The best
sebarau lures is even better now!
By Christopher S.G. Tan
I have been using the Tilan Bass now for around twenty years as my go to lure for searching for sebarau (search sebarau lure article). It is the best sebarau lure in my tackle box and has been a top lure for catching sebarau (Hampala macrolepidota) consistently, year after year.
Now the
manufacturer of the Tilsan Bass, Halco Tackle has come
out with a new version, manufactured from plastic. The
original version was made from wood, but wood is not
consistent, as the density will vary even within the
same lure body. Being made from plastic, the new TB55
– Tilsan Bass will have consistent behaviour.
The first sebarau I caught
with the new TB55 on the second cast!
Now in the real angling world, how does the TB55 perform for sebarau? I tested them, comparing their swimming action side by side to the previous wood body models. I could not see any difference. To my naked eye the swimming action looked the same. The vibration on the rod from the lures felt the same too.
As with
the original Tilsan Bass, to cope with the hook and
split ring mangling capabilities of the sebarau, I
replaced the new TB55 hooks with Mustad Kaiju Inline
Singles size 1 and the two loop split rings with
Halco's stronger triple loop split rings. This makes
the TB55 lure a little heavier, but does not affect
its swimming action. With the original terminal tackle
the TB55 was balanced for suspending in freshwater.
The stronger hardware does make the new TB55 slowly
sink, which can be useful when wanting to sink slowly
alongside a snag.
I find casting the new TB55 easier as it casts further; I think the weight is minutely heavier as most of the original ones floated even with the heavier hooks. With the wooden Tilsan Bass, the lures' weight and suspension traits did vary; most floated to varying degrees, and the odd ones suspended. At times this changed with use in the water, and even the lure behaviour changed as some water got absorbed into the wood. Now with the new improved TB55 plastic construction material it will be consistent in behaviour across models, batches and use over time.
The true test for the new TB55 is its ability to attract sebarau. This it did! This new Tilsan Bass caught sebarau just as effectively as its predecessor. The new TB55 also comes in new colours, making the most of the new transparent plastic material. This allows more subtle baitfish - imitating paint jobs.
To tell the difference between the new and original Tilsan Bass on the racks of the tackle shop, look at the bib and tow point. The original version has a wire frame extending from the body to the tow-point/split ring. The new TB55 does not have this wire frame, just the metal piece/split ring at the tow point on the bib. Also the old Tilsan Bass has painted eyes, whereas the new TB55 has 3D eyes stuck on. There are other labelling differences like the print/text imprinted on the clear bib, but the tow point and the eyes are the differences most visible.
If you are worried that the bib will break off, fear not. I have used other Halco lures with similar bib designs like the Poltergeist 50 and the Sorcerer 52 and 68 and have yet to have one break off on a sebarau or any other fish.
This new Tilsan Bass TB55 is obviously going to remain the best lure for sebarau - my first choice!
Conservation
We need to protect and conserve our resources by practising catch and release of our sportfish and protecting the habitat of our fishes.
