Super Kobra – Made in Australia by Johnson’s

with Allan Burgess

Like the Tasmanian Devil lure the Johnson Super Kobra is also made in the Australian Island state of Tasmania. You can tell a Super Kobra from a Tasmanian Devil by the three following differences. The Super Kobra has the name Super Kobra embossed in one of the plastic fins. The Super Kobra has a distinctive forked tail. All Super Kobras have red eyes.

The Johnson Super Kobra is also a very good lure for casting with a spinning rod and reel to trout and landlocked salmon. It casts very well and achieves good distance when fished on 6 lb monofilament. This makes it ideal for use when fishing around lake margins. It casts almost as well a ticer yet has that excellent swimming action of a small baitfish.

The best fishing method when casting around the edge of a lake is to cast then wait for a period of time to allow the lure to sink before winding your reel. Wait 10, 20, or even 30 seconds before winding depending on fish depth. This is quite a long time to wait and requires patience. If you cast a Johnsons Super Kobra and then wind in as soon as it hits the water the lure will be less than a metre beneath the surface. Observe the lure as it comes to your rod to avoid winding too quickly. You may be retrieving over the heads of the trout.

When trolling the Super Kobra dives to about 1 metre with 20 metres of line out at 2.5 kph. It dives to about 1.5 metres with 30 metres of 6 lb line out at 2.5 kph. Please note that trolling speeds and lure depths are approximate. It is difficult to get an accurate reading with a paddle wheel attached to a sounder on a boat at very slow speeds. However, our relative speeds and lure diving depths are reasonably accurate.

The Johnsons Super Kobra doesn’t seem to be as readily available in tackle stores in New Zealand as some other popular lure types. I have had a good deal of success with this particular lure. I have a number of mates who have also been very successful with it. It comes in a good range of colours but the number 10 works very well for rainbow trout in lakes Wanaka, Hawea and Benmore. It has an excellent fish-like action when retrieved.

Super Kobra Colours

Personally, I have had the great success with the earth colours; Green, Golds and Browns. Like most anglers, I tend to stick with colours that have caught fish for me in a particular lake in the past. I might try a new colour for a while but if it doesn’t take a fish very soon its back to that old tried and tested one again!.

With this lure coming in 70 colour variations choosing which colours to buy when standing in the tackle store might seem a bit daunting. The yellow, gold, and green colours always seem to work well in most waters and are a good starting point. Dark coloured lures are a good choice as evening approaches and work well at night. Some of the stranger colours like the pink No.22 have proven themselves to be good lake trolling lures so you have to keep an open mind.

If there are three or four anglers trolling from the same boat sometimes the trout or landlocked salmon will hit the most improbable coloured lure that no one thought had any chance. I have seen that happen many times before. Some colours seem to work better in some lakes, and at different times of the year – for no apparent reason!

Overall Length: 56mm. Weight: 12g. Medium wobble. Trolling speed between 2 – 3 kph. Best trolling speed 2.5 kph.

Rigging methods for the Johnson’s Super Kobra are the same as those used for the Tasmanian Devil. Generally, you are better off to remove the through-wire and run your line directly to the hook. This prevents jumping rainbow trout using the lure as a lever. I have lost heaps of rainbows over the years from this happening. They say you should let your line go slack when they jump but it happens so fast it’s often too late to react.

Tying your hook directly to the hook allows the lure to slide down the line and reduces the number of rainbow trout that escape by jumping out of the water considerably.

I prefer to fish with a treble hook, and so usually replace the one that comes with the lure with a chemically sharpened one. In some parts of New Zealand, you are only allowed a single hook so check your regulation booklet. Many anglers believe they get more hook-ups from the single hook. I think that a single hook does at the very least hold the fish better, and causes less damage to fish you wish to release.

It is usually best to get three or four lures that are the same colour. It can be frustrating to lose a good lure you have just landed fish with only to discover you don’t have another in your box!

Lake Benmore Holiday Park

Here is a short video about aquafoil trout lures including the Johnson’s Super Kobra.