The perfect salmon lure is the holy grail for every lure maker. It is so well designed that it gets bit whenever you're on the water. What do you think, is lure perfection possible?Knowing what salmon eat starts the quest for the perfect lure. Researchers looking into stomach contents tell us kings and silvers most like fish, krill, shrimp, crab, and squid. Baitfish is the preferred salmon food based on belly counts.Did you notice the above foods mostly have a similar shape – torpedoish. Salmon lures that follow this profile have the first element of the perfect salmon lure.Also, bait is not stationary. You wouldn't be either if you had a huge twenty-pound silver trying to eat you for lunch and were a much smaller food-chain critter. Movement, then, becomes another essential element of the perfect salmon lure. A roll, flip, twirl, spin, flair, jerk, or anything else simulating a flight response.I am a firm believer in the role of chemoreception in underwater feeding. Chemoreception is the fancy term for a predatory fish's sense of smell and the use of odor detection during the food-seeking process. Element three - the perfect salmon lure needs scent.I am talking about the Bait Bite Triangle if you haven't guessed it by now. The salmon feeding triad of sight, smell, and sound for the perfect salmon lure. Presenting riggings with these three elements is a repetitive theme in Appanage Fishing blogs. The reason? We believe it's that important!
The New Skirted Vortaks
This spring, we introduced the turbo-finned, rotating lure head called Vortaks. We take the Vortaks to the next level this December by adding skirts.We call this newest version of our perfect salmon lure Skirted Vortaks. The rotating head with the new skirts completes the shape and action requirements for the ideal salmon lure. Scent is added through the use of Scent Striker.Two Skirted Vortaks versions will be available. One skirt version, pictured above, is a baitfish-patterned silicon rubber material. When trolled, these lures respond to water in a way that presents a smaller, very active baitfish profile.Four Skirted Vortaks options resemble a small fish's dark back to light belly coloring. However, we take great liberty in adding colors that salmon notice in various water conditions encountered by anglers while following the general dark-to-light coloring theme.The white Vortaks is the odd man out from the three-color scheme. The white Vortaks is a two-colored, glitter-infused skirt inspired by krill.The second Skirted Vortaks version will be mylar material. In next month's tips and techniques newsletter, We'll discuss the mylar Skirted Vortaks in more detail.Appanage Fishing has conducted in-water testing of Skirted Vortaks for two Southeast Alaska salmon seasons, and we know they produce. Are they the perfect salmon lure? Pick some up, and you be the judge.
Where To Find The New Skirted Vortaks
The first offering of the new Skirted Vortaks will be in Juneau during the Winter Market on December 8-9, 2023. We plan to have online sales of Skirted Vortaks by the end of December or early January.If you are in Juneau, please visit our booth. We'll offer introductory pricing to ensure a Merry Christmas for salmon anglers.Happy Fishing!
Don Habeger
Founder
Two Skirted Vortaks versions will be available. One skirt version, pictured above, is a baitfish-patterned silicon rubber material. When trolled, these lures respond to water in a way that presents a smaller, very active baitfish profile.Four Skirted Vortaks options resemble a small fish's dark back to light belly coloring. However, we take great liberty in adding colors that salmon notice in various water conditions encountered by anglers while following the general dark-to-light coloring theme.
The white Vortaks is the odd man out from the three-color scheme. The white Vortaks is a two-colored, glitter-infused skirt inspired by krill.The second Skirted Vortaks version will be mylar material. In next month's tips and techniques newsletter, We'll discuss the mylar Skirted Vortaks in more detail.Appanage Fishing has conducted in-water testing of Skirted Vortaks for two Southeast Alaska salmon seasons, and we know they produce. Are they the perfect salmon lure? Pick some up, and you be the judge.