top of page
Predatek logo on M40 MicroMin page

How to tune a Predatek fishing lure

If a hard-bodied, diving fishing lure is not properly tuned, it will not track straight when retrieved; it will run to the left or right. This may or may not be a problem in a particular fishing situation (see Deliberate 'de-tuning').

 

Also, unless a lure is finely tuned, it will not be able to achieve its maximum retrieve speed or depth.

 

Predatek lures are factory-adjusted for medium retrieve speeds.

​

You may need to tune your lure if:

  • The towing-eyelet or towing-plate is bent from impact or the stress of fighting fish

  • You want to troll the lure at its maximum speed tolerance

 

How do you know when the lure is not tuned?

If the fishing lure will not track straight it's likely to be out of tune. That is, it pulls to one side, or surfaces at higher speeds.

Unless the tow-point (wire or plate) is perfectly aligned with the centreline of the fishing lure, the lure will not swim straight. Tuning is the process of aligning it by degrees of trial and error. That's all.

 

How to tune your lure?

Tuning simply involves bending the tow-point (eyelet or steel plate) to the left or right using long-nosed pliers.

​

Do this in small steps and re-test the lure each time until it swims straight at the required speed. If you bend too far, the lure will start pulling to the opposite side. It's a matter of fine adjustments until alignment is achieved. That may sound difficult, but it isn't.
 

The rules

  1. If the lure tracks to your LEFT, bend the tow-point to your right.

  2. If the lure tracks to your RIGHT, bend the tow-point to your left.

In other words, bend the tow-point toward the direction you want the lure to go to correct its waywardness.

Deliberate 'de-tuning'

Savvy anglers can deliberately de-tune a fishing lure to make it pass closer to cover during a retrieve. If you're in a situation such as the one described below, it takes just a few seconds to de-tune the lure to make it deviate to your advantage. When you're finished fishing that spot, you can re-tune it for the next spot.

​

EXAMPLE SCENARIO

You want to retrieve your fishing lure close to bankside cover but there's a rock overhang or tree leaning out over the water that prevents you from casting past the spot and retrieving

De-tune

it back through the strike zone. In the situation depicted in the animation, you'd like to cast the lure beyond the strike zone, avoiding the rock overhang or leaning tree, and retrieve it so that it deviates to the right when you retrieve it, bringing the lure into the suspected strike zone.

​

SOLUTION: Bend the lure's tow-point slightly toward the right (the lure's left side). Cast the lure to the left of the strike zone. It will track into the strike zone when you retrieve.

bottom of page