IMPALA 18 Swimming plug by Williamson Lures

	Impala Lures	Impala 14

 Impala swimming plugs by the South African lure manufacturer, Williamson Lures, have been around for a number of years and I for one have been a little hesitant to use them on the boats, rather opting to pay more for the well known Rapala lures.

We were recently sent a batch of the new design Impala's to test.  I must add that I was impressed with their finish and, although they look identical to the Rapala, they are slightly heavier and their colour range is different.  They are certainly more robust, being manufactured from a hard resin based material - hopefully the hooks won't break out the back of these as they do with Rapala's.

The first opportunity we had to test them was a few weeks ago as the Tuna had just started to arrive.  The best way to test the success of a lure is to swim it amongst proven lures, which is what we did - 1 Impala along with 3 Rapala's of the same size and similar colouration (OK, a little unfair in numbers but I know Rapala's catch fish).

The one big problem with swimming plugs is that if they cross over another lure and get tangled, they spin like crazy and create an all mighty mess of the lines and any other within reach.  It is important that the lures run absolutely straight, especially those inside the spread.   From the box the Impala lure ran straight, without any initial tuning required.

So blow me down if the first lure to get eaten is not the Impala swimming in the middle of the spread - colour code H 131 (pearl white with fluorescent orange stripes over the back).  The lure caught fish throughout the day and certainly stayed up with the Rapala's.  However, the strangest thing did happen with this lure, the Blue Sharks loved it - not only one but three - and only the Impala.

Since the initial test day I have had the courage to use some of the other Impala's and find them to be good swimmers and produce as many fish as any other swimming plug.  I cannot say this is the ultimate lure but it is as good as Rapala and Halco.   The plus factor is the robust construction although I have had to replace the hooks with 5X for the Yellowfin - but that is a unique situation.

Catches include Albacore (Longfin) Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna and Yellowtail (plus Blue Sharks and a Mako)

Although the test has been conducted over a short period of time, some colours did not work well, namely the Pearl with Blue stripes and the Pearl with Red stripes.  In all fairness they are colours I would not normally use, so perhaps I haven't given them a true test.  I am sure they will produce fish in other areas as is often the case.

CONCLUSION: A good lure which can stand up with the rest.  The price advantage makes this lure a must when choosing swimming plugs.  I have not tested the smaller sizes but I am sure they will work equally well.  Impala has now earned a place on our boats.

STOP PRESS

The Red & White Impala I mentioned earlier in the report accounted for a 62kg Yellowfin Tuna yesterday.   This Impala was positioned in the centre of the spread and shortest to the boat.   3 Swimming plugs were in the spread, 2 Rapala's and the one Impala - only the Impala got a strike.