackle stores and remember to look for the enduroShok bibs.

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