SMOKE AND
MIRRORS
Skirted lures that
consistently deceive fishBonze ‘Rambo’
For a 25cm lure, the Bonze ‘Rambo’ sure is a versatile wonder. At speeds from 6 to 18 knots,
this lure’s head-shaking action dives deep and then blasts the surface with a smoking splash
far larger than seems possible for its size. As Matt Gross discovered, this lure triggers strikes
from gamefish large and small.
LUREREVIEWEDBY:MATTGROSStrolling it beyond the continental shelf in the shotgun
position looking for a spearfish, I would rig it with 200
to 250lb leader with a heavier gauge hook in 8/0 size,
given it would be run on 24kg tackle. However, if I
was chasing baby black marlin with light-tackle over
the Australian East Coast summer months, I would rig
it on 100lb leader material with one of Bonze’s superb
light tackle twin-hook rigs in 9/0 size. If chasing tuna
down in southern Australia, I would run a compromise
of the two rigs above, with a lighter leader than the
spearfish rig but a heavier hook than the light-tackle
rig. Since tuna don’t have a rough bill to contend with,
the lighter leader would encourage more strikes and
also give the lure a more aggressive action.
In the smooth sea conditions, I initially ran this lure
in the short-corner position, back two waves from the
transom. At normal trolling speeds of 6.5 to 7 knots
the lure had a beautiful action, breathing regularly
with a strong smoke trail and diving well below the
wash of the boat.
I was surprised by how deep the lure dived, and it
created a nice pop each time it broke the surface and
took a bubble of air, pushing the water forward of the
head. We then set about seeing just how much grip this
little lure had on the surface, pushing the boat speed
to 18 knots until we finally got the lure to tumble.
However, at just below this pace the Rambo’s smoke
trail was like a laser: fine bubbles and incredibly long.
The surface splash was enormous each time it breathed
before diving, to the extent that it seemed unbelievable
sucha smalllurecould throw so much water!
WealsorantheRambo on the short-’rigger, where
it delivered similar results in terms of action and
breathing at normal trolling speeds. Despite the
additional lift of the high position creating less
stability,the Rambo’s upper speed limit
proved only marginally slower at
15 knots. When I’d asked Capt
Bonze whether I should trim
the skirts on the Rambo, his
answer was an emphatic no.
Given the speeds to which
this lure performed, I suspect
the stability provided by the
slightly longer skirting is part
of the reason it held in so well.
While I don’t believe one lure
can accomplish all things, the
Rambocertainly is versatile. It will run
in someoftheroughest conditions, fit anywhere
in a spreadandis of asize that everything eats.
Greatjob,CaptBonze!I
always open packages from Capt Bonze Fleet like
I was a kid at Christmas time, knowing that what’s
inside will be something special. This time was no
different and as I peeled back the wrapping on
two of his new Rambo lures I immediately thought of
the light-tackle marlin season along Australia’s east
coast, and the big tuna down south. I’d previously
spoken with Bonze and asked him which was his
favourite lure among his broad range. Although that is
a bit like asking a parent to choose their favourite child,
this lure featured prominently in the discussion.
Rambo is a cup-faced skirted lure, 25cm long. It
has a short head and the cup on its face is slightly
larger than the neck where the skirts are attached,
giving it an erratic head-shaking action. At the centre,
inside the the clear resin head are paua shell inserts
giving great colour and shine, and there are tiny bits
of glitter suspended in the resin which really sparkle
in the sunlight. No two lures have exactly the same
colouring as the paua shell is unique in each lure.
The skirts are glued on rather than tied, achieving a
snug fit with no bulges – something difficult to deliver
when skirts are tied on and folded back. The skirts
are thick and of good quality, adding to the overall
excellence of the lure. Inside the skirts at the back of
the head is a rubber hook-lock, into which you can jam
the hook rig to set its position. While some would argue
this is unnecessary on a cupped-face lure, I think it’s a
bonus that makes the lure even simpler to rig.
In terms of rigging, this lure isn’t fussy. Run it with
a single hookor twin-hook rig in sizes to suityour
target species and line class. For example, if I was“The Rambo
will run in
the roughest
conditions, fit
anywhere in a
spread and is
of a size that
everything
eats.”
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