# Zerek Live Shrimp, Who's Using them



## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

Gone


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## ajbigfish (Sep 16, 2013)

Haven't tried them but sounds like I'll be getting a few


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## Brenos (Dec 10, 2012)

Crap mate, that was an awesome read.
I forgot i had one of them, looks like it's getting a crack on the next prawn run for the breambos

Cheers
Brendan


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I don't use them because of the price. A packet of Berkely jungle hooks is about $1.50 and there are hundreds of prawn plastics out there to rig them through.....much more economical.

The zereks became very popular all of a sudden up here for the same reasons mentioned, lifelike, tough, good in the sticks/weed etc.

The funny thing is, every time there's a new fad lure, everyone goes out and buys them........but it's still the same people catching the fish! The guys that weren't catching anything before still aren't catching anything.

More the fisherman than the lure I say, call me a hater.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

liam8227 said:


> That was a really good read Bildad. Food for thought too. Are those Barra ponds still being stocked?


No not as far as I know, some of the freshwater lakes at the northern end of town get flooded by saltwater on king tides and there is some huge fish that are swimming around in there, saw some huge mullet probably around the 70cm mark and have been meaning to break out the old 6wt fly rod and give them a try with some bread flies that 4weightfanatic tied for me a while back, there are a couple of saltwater lagoons also one has a huge groper living in it amongst other things, strange thing is the water has to pass through a metal grate so I don't know how the big fish got in there unless they grew up in there.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

I should have included this video, watch it all the way through from the 2.05 mark it shows you it swimming in a pool.
they also have little rattle chamber in the head which can be removed and you can the remove original hook and replace with a standard type jig head, I haven't tried this yet, probably a good option fishing very deep or when there is a good current running.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

While I'm a hater, it's only the price that I hate, if I had a never ending supply gratis, well........


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## captaincoochin (Nov 11, 2012)

Jacks love cherabins, they have a built in rattle which I don't believe the shrimp have.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

captaincoochin said:


> Jacks love cherabins, they have a built in rattle which I don't believe the shrimp have.


Nope shrimp have rattle as well


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Ahh, I stand corrected. I just watched the video and that's probably not the lure I had in mind. The one I'm thinking of which is way overpriced, in my opinion, is very similar but comes pre-rigged. The one and only time I considered buying one, the $9 price tag turned me off instantly.


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

Used them around fringing reefs up north and Coral Trout loved them - fed myself many a night using the Zereks


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## ajbigfish (Sep 16, 2013)

How much are they. Sounds l8.ke they are a bit pricey.


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

ajbigfish said:


> How much are they. Sounds l8.ke they are a bit pricey.


Not cheap when you consider they're essentially a soft plastic but i consider them ok value. BCF has them often at 3 for $30. They do have a mesh material through the tail joints to improve durability but a set of sharp teeth will nip the tails off.


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## ajbigfish (Sep 16, 2013)

Not bad price but still quite expensive.


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Wayned needs to use these


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## ajbigfish (Sep 16, 2013)

The ecoda live shrimp are cheaper. Do they work as well as the zerek ones.


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## captaincoochin (Nov 11, 2012)

Toad fish destroy them when fishing For flathead


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

They swim backwards! How is that life like?

Look the goods before you start swimming them though.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

liam8227 said:


> I blew more on Duplo this fortnight than lures.


Xmas, AKFF Secret Santa or just for yourself Liam? ;-)


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

nezevic said:


> dru said:
> 
> 
> > They swim backwards! How is that life like?
> ...


Well that's my whole life experience blown apart. You sure?


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

dru said:


> nezevic said:
> 
> 
> > dru said:
> ...


Jon is right Dru
swim/scuttle/crawl forwards
skip/shoot backward and up when startled


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Bubble bursted. Not like a crayfish or lobster at all.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

dru said:


> Bubble bursted. Not like a crayfish or lobster at all.


Exactly like a crayfish of lobster. My son has a freshwater crayfish in a tank and it moves forward most of the time, even lunging forward to grab a fish. If you try grabbing it though it uses its tail to shoot backwards.


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

nezevic said:


> I think crays are the same. I thought crays moved around by walking and the tail was merely for the startle response as well.


Nope. Not as I have seen it anyway. They can use there "fore flippers" to go forward under slow maneauvering. But travel is with the tail. Which only goes one direction.

I see the action of this lure makes big emphasis on the tail. Is this situation different for shrimp than it's bigger brethren?

How the hey would they use their tail to go backwards?


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)




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## ajbigfish (Sep 16, 2013)

Mo tackle has got them for $7.50, in the 3.5 and the 5 inch.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

BCF selling the Live shrimp all sizes 5 for $40 till Xmas


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Ok I mentioned lobsters because I presumed they would be the same. But swimming action I know is from the Green Cray and Painted Cray from the Great Barrier Reef.









But also from any prawn. The forward swimming motion is exactly as BigKevs vid - and nothing like the motion of this lure. The "panic" mode swim flicks the tail like this lure, but going the other direction.

For me, this lure is arse about.


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## RhubarbTheYeti (Oct 28, 2013)

Maybe its all about the way you fish them - very slow like a happy prawn going forwards, not jerky like a scared prawn going the wrong way (note: this is just an idea from a fishing biologist, not from experience using the lure)


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

dru said:


> The forward swimming motion is exactly as BigKevs vid - and nothing like the motion of this lure. The "panic" mode swim flicks the tail like this lure, but going the other direction.
> 
> For me, this lure is arse about.


Well the retrieves that I am having most success with is 
Casting at a bank with standing structure
Let lure fall and just twitch the line not jerk so that the zerek just pauses for a sec let fall again most of the hits I've had just hit it as it free swims to the bottom.
Casting over flats or reef 
very very slow roll (you saw it in the pool in the above video looks just like the real ones in Big Kevs video) and just simply stop winding and leave on the bottom for 10 or 20 seconds then slow roll again you want it near the bottom.
A typical retrieve with little current takes me about 1- 2 minutes.
The other technique I use is just fish it like regular soft plastic, cast let fall to the bottom big long slow lifts let fall to the bottom or couple of sharp rips on the uplift and let fall again, I don't think the fish give a rats whether it appears to be flicking in the wrong direction.
I really believe that the little 2" models will be absolute dynamite on finicky wary bream, Id like to see Darwin try them as this would suit his style of fishing.
I have only been fishing plastics fairly exclusively for the last year based on advice I received from the AKFF collective and one thing I am really discovering now is to fish soft plastics like a dead bait I am nailing a few grunter and bream with my plastics just sitting on the bottom static.
I think they are best suited for neap tides and very little run in the salt.
Haven't had a go at the Bass yet/
I would love to get the opportunity to fish my old local Lake Hume around some of the deep rock banks for yellas and Cod and the inevitable redfin.
When there is a fair bit of run I just go back to my 1/4oz 1/0 jig head and 3" Gulp Shrimp.
But hey I'm just a beginner.


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

I am bemused but definitely going to try them.


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## Penno (Dec 2, 2005)

G


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

Penno said:


> I have lost two of Eric's brother,the three inch prawns under the bridges on the Nerang river.
> I am working on stronger gear to stop them.
> Penno


Yes I also lost Derek, but Merick seems to be a bit of a survivor.


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## TarponRob (Oct 14, 2012)

Rederick did me well amongst the pilons of the old jetty, next to the boatramp near inskip point. Zmans weren't producing, so i tied one on for a change & it got engulfed by a juvenile grouper. The only fish i have ever caught on one. I love their action but i think they sink to slowly for the way i fish. I think they would be good in shallower estuaries.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

I am getting lots of hits but hook up ratio is about 1 in 5, doesn't seem to be enough hook profile.


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## Godson13 (Aug 26, 2013)

i got a couple of these but havnt had much luck , might be my retrival how do you retrive them?


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

Godson13 said:


> i got a couple of these but havnt had much luck , might be my retrival how do you retrive them?


Read through the thread, page 3 there is some detail there.


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## rodrocket (Apr 24, 2012)

Well I bought one and tried it out yesterday trying to catch a feed of flatties.
Had lots of hits, probably more than normal when using curly tail grubs.
Hookup rate was pathetic  
Actually did not catch one fish :twisted: 
Decided to remove original jungle hook and replaced it with a 3/0 suicide pattern (which is my usual choice)
I needed weight to get down to 5m and placed a suitable bean sinker on rig about 20cm forward of shrimp though I'm sure that it wouldn't swim well with no "keel" weight.
Still no joy though getting lot's of hits.
Got fed up with it and switched to usual rig. Bingo instant success.
I have decided they don't work well for this type of fishing, but love the design.
Interesting test for me anyway....
Probably suits many other situations I guess :?


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## Wedge (Dec 4, 2012)

A great report Bildad. :-D
I will have to try some.
JeffG


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## Penno (Dec 2, 2005)

I tried them again today on the Gold Coast ,as you say plenty of bites no hook ups,but i didn't lose any this time,might have to add a stinger to them.


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't prawns swim backwards by flicking their tail downwards?

Some exciting times, and nice bream Bildad

Jimbo


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## ajbigfish (Sep 16, 2013)

This might be a silly question but is the tail ment to be curved when it comes out of the packet.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

ajbigfish said:


> This might be a silly question but is the tail ment to be curved when it comes out of the packet.


Yep. curved but not twisted


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## mackayaker (Aug 14, 2010)

I use Zereks and have caught many Barra on them including my PB. They are very easy to use and you can usually work them deep or shallow. They are invaluable in amongst snags and weed due to their weedless set up. They now come in 4 different sizes as well. Give them a go I reckon!

Cheers Scotty


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Not a single nibble on the Great Barrier Reef. Will try again on the mainland but I'm not hopeful.


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## rodrocket (Apr 24, 2012)

Anyone tried the small model on trout ???
I bought one today just for fun as am up the highlands fishing so will post result.
I'm so crap at trout fishing the bloody thing can't make previous efforts less successful ;-)


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## pipnosis (Aug 5, 2009)

I fished a larger one today. The flathead loved it. But it doesnt hook uo well. I'll be adding another treble or W hook next time.


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## Yakkamat (Nov 13, 2012)

I just caught my PB bream on a large Zerek. It went 33cm total. Gotta be happy with that. Although I'm in the [email protected] for letting him go. Don't bream take ages to grow?


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