60 FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE Tested DARK GREEN COLOUR After not getting much interest or any good hits on the 5" softbaits, I selected the dark green Motor Oil Jerk softbait which is also smaller at 3.75" and rigged it on a GRIP-R 1/2oz 3/0 jig head, these are super sharp VMC hooks. The baitfish we saw jumping were mostly 3–4 inches long, so downsizing to the 3.75" lure made sense. In the darker, shaded water around the islands, the green Motor Oil colour also offered stronger contrast. I immediately started getting more interest from fish with the lure change and landed multiple snapper over consecutive casts. They were fat pannies in good condition and when landed on the boat they excreted a green, shellfish like or worm waste from their stomachs. They were also hitting the Motor Oil Jerk softbait hard and some inhaled the lure and jig head, as you can see from the photos with the tail just sticking out of their mouths. Graham continued on with the Solar Flare colour but today the dark green colour was out fishing the brighter lure. We also kept our boat noise down as much as possible, by not starting the outboard, drifting through an area for as long as possible and then starting the electric Recon trolling motor to move around as needed. CRUSH CITY INFUSED If you didn’t already know, Rapala’s Crush City softbaits are made from T.P.E. material that is infused with salt and fish scent, so having additional scent must help increase the appeal to predators. We also love that these softbaits are Crush City
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