Originally designed and developed in the deep, blue waters off Hawai’i, skirted trolling lures are now the staple lure used when trolling out in the Bluewater for all manner of large pelagic species such as mahi mahi, wahoo, Yellowfin and Bluefin tuna and Blue, Black and Striped Marlin.

Combining a resin head, to which there are two rubber skirts attached. The hook system in attached directly to the back of the leader on which the lure runs freely, so that when trolled behind the boat, the lure sits with the hooks concealed within the pulsating skirts.

The head shape of the lure will determine the action that lure has when trolled behind the boat, and even the slightest angle change can alter it’s swimming action, so while many may look the same, they often will act quite differently in the water. Game lure manufacturers pride themselves on creating slight design changes from others, to give their lures a unique action that gamefish cannot resist.

Cup-faced trolling lures are the most user friendly design, lending themselves to being fished in nearly any sea condition and position behind the boat. Pakula are a household brand name in this department, offering huge range of cup-faced trolling lures to target any offshore pelagic you may encounter.

Slant faced lure heads have a lot more variation in their action, with each head shape being designed by the maker to be swum in certain positions and conditions. Many of the most famous lure makers are of Hawaiian origin, and have developed their lures to be used in the conditions of the area, which are often very different to our East, Southern and West Coast fishery here in Australia. They do all still raise and catch fish here though, but we are lucky to stock a number of super high quality Aussie lure developers here at the shop. Brands such as JB Lures, Tantrum, and super-local Leo’s Lures are just a couple.

Finally, bullet style skirted trolling lures are just that, pointed or rounded heads, often weighted quite heavily to keep them sub-surface during trolling. These lures work excellent in the further back lure positions of the long rigger, or shotgun specifically. Minimal action, outside of an almost unnoticeable shimmy, but nonetheless a must when out trolling the offshore water, particularly if tuna or blue marlin are the target.

Owner Alex is a self confessed game fishing nut, and our comprehensive range of skirted trolling lures stands testament to his passion for this style of fishing. We carry a large range of brands from the Hawaiian favourites like Coggins, Polu Kai, Marlin Magic, and Aloha Lures, to our home-grown legends like the aforementioned Pakula, Tantrum, JB Lures and Billmark range. Come in store to check out our impressive wall and cabinets of curated colour, or find them all online and utilise our very own “Lure Builder” feature to custom skirt and rig your new favourite game lure today.