STARLO PRO Lures
My new range of STARLO PRO Lures has now been released, just in time for Christmas 2013! Exclusive to BCF stores right across the country, this beautifully finished line-up of hard-bodied lures is intended to provide champagne performance at beer prices, allowing every Aussie angler to have a crack at modern, finesse lure fishing without breaking the bank! But remember, these lures are only available from BCF stores and via that chain’s on-line outlet (join Club BCF to learn more about shopping on-line, as well as receiving regular offers and updates, or find your closest BCF store by clicking here: store locator.)
All of the lures in this range have been personally hand-picked and extensively field-tested by me. Each lure, each size and each colour suits a wide range of Australian fish species and Australian angling conditions (in both salt and fresh water), and fills a particular niche in the Aussie angling world: from finessing bream, flathead, perch and trout to brawling with big barra, mulloway (jewfish) and kingfish… They all work! (Please note that while I offer target species listings in the lure-by-lure rundown on this page, it is possible to catch a far wider range of fish than those nominated… The sky really is the limit, and fishing is full of surprises!)
USING MY LURES
Wherever possible, attach these lure directly to your line or leader using a proven loop knot or a strong, round-radius snap clip. Test swim the lure briefly before fishing, and again after each encounter with a fish or snag. If the lure lies over to one side or swims off-centre, use long-nosed pliers to carefully bend the tow-point eyelet a very small distance in the opposite direction, then test it again. Remember: a tiny tweak (less than a millimetre) will usually do the job.
HARDWARE
Also, remember that the hooks and rings fitted to these STARLO PRO Lures have been chosen to optimise their swimming actions and buoyancy rates. If it’s necessary to fit heavier hardware (as it sometimes is when targeting certain species or using heavier tackle), you need to accept that this modification could reduce the swimming action and potentially turn a floating lure into a sinking model. Only make such modifications where it’s absolutely necessary to do so.
FISH FOR THE FUTURE
Finally, before we move on to look at the entire range of STARLO PRO Lures, please join me in making a commitment to fishing for the future: Take only what you need, defend and protect our angling environments, and never discard rubbish in our bush or along our precious waterways.
“I love lure fishing, and these are the lures I trust to catch just about anything that swims… Tie one on and give it a go!” — Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling
STARLO PRO Lures: The Range
Below I’ve described the entire current range of STARLO PRO Lures, with recommendations concerning optimum uses for each model and their primary target species. Note that additional models, sizes and colours will be added to this range over time.
STARLO PRO Lures Crusty Baby 30
The STARLO PRO Lures Crusty Baby range consists of tiny, ultra-finesse, floating/diving plugs or crank baits measuring just 30mm in length (not including bib). These shallow running divers imitate crustaceans like crabs, shrimps and prawns, as well as small baitfish, and were especially designed to appeal to extra finicky bream in salt and brackish water. But Crusty Babies will also catch whiting, flathead, redfin perch, trout, bass, sooty grunter, jungle perch and a host of other species in both salt and fresh water.
STARLO PRO Lures Crusty Junior 40
Slightly bigger than the Crusty Baby 30 at 40mm, the STARLO PRO Lures Crusty Junior 40 is another finesse-fishing, shallow-running, tight-actioned crankbait, this time designed to suspend or very slowly sink in freshwater and to just float in the salt. It appeals to the same range of fish as the Crusty Baby 30, but will also take larger predators in both salt and fresh, as well as being able to cast further.
STARLO PRO Lures Dive-R 65
The STARLO PRO Lures Dive R 65 range is a series of 65mm shallow to medium-running floating/diving minnows or stick baits designed to be fished with a moderately erratic, twitch-and-pause action that appeals to all manner of predators, from Australian bass, trout, perch, saratoga, sooty grunter and smaller barramundi in freshwater to flathead, larger bream, trevally, tailor, salmon, pike and mangrove jacks (to name a few) in the salt.
STARLO PRO Lures Shimmy-R 65
The STARLO PRO Lures Shimmy R range consists of medium-depth running 65mm (including bib) minnows that sink very slowly in freshwater and suspend in the salt. They may be retrieved slowly and steadily, worked and twitched more erratically, or trolled for an extensive range of predatory species including trout, salmon, Australian bass, perch, saratoga, sooty grunter and small barra in the fresh, as well as tailor, salmon, pike, flathead, trevally, large bream, small snapper and mangrove jacks (plus many more) in the salt.
STARLO PRO Lures Rip-R 90
STARLO PRO Lures Rip-R 90 is a shallow-running, floating minnow or twitch bait that measures 90mm overall (including bib) and is specifically designed to be worked erratically for barramundi, mangrove jacks, estuary cod, trevally, queenfish, mackerel, tailor, salmon, barracouta, pike, flathead and many other aggressive predators in both salt and fresh water. It carries light-but-strong saltwater hardware (hooks and rings).
STARLO PRO Lures Little Rip-R 110
Although it’s called the Little Rip R 110, this shallow-running stickbait or twitching minnow is actually the big brother of the STARLO PRO Lures Rip R 90. The Little Rip R measures 110mm in length, and is a serious contender in the northern barramundi market. The Little Rip R 110 also appeals to big flathead, tailor, salmon, bonito, kingfish, mackerel, small to middling tuna and a range of other medium to large predatory species.
STARLO PRO Lures Native Nouse 90
As its name implies, the STARLO PRO Lures Native Nouse 90 was hand-picked to work especially well on our inland (freshwater) native species, especially Murray cod, golden perch (yellowbelly) and big silver perch. However, this 90mm long (including clear bib) deep diving plug is also an absolute killer on big Australian bass, barramundi, mangrove jacks, trevally, mulloway, snapper, tailor, salmon and many other species The beautifully finished Native Nouse 90 floats at rest, before diving steeply and with a highly seductive wriggle when retrieved or trolled at a slow to medium pace.
STARLO PRO Lures Crash Dive-R 65
The STARLO PRO Lures Crash Dive R 65 is, as its name clearly suggests, a floating/diving plug designed to descend at an extremely steep angle when retrieved or trolled, attaining its maximum running depth over a very short distance, and then maintaining that depth. Those attributes, combined with a very strong wobble and internal rattle, make this fat-bodied, 65mm (not including clear bib) plug a prime contender for targeting big Murray cod and golden perch (yellowbelly) in outback waters, along with XOS bass, trophy flathead, mangrove jacks, trevally, snapper, estuary cod and many other species. Use the Crash Dive R 65 where you need to go deep… fast!
STARLO PRO Lures Super Sard 120
The STARLO PRO Lures Super Sard 120 is a big, serious lure for catching big, serious fish! Measuring 120mm overall (including its clear bib), and with loud, in-built rattles, the Super Sard is a shad-shaped, deep-running, floating/diving plug fitted with saltwater strength hardware, ideally suited to chasing Murray cod, large golden perch (yellowbelly), mega-bass and barramundi in freshwater, as well as salty barra, mangrove jacks, trevally, mackerel, queenfish, cobia, snapper, mulloway (jewfish), big salmon and green-backed tailor in the briney.
STARLO PRO Lures Rattle-R 75
STARLO PRO Lures Rattle R 75 range is a series of sinking vibes or sonic lures with in-built rattles and a tight, fast vibrating action when jigged or ripped. Measuring 75mm overall, these strongly-actioned vibes are ideal for targeting Murray cod, golden perch (yellowbelly), silver perch, bass, sooty grunter, barramundi and saratoga in freshwater, along with flathead, mulloway (jewfish), estuary cod, mangrove jacks, trevally, tailor, salmon, kingfish and the like in saltwater. Please note that relatively small, fine-gauge, extra-sharp freshwater hooks are fitted at the time of manufacture and these may need to be upgraded for more demanding saltwater and heavy freshwater applications.
STARLO PRO Lures Frog-R 40
The STARLO PRO Lures Frog R 40 is an incredibly exciting topwater lure designed to take advantage of one of the fast growing and most visually thrilling styles of fishing on offer: surface frogging! These 40mm long (body only), hollow, soft-bodied lures are designed to land with an extremely life-like “plop” and float quietly at rest before being manipulated with rod and reel to resemble a small, frightened frog, lizard, cicada or similar creature. And, with upward-facing “weed-proof” hooks, you can fish these amazing lures across the thickest of aquatic vegetation without hanging up! While Australian bass, Murray cod, saratoga, barramundi, sooty grunter and jungle perch are the primary freshwater targets of these outstanding lures, they also appeal to bream and even whiting in the salt, as well as trevally, queenfish, salmon, tailor, small tuna and a dozen other predatory marine species that have most likely never seen a frog, let alone eaten one! You’ve really got to try the frogging craze!
STARLO PRO Lures Mouse-E 45
Believe it or not, small mice, rats, birds and other land dwellers unlucky enough to fall into the water are commonly eaten by Murray cod, Australian bass, barramundi, saratoga, large trout and similar freshwater predators! The STARLO PRO Lures Mouse E 40 Is a soft, hollow-bodied mouse imitation with upward-facing, weed-resistant hooks that perfectly imitates a small, frightened rodent when worked slowly and erratically with rod tip and reel action. But the Mouse E, at just 45mm in length (excluding tail) can also be used to mimic a cicada, moth, beetle or even a prawn fleeing across the surface, and therefore appeals to bream, whiting, estuary perch and a broad spectrum of other marine hunters. Give Mouse E a swim where you fish… and hang on!
STARLO PRO Lures... Designed by Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling, exclusive to BCF and incredibly affordable. Check them out!