Yellowbelly are prolific bait munchers, not shy to whack a new bait or technique, like an erratic burn and kill retrieve or painstakingly crawling a football jig along the bottom.
While new techniques and toys hit the yella scene every year, there are a tried and tested set of Golden Rules, which if followed, will put you in with a fighting chance against a pugnacious pig every spring.
Magic Wand
In order to fish a variety of baits effectively we have found it essential for our yella wand of choice to have a few key features.
A light, fast taper tip will allow you to impart action on those lighter baits and gauge even the slightest of bites, while also managing to load and launch lighter baits an absolute country mile.
An exposed butt blank, like on the new Jackall Revoltage rods, is also a huge advantage that adds significant feel to your finesse fishing.
We also prefer a strong but soft middle section so we can control any pent up perch but still have enough cushion to avoid pulling the hooks. This is even more paramount for any angler using small assist hooks that are often holding on by the finest piece of skin.
One rod that has amassed all these features is the new Jackall Revoltage rods that were purpose built for Aussie bass and yellowbelly anglers. Check it out below.
Highlight Reel
The majority of the time we chase yallas in spring we use spin reels. Reason being, their ease of use and the fact, on most occasions, you can piff light baits a lot further than a small baitcaster. It’s also nice to mix it up after a big cod season on the baitcasters.
From a fighting and drag standpoint, the yellowbelly hasn’t exactly descended from the prized fighting Black Bass, so any size from 1000 to 2500 has more than enough stopping power.
Now, we’ve used sizes from our first ever 1500-sized Shimano Sedona and 2000 Daiwa Tierra back ten-years ago, to our new 2000-sized Daiwa TD Black and 2500 Shimano Stradic ci4.
After years of tweaking and testing, we have arrived on the fact a 2000-2500 size spinning reel is the ideal all round option for all gamut of yella fishing, from the fine finesse artwork to chucking 20gm Jackall Transams.
Stay Line Classy
We like to take a simple, three tier approach to leader and braid options for yellowbelly. When flicking ultra light baits like a 5g Ecogear VX Blade, Reflexion Mini paddle tail soft plastic or a suspending minnows like a Jackall Squirrel 67SP, you can safely and effectively use 4-6lb leader and braid.
Not only do you fling longer casts but it helps present your finesse presentation in the most lifelike manner.
The next tier is for all those anglers who flick medium size lipless crankbaits like the Jackall TN 60 or the Duo Realis Vib 62 G-Fix that weigh under 15gm. To give you the right balance of safety from casting off a slightly heavier bait and enough finesse to not spook a wily yella, we use 8-10lb fluorocarbon leader like FC Rock Bream Special and 10lb Daiwa J-Braid Grand.
The final tier is when we bust out the heavy weights and strap-on baits like the 20gm Jackall Transam and 23gm Zerek Fish Trap soft plastic vibes. For that added insurance against casting the bait off due to its heftier weight we run 10-12lb leader and braid.
If you’re not someone who likes to stuff around, the best yellowbelly allrounder is 10lb leader and 12lb braid. You will see loose less baits to snags and hook and hold just as many pugnacious perch.
