In 2023, it’s fair to say that the market is flooded with soft plastics of all shapes and sizes… Paddle-tail styles account for a significant proportion of this, and rightly so… Time and time again, they have proven themselves to be one of the most versatile and dominant profiles on a range of predatory species in both salt and freshwater environments.
Despite the popularity of this profile, every so often you come across a product that ‘stands out from the pack’. For me, Irukandji’s ‘Sicario’ falls into this exception. In recent times, I’ve had the pleasure of putting them to the test across a range of environments in pursuit of the mighty mulloway… From the ocean rocks to the upper estuaries, the fish can’t get enough. Read on for a closer look at what makes the Sicario shine!
Currently available in four sizes, from 4” to 9”, there’s a size in the range for just about all predatory species… So far, my experience with the Sicarios has been limited to the 4, 5 and 7” sizes. Whilst I haven’t tested the 9” myself, I’ve got a few in the kit for certain jewie applications. From what I’ve seen online, they’ve been a real hit on the big barra and cod too!
There’s a lot to like about this range of soft plastics, but for the purposes of this article, I’ve decided to limit discussions to three key features.
1. Colour
Firstly, the colour range. The Sicario range (bar the 9” size) comprises 10 colours, with plenty of variation from natural/mullet patterns, to glittery silvers, to bright pinks and chartreuse. Several colours also come with a scale pattern finish, which I’m a sucker for!
Whilst I’m often the first to say that colour isn’t overly important for jewies, I definitely have my preferences on any given day. This is typically determined by water conditions, weather, time of year, and sometimes simply what I feel like using… For that reason, I like to have variation in the kit to account for all conditions. For example, when daytime estuary fishing in relatively clean water under clear skies (very relevant to Sydney at present), I’ll often opt for slightly more subtle, natural colours. Revenant, Assassin & Ranger are all colours that I’d be reaching for in those conditions. Notwithstanding this, brighter colours have also notched up plenty of runs under clear skies… Be confident in what you’re using and the results will come!
In my opinion, colour choice becomes far more important when dealing with discolouration in the rivers. That’s when you’ll find me tying on brighter colours like pinks and greens with plenty of sparkle and flash, or even blacks for the silhouette. Presence is everything in murkier waters, and whilst jewies rely heavily on their lateral line when hunting, I’m all for lures that stand out visually. They’re certainly not afraid to chew on weird and wacky colours, so you might as well throw something that’ll catch their eye! As such, Snatch, Nemesis, Shrapnel & Monarch are high on my list after a drop of rain. Snatch has been a personal favourite so far…
2. Size/Profile
The resemblance of a Sicario to the humble mullet is uncanny… From poddy mullet to flat-tail & smaller sea-run mullet, the various sizes in the sicario range cover just about all bases. I’m also told that an 11” size is on the way to better cover the larger end of the scale…
For me, size trumps colour. I’ve always found nailing the right size and profile to be far more crucial than colour choice in most situations. Even larger predators like jewies can really hone in on a certain type of bait, whether it be prawns, herring, mullet, whitebait etc… When this happens, ‘matching the hatch’ is the name of the game. In saying that, it always pays to consider what bait is in the immediate area that you’re fishing.
The 4” Sicario is pretty much the perfect representation of the poddy mullet that frequent my local estuaries… Recent sessions indicate that the fish agree too! Smaller jewies and flathead have been climbing all over them, with a few nicer fish over the meter mark joining the party too.
Equally, I’ve had some success fishing the larger 7” profiles off the ocean rocks. Whilst your average sea mullet is significantly bigger than this, there tends to be a lot less in the way of 3-5” poddy mullet along the headlands… Instead, the gutters tend to hold a larger proportion of slightly bigger mullet 6” and up, as well as the much larger sea mullet. Undoubtedly, the 9” models will also be successful in this environment.
3. Action
Whilst size and colour might seem like obvious discussion points, my favourite feature of the Sicario is a little bit more specific. All paddle tails on the market provide a tell-tale ‘kick’ or ‘thump’ to a varying extent, however, not all of them provide an enticing body roll.
In my opinion, the Sicario achieves just the right amount of body roll in conjunction with a solid tail kick, which significantly enhances its action. This extra bit of action throws off a significant amount of vibration, which only increases the chances of a nearby jewie taking notice of your lure!
All in all, I’m a big fan. They look good, they’re appropriate in size and profile, and they swim like the real deal… All the fundamental characteristics of a successful paddle tail. I’m finding it hard to tie anything else on of late, and I doubt that’ll change anytime soon!
