If you've spent enough time upon the water lately, you probably understand that brads thin fish fishing lures have a popularity for being overall magnets for trout, steelhead, and also walleye. There's simply something about that particular profile and inconsistent action that triggers the predatory response within fish when nothing at all else seems in order to be working. I've had days where the sonar is usually lit up just like a Christmas tree, but the fish are just sulking on the bottom until I actually drop one of them thin-profile crankbaits in to the strike zone.
It's funny how angling gear trends arrive and go, yet some things just stick around mainly because they flat-out generate. The Brad's Thin Fish isn't specifically a new secret—it's been a staple in the Pacific Northwest as well as the Great Lakes for a long time—but in case you haven't tried them however, you might become missing out on one of the most flexible plugs in the particular game.
Why is This Lure Various?
You may take a look at a brads thin fish and think it's yet another crankbait. At first glance, they have that classic "banana" shape, but the particular magic is actually in the pounds distribution and the lip design. Unlike plenty of deeper-diving attaches which have a really tight, rhythmic stoß, the Thin Fish has a lot more "searching" action.
When you're trolling it, it doesn't just wiggle in a straight line; it darts side to side, occasionally kicking in order to the left or right in the way that looks exactly like a panicked baitfish. That will unpredictability is huge. Most fish are used to seeing lures that shift with mechanical precision. When something appears a little little bit "off" or injured, that's if they choose it's a simple food and choose to dedicate.
One more thing I really appreciate is the internal rattle. It's not an mind-boggling "clacker" sound, yet it's just enough to get their attention in murky water or throughout those low-light hrs at dawn. It gives the fish the trail to adhere to before they also view the flash associated with the paint work.
Targeting Multiple Species
Whilst a lot of guys swear by the brads thin fish particularly for salmon plus steelhead in the particular rivers, don't sleep in it for other species. I've got some incredible days targeting walleye on the flats using these. Because they are relatively light-weight, they have an extremely buoyant quality that works wonders when you're working over the tops of bud beds or rugged structures.
Trout and Steelhead
For that river anglers, they are legendary. Whether or not you're back-trolling all of them from a drift vessel or casting all of them into deep openings, they hold their tune remarkably nicely. During heavy current, which usually blows out cheaper lures, these things stay stable. If you're angling for Coho, they will seem to especially love the intense "thump" of this particular lure.
Walleye and Bass
In the Good Lakes or larger reservoirs, trolling these on planer planks is a monster tactic. They jump to some respectable depth by themselves, but in case you need to get them deeper, they handle lead primary or snap weight load without losing that will signature action. I've even caught some surprisingly large smallmouth bass on the particular "Blue Hawaii" design when I had been actually looking intended for walleye.
Dialing inside your Trolling Acceleration
One of the biggest errors I see people create with brads thin fish is definitely trolling them either not fast enough or way too fast. There is definitely the "sweet spot" in which the lure really begins to dance. Usually, that's somewhere between one. 8 and two. 6 miles per hour.
If you're heading too slow, the lure just type of lazily wiggles. You desire it to become aggressive. On the flip side, when you're pushing several. 5 mph, this might start to move or skip. The best way in order to check would be to drop the lure in the water right next to the boat and watch it. If it's searching and darting but staying erect, you're within the zone.
I've also found that will adding a little scent pad or even a tiny bit of tuna belly to the belly hook doesn't seem to kill the action enjoy it does on smaller sized lures. Just don't overdo it. You want the scent to be an attractor, not a drag that transforms your lure right into a literal stick.
Color Patterns That truly Work
Let's be real—half of the fun (and frustration) of fishing is usually picking the right color. The brads thin fish is available in a dizzying array of patterns. You've got your classic chromes, your "bloody" series with the particular red accents, and the high-vis glows.
- Low Light/Early Morning: I actually almost always begin with something that provides a "Glow" or "UV" finish. The "Double UV" patterns are particularly effective when the sun is just starting to peek on the horizon.
- Shiny Sun: On those high-bluebird days, you can't beat a material or chrome surface finish. The "Black Pearl" or "Blue Pirate" colors create an enormous amount of adobe flash that can pull fish from deep water.
- Stained Water: If the particular river is a bit "froggy" or tea-colored, We go for the particular high-contrast stuff. Believe "Firetiger" or something with a vivid chartreuse back.
I've learned the particular hard way to keep a variety on hand. I once spent four hours catching nothing on a silver pattern, just to swap in order to a "Watermelon" end and hook up three times in twenty minutes. Sometimes the fish just need a specific hue, and they won't budge until they see it.
Rigging and Adjustments
Straight out of the box, these lures are usually ready to fish, but a lot of seasoned pros like to modify them. One common modification is swapping out the factory treble hooks. While the particular stock hooks are decent, if you're targeting 20-pound Full salmon, you may want some thing a bit beefier.
The particular Hook Swap
I often change the belly treble with a somewhat larger, high-quality hook and sometimes exchange the tail treble for the single "siwash" hook. This is especially helpful when you're fishing in a "single catch only" zone, it also helps with the hook-to-land ratio. Salmon are notorious intended for utilizing the leverage associated with a plug in order to spit the lift. A single lift on a swivel often stays hidden a lot better than a treble does when the particular fish starts doing those death rolls.
Using Market leaders
Don't go too heavy on your own leader. If you're tying 40-pound mono directly to the particular eye of a brads thin fish , you're going to eliminate the action. I favor using a small, high-quality duo-lock snap. It provides the attraction a pivot stage to move freely. I usually operate about 5 in order to 6 feet associated with 15-20 pound fluorocarbon leader. It's stealthy enough to not spook the fish yet strong enough to take care of the initial run of a steelhead.
Final Thoughts on the Thin Fish
At the finish of the day time, fishing is the game of confidence. If you believe in what's at the particular end of your own line, you're likely to fish harder and stay more concentrated. For me, the brads thin fish any of those "confidence" lures. It's caught me fish when the drinking water was chocolate whole milk, and it's captured me fish when the water was gin-clear.
It isn't a "magic bullet"—no lure is—but it's a tool that will performs consistently. It's durable, it's easy to tune in case it gets knocked out of positioning, and it's fairly affordable compared in order to some of all those high-end Japanese jerkbaits.
When you're looking in order to round out your tackle box for the forthcoming season, grab the few different shades of these things. Also if you're the die-hard bait angler, having a few of these types of in your arsenal for when the particular bite gets tough is simply smart. You might find, like I did, that they get the particular first thing you take when you're heading out to the particular dock. There's simply something about that "thin fish" shimmy that will big fish can't seem to resist.