Pretty much every major tackle brand has these lures in their line-up, not to mention the many “no-name specials” littering the internet and the tackle store bargain bins.
Personally, I stay away from the cheapies as you never know what you might get. Some may work, but I often find they won’t vibrate at slower speeds, or they spiral on the drop – or both.
I guess that means the cheaper ones can work out pretty expensive in the end…….
What I Love About This Simple Hack That The Video Doesn’t Say
Jackall’s Transam soft vibes are already great lures, so why would we want to “Fix Something That Ain’t Broke”?
Well, Liam, as those who have listened to his SEQ Bassfishing exploits in Episode 302 will know, is a pretty sharp dude and has been in fishing and the tackle trade a long time. He’s picked up lots of tips along the way and this is just one of many “lure hack” vids he’s posted on Youtube.
But there’s stuff he doesn’t directly say in the video, such as why sacrificing a little weight for some extra body wiggle can be such an advantage. Does it really make that much difference?
Yep. It does. Here’s why:
One of the key qualities we often want from a soft vibe is the ability to work it very slowly. I’ve lost count of the times that ALF Podcast guests have talked about slowing things down and keeping the lure in front of the fish longer, especially when they’re not biting aggressively. A lure that’s slightly heavier and more importantly, a little stiffer in the body takes more speed to get it vibrating.
Removing that little snib of tungsten makes the lure vibrate at slower speeds, allows us to dance it in front of the fish more tantalisingly and keeps it in “the zone” for longer. It also makes the lure waft down slightly slower and gives it more action when it’s allowed to drop on a semi-tight line – which is often when vibes get hit.
But here’s another thought for those who fish close to large human populations. The Hallmark of a vibe is the vibration it creates (well…..duh). The modified Transam has a subtly different vibration to the original, so fish that have become wise to the signature vibration of the Transam may come unstuck if you employ this hack.
Every one percent counts! Thanks for the great tip Liam!
And I can use that bit of tungsten for weighting my home made timber hardbody lures!
Great thinking Paul! Waste not……
the other hack is to fill that cavity with scent, it can also increase the strike rate when fish are not really on the chew.
Thanks Evan, that’s an awesome tip mate! Champion!
The Jackall Transam 95 used to come in both 13g & 20g models, however the 13g version has now been deleted. Which is shame because it was the ideal weight for natives & redfin in shallow water. Anyway, for devotees of the lighter Transam, perhaps this hack is the best way to recreate it?
Yeah, not sure why that lighter Transam was discontinued, bit of a shame really. There’s always the lighter version of the 70mm Jackall Mask, of course, but it’s a smaller lure and different body shape so not necessarily a good replacement for the 13g, 95mm lure. Removing the little tang goes some way towards recreating the 13g version, though the lure is still a bit more than 13g, I suspect (I haven’t weighed one). It certainly gives the lure a stronger vibration than the unmodified version and allows it to work at slower speed.