It’s officially marlin season so here’s something a bit different in the boutique lure department to set you apart from the rest. Aloha lures are custom made in Hawaii by Captain Erik Rusnak (A.K.A Merlin) using the information and results gained from 25 year’s game fishing. Certainly looking every bit the part, these lures have already been proven deadly in NZ waters.
Accounting for some serious fish, NZ Fishing World is not allowed to divulge what patterns and colours have worked the best, but a word in person with retail distributor Greg at GoFish tackle might put you in the right direction if you’re serious about chasing some big fish.
The holographic lateral fin ‘wings’ add that extra strike-inducing flash on most models.
Heads crafted from clear resin with very nice inserts seem to blend really nicely with their skirts, and the lures are available in a wide range of designs and sizes to suit anything from tuna right up to the apex marlin species.
The range of patterns available will also cover a variety of sea conditions to keep your lure action appropriate to the changing environment.
Talk to Greg about rigging these to best suit your needs and get them out the back! https://www.gofish.co.nz/
The Smash Bait
The Smash Bait is the largest of the legendary tube designs, and has earned its name in the blue waters of both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans with a reputation for nailing big fish. An aggressive bevel with softened rails and a slight forward taper, this shape creates some serious distress behind the boat. A fantastic teaser or hook rigged trolling bait for big fish. An estimated at 1400+lbs. marlin was hooked on the Smash Bait in the Azores last year. Unfortunately, the fish escaped before capture and left with the lure.
Mirrored Beauties
In the wiggle and swim category, nothing beats a Beauty. Designed to run with a tight side-to-side motion this explosive swimmer will catch ono, mahi and those finicky marlin. Winner of thousands of dollars in Gulf tournaments and a star in the 2002 San Juan International, this is a proven competition winner. The Medium Beauty is one of Captain Erik’s oldest and most reliable designs and runs well in all sea conditions.
His favourite position for the Beauty is short corner or short rigger.
