The new Vibe is an Amazing Redfish Lure!

Take advantage of a ‘new-to-you’ lure that is has been around a long time that will put more Redfish in your boat.  Can you feel the Vibe?  Sure you can, and so can Redfish.  This new Redfish Lure also catches pretty much anything that swims.  It is rare to find a lure that also has a decades long proven track record yet be completely unused in the USA.  Like the Slow Pitch Jigging sensation that rocked the country 15 years ago, the Vibe fishing style has been used overseas long before we got wind of it here in the states.

And Vibe Fishing for Redfish is particularly effective.  We will take a look at what a Vibe is, where in the wide-world it came from, why it is so effective on all fish, and how to work it to make the a Vibe one of your go-to Redfish Lures.

The Vibe.  Deceptively simple and plain looking lure.  Consider Nomad Design’s Vertrex Vibe for example.  It looks like a freshwater lipless crankbait.  However, while it looks like a lipless crank and can even be used as such, that is only scratching the surface of what it is and what it can do. 

Made with super tough & strong TPE Soft Plastic encouraging fish to hang on and giving you a totally silent presentation.  Next the guts, what is inside.  Ingenious internal weighting system painstakingly designed and tested on the worlds biggest gamefish is what allows this lure to move and ‘hunt’ like no lipless can do.  Finally, a proper Vibe is completely through-wired, meaning the entire lure is connected by thick gauge wire from the line tie to the rear hook hanger.  This stops toothy or strong jawed predators like Redfish from ripping a Vertrex Vibe apart or pulling hooks out of lures.  Oh, and we should mention the amazing color selection. 

Folks who wonder if it’s a saltwater or freshwater lure, simple answer is its both.  We replace the heavier BKK saltwater hooks with BKK freshwater EWG Spear hooks and have amazing freshwater success.  But it was born on the salt.  Tested on the unforgiving Australian Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea.  And has succeeded in catching trophy Redfish, Snook, Striper, Tarpon, Grouper, and on and on.  Since introduced by Nomad to the United States 2 years ago our Pro Staff has over 83 species on Vibes.

Vibes originated in Australia over 20 years ago.  Starting very organically with local anglers companies soon began producing them.  One of Australia’s largest and newest lure maker, Nomad Design Tackle, started making their Vertrex Vibe and the best and most well-known anglers began fishing them.  With success and time they became a household term in the far east ocean and seas angling scene.  Japan to Australia, to India, to Polynesia Vibes take big fish of all varieties.  Nomad Design Tackle being from Australia, yet strong in America, realized we the perfect vehicle to bring the Vibe to the USA.  So they introduced a the Vertrex Vibe to the country two years ago.

Before we discuss how to fish the Vertrex Vibe for Redfish we want to talk about the different models available.  Vibes come in two styles.  A Max, which is thumps hard and sinks fast and a Swim, which is provides a ‘swimming’ action and a finesse presentation.  You can see the difference in the internal weighting systems in the picture below that allow these attributes.

Coming in sizes 75, 95, 110, 130 and 150 millimeters the Max’s internal weight is shaped with a hump that makes it dive down sinking quickly and linearly.  The weights are 2/5 oz, 4/5, 1 1/3 oz, 2 2/5 oz, and 3 3/5 oz respectively.  The Max is intended to fish deeper water including offshore or faster moving water like inlets, jetties, bridges, pilings, and docks on moving water.  The offshore sizes can be fished deep but are not appropriate for Redfish.  The Max can be ripped like a lipless crankbait, but it is more effective being ‘Vibed’ up and quickly dropped back into the strike zone.  Redfish absolutely hammer the 95 and 110 Max Vibe and are the appropriate sizes to target all sizes of Redfish.   

A Vibe angler loves a Vertrex Vibe Swim model just as much as the Max.  More versatile and able to be used over a large portion of the season for Redfish; it is intended for shallower, slower waters that Redfish spend most of their time in.  The Swim is a slimer lure with a different shape weight to change the action on the fall than the Max, the Swim actually ‘swims’ slowly down on the drop.  Using the same technique as one would with the Max, yet with a longer and more considered pause on the fall draw savage strikes.  For big success use the Swim to fish the flats, or the backwater cuts and channels and ambush points like docks and oyster beds that Redfish love to roam all spring and summer.  The Swim comes in 75-, 95-, and 110-millimeter sizes.  The 75 and 95 are the same weight as the Max and the 110 is 1 1/5 or slightly lighter than 110 Max.  The 95 and 110 are perfect sizes for Redfish.

Almost done.  We ask you to visit Nomad’s You Tube Page for visuals and tips on how to fish a Vibe after finishing up here.  The basics of fishing a Vibe are so basic that many experienced anglers have a hard time not overcomplicating Vibe Fishing. 

Lets start with Max Vibe presentation.  As mentioned the Max fall fast and straight down.  And you can pull up very hard  on the ‘Vibe’ before you let it fall.  No finesse needed.  Proper vibing technique for Vibing for Redfish with Max is very simple.  Once you identify your target such as a bridge abutment, jetty wall in an inlet, fast incoming or outgoing water near deep structure like docks and pilings you cast the Vibe (it flies like a rocket) and as it hits the water hold your fishing pole at a 45-degree angle.  Don’t move it!  This is where many American anglers try to impart action on a Vibe and end up with little success.  Hold that rod perfectly still.  As the Max hits the bottom, using only your reel, not the rod, reel very fast three to four hard cranks.  You will feel the Vibe thumping (so will a Redfish) as it rockets off the bottom.  Still holding rod very still, allow Max to quickly sink to the bottom.  Its very important to keep contact with the lure, don’t allow excessive slack.  Most of your hits will come on the fall so be ready.  Let it fall, keep in contact and when it hits or nears bottom, vibe it up fast and hard with the reel again.  Repeat all the way back to boat.  This sounds easy, but it takes discipline to keep your rod still and maintain contact with the Vibe.

As for using Vertrex Swims for Reds, there needs to be a bit more finesse.  If you Vibe up too hard on a Swim Vibe it will roll out.  While you can straight retrieve a Max Vibe and have it stay straight, a Swim is not made for that.  It has a subtle balance point and too much speed makes it twirl out of control.  Choose target areas that are shallower, or that are in slack tide or protected eddys that allows that perfectly balanced lure to move without current altering it.  Your technique is almost the same after that.  DO NOT MOVE your rod.  When you take your two or three cranks on the reel do them slower, just enough to feel the Vibe and then allow the Swim to ‘swim’ or ‘hunt’ on the fall.  Keeping contact with the Swim on the fall is the key and why we don’t move that rod.  As it falls and hunts an ambushing Redfish will darn near rip the rod from your hand.

Nomad Design has spent the last two years learning new places and species to Vibe fish.  Redfish has been an unmatched success.  We sent a crew down Florida to Redfish with The OG Vibe fisherman, Jarad ‘Dingo’ Boshammer, where he put on a clinic at Ponce Inlet on the Fall Spawn with Giant Bull Redfish.  Link to our You Tube Vibe page linked above and check out the video where we weave in and out of the local captains fishing live croaker and catch monsters under their noses. 

 We would love to hear from you as you take what you learn about Vibes and start catching big Reds!  Give us a yell at teamnomad@nomadtackle.com!  Thanks for reading.