Slam Dunking!

Media trials here last summer reported amazing results when popular Softbait shapes and colours were enhanced by adding the fish feeding pheromone 'Ultrabite'. The story behind Slam has a New Zealand connection and the addition of this bait to the Softbaiting arsenal is the most eagerly anticipated next development in this groundbreaking method of fishing.

Slam was released onto the New Zealand market back in October. To understand what makes it so different let me explain firstly that Slam is not a rubber bait - as many others are - but a food based, biodegradable Softbait developed here in New Zealand by Geoff Curley. Geoff is best known in fishing circles as the man behind the brand 'Stimulate', an additive which when applied to regular cut bait increases its attraction to fish. 'Stimulate', you guessed it, uses 'Ultrabite' as its main fish attracting ingredient. Incidentally, 'Ultrabite' is not the product of some backyard wanna-be, its the fish feeding pheromone developed by the Centre of Environment Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), a British Government Department!

Anyway, for some time Geoff had been working on ways of expanding his NZ 'Stimulate' brand by adding the 'Ultrabite' pheromone into a range of artificial or long-life baits. Then along came Berkley's Gulp baits, and the Softbait phenomenon that followed provided the obvious answer to the question of what type of bait Geoff was best to lace with 'Ultrabite'.

Geoff was not content to just offer a Softbait option that had an alternative fish attractant scent. He wanted to compete head on with, and hopefully exceed, the performance of Gulp. He already believed he had the trump card - "Ultrabite", so for the last two years he has been working frantically on the composition of the lure/bait itself, developing characteristics such as suppleness and lure action, longevity on the hook, the ability to retain the attractant scent in water etc. Geoff also adds value for money to the requirements for Slam and he invites you to compare the number of baits per pack with other brands! If it's anything to go by, Slam was released first onto the Australian market back in July and Geoff is excited about how it well anglers have rated it over there.

Initially Slam will be offered in the seven most popular bait colours - including lime, yellow, pink, brown, and white. The next phase will be to expand colour choice to include multi colours. The shapes are the proven jerk-shads, swimming mullet and curly tail designs, ranging in size from 3" to 6".

My own opportunity to testfire slam before this catalogue deadline was hampered by bad weather, so I have include a photo of Cameron Moore owner of Hunting & Fishing New Zealand, Christchurch, with a Slam caught snapper taken in the Marlborough Sounds when out with Chris Scully, owner of our Hunting & Fishing New Zealand, Nelson store. They, like many of the fishing magazines who have trialled Slam so far, really rate it.