Soft Plastics Work

[kenmare]

Hi guys,

Just like to thank the guys who answered my questions about SPs over the last month or so.

This afternoon it all came together -- I've finally moved the species count beyond flatties.

Picked up a mate on the way, and then launched the tinny in the local estuary. We fished for flatties first (the most obvious candidates) but had no luck -- even though a boat nearby scored a nice one on live poddy.

But not to be defeated, we retreated to the mate's "secret spot", a channel among the weed beds, and used very light jig heads with small SPs. My mate scored first: a stud bream on a 2" pink curly tail grub.

I wasn't having any luck on my 3" bass minnow, so the lure was changed to a prawn coloured 2" curley tail grub. The result was almost immediate: a fish engulfed the lure just as I was about to lift it from the water. When the fish came into view, after a solid fight, my mate and I both called it for another big bream.

But when the fish was netted and in the boat, we both recognised it as an estuary perch. It measured 33 centimetres. This was my first EP -- actually it was first one I'd ever seen. I decided it was too good to kill, so it was returned it to the water.

After another 20 minutes of casting, another solid hook-up. As the fight was the same as when I caught the first fish, I correctly called it for another EP. This fish went 32 centimetres, almost identical to the first. This one was returned to the water too.

Whilst I'm by no means an expert, it seems to me that keys to hook-ups on bream and EPs are: use light jig heads and small tails, let the jig sink to the bottom on plenty of slack line and then work it very, very slowly.

Good luck to other guys trying to work-out how to use SPs successfully.

Regards,

Bob

Edited March 24, 2006 by kenmare

[outdoordan]

Well done,

Sounds like your getting the hang of it mate, and your definately on the right track with light jig heads. Fish as lightly as the conditions will allow, for me thats usually 1/16-1/20, even up to 1/32 and reson heads.

Although, while the 2in plastics are great fish takers, I've caught the majority of larger bream on 3in minnows and 70mm flickbaits, the smaller fish must be a little intimidated by a bigger plastic cause you dont get as much action as you do with a 2in poo eater or minnow grub but if a big fish wants it, he takes it.

But you never stop learning, and things which are shit hot one day, might not even get a look in on others.

Also, excellent job on picking up the E.P's

Cheers

Dan

[Guest Jewel]

Sensational!!!!

Its a road of no return though mate...... you may still use bait, but you will have bloody glitter all over everything!!

[kenmare]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the congrats. But now I have your attention, I'd like to ask another couple of questions (wouldn't you just guess it?).

I didn't have any luck with the Berkley bass minnow, but hooked-up on an EP after only a few casts when I changed to a smaller curley tail grub. Might have been that I wasn't retrieving the minnow correctly, but my style of retrieve suited the grub?

Do you use the same style of retrieve with minnows/stick baits as you use with grubs?

For that matter, how do you retrieve your softies? Do you vary your retrieve style?

I've seen different shaped jig heads, painted and unpainted. I was using the unpainted Squidgee 1.5 gm #4 ball jig head. What other heads do you use and why do you use them?

Regards,

Bob

Edited March 24, 2006 by kenmare

[Flattieman]

Might have been that I wasn't retriving the minnow correctly, but my stle of retrieve suited the grub?

Do you use the same style of retrieve with minnows/stick baits as you use with grubs?

For that matter, how do you retrieve your softies? Do you vary your retrieve style?

I've seen different shaped jig heads, painted and unpainted. I was using the unpainted Squidgee 1.5 gm #4 ball jig head. What other heads do you use and why do you use them?

Hi Bob,

Congrats on the EPs - I haven't scored one myself. They look like excellent fighters from what I've seen on DVDs. It is probable that your retrieve style was more suited to the grub than the stickbait. I use a retrieve with plenty of shakes and jerks/quivers of the rod tip for using stickbaits, whereas you were using a slow, crawling retrieve with 'em. I often use fish/shad style softies (as I usually target flatties) and therefore use "fish" style jigheads. The most important thing to do when selecting a jighead is to match it to the water depth and type of retrieve and then to the plastic. Here's a trick I've found whilst using softies in Tuggerah Lakes where the water if often very stained on the run-out - add flash to your lure! Bright-coloured lures for the dirty water/naturals for the clear. When the water is very dirty, I use a jighead such as the BassMaster BassSpins or the Nitro? RevHeads. The metallic flash seems to set the flatties off!

Hope this helps,

Flattieman.

Edited March 24, 2006 by Flattieman

[kenmare]

Here's a trick I've found whilst using softies in Tuggerah Lakes where the water if often very stained on the run-out - add flash to your lure! Bright-coloured lures for the dirty water/naturals for the clear. When the water is very dirty, I use a jighead such as the BassMaster BassSpins or the Nitro? RevHeads. The metallic flash seems to set the flatties off!

Hope this helps,

Flattieman.

Hi Flattieman,

Good point about selecting colour shades according to the conditions being fished.

There's just about every colour of SP tail and head out there -- which might mean plenty of sales for those in the tackle game but makes it very complex and confusing for the average fisho.

I recently bought bright fluoro green 3/8 oz and 1/2 jigs heads in bags of 25 because I felt they'd be good fish attractors in murky waters when fishing for flatties (and also because I'm a bit of a scrooge, and at $6.99 for 25 it wouldn't cause too much pain if they were hung up on snags). Have you tried painted jig heads as fish attractors?

Should you match the jig head colour to the colour of the tail you're using? Do you reckon colour really matters, or is it enough to just to select a light or dark shade of head and tail?

Regards,

Bob

Edited March 24, 2006 by kenmare

[Flattieman]

Have you tried painted jig heads as fish attractors?

Should you match the jig head colour to the colour of the tail you're using? Do you reckon colour really matters, or is it enough to just to select a light or dark shade of head and tail?

Another few good questions there, Bob that I'm happy to answer.

I've used painted jigheads a fair bit, especially when I started using softies but the jury's still out on that one. Many people swear by a pink head/chartreuse tail combo for flatties (as an indication of what other people think). Many people, such as David Green (who is an absolute legend on the flatties - get a hold of some of his articles ) love the fluoro jigheads and catch a heap of fish as well. Others, such as Steve Starling (who is another legend, if you haven't realised ) believe that secondary characteristics such as lure size/action/sound/vibration are very important. I take pages from both books and reach a pleasing compromise.

I've found that one of the simplest and most effective lures for me has been a simple, moulded, twin-tail chartreuse/silver fleck softie on a 1/4 oz yellow/green "ball" lumo head. Thereagain, another favourite is a gold-coloured fish pattern on a 3/8 oz BassMaster BassSpin ("fish"-like) jighead (which is unpainted but includes a gold willow blade). As I said, the jury is still very much out on this one. It's often a case of location, location! and conditions as well. The chartreuse lure doesn't work as well as the gold one in some places/times/tides/conditions and vice versa. Sometimes neither works and a random colour/shape/size/weight/lustre... will brain 'em. It's a matter of experimentation - that's the fun of it. It's in these situations when you turn to the theories on light/dark, heavy/light, loud/quiet, big/small, bright/dull and natural/unnatural. That's a bit of an indication that it pays to have a heap of SPs (YES - another excuse to go to the tackle shop ).

In a way, colour matters and in a way, it doesn't. I personally take all aspects of the lure into account on any given day and try to get into the minds of the fish. I turn into Flattieman. That's when I start to catch fish. Often there isn't much guessing - more theory than anything - that's why it pays to read a lot and follow people's theories (almost every successful fisherperson's got one) when you need to. Please do follow up on the work of authors such as Starling, Busch, Green, Simpson, Payne (both), Calcutt, Pepperell, Wilson, Bennett, Robley, Grant, Brown... the list goes on. I've tried to compile many theories, but it's often the subtleties of the work of these guys that catch you fish when all others fail. With magazines, read and retain them, marking particularly interesting/pertinent articles. Mark book pages. Refer back to these for references.

Here's my reading/viewing list:

"On Soft Plastics and How to Use Them" - Steve Starling/Kaj Bush

"The Book of Lures" - Ron Calcutt/Tim Simpson

"Fish Tales" - Dr Julian Pepperell

"Modern Fishing" mags

"Fishing World" mags

"NSW Fishing Monthly" mags

"Saltwater Sport Fishing" mags

"Squidgy Secrets" (all parts - 1 to 3)

"Fishing DVD" (all parts - 1 to 3)

FORUMS!!!

Your second question is the easiest to answer. I personally try to match jig head and tail. It makes it more realistic to the fish. But once more, the aforementioned people who favour the pink head/chartreuse tail will disagree (however, some of the above authors try to solve this conundrum). In short, everyone's got an opinion. I try to exploit everyone's theories against the fish to gain an upper hand . I'm not sure who's right but I try to understand and test every idea. I pick the best ones for keepers. I hope I've solved some/all of your problems sufficiently,

Flattieman.

Edited March 25, 2006 by Flattieman

[wdfish]

Hi Bob,

in relation to jig heads, sp's and retrieves I am also working through the maze of what works where?

One thing I have found is that the lighter the jig head the better action I can get out of a stick bait ie 3" minnow or squidggy 3"stick baits. I have been using 1/40 and 1/36 Gamakatsu jigs where the weight is actually hidden in the sp as you slide them on is v/good and when you let them sink the sp floats down evenly not head first. these are great for around pylons and structure etc.

retrieve is basic :

1. cast and then let sp sink while watching slack line on top of water.

2. when sp on bottom, a slow soft tap of the rod tip sideways twice and then let sink. I do this for about 4 goes and then give it a slow slow retrieve like the sp ( baitfish ) is trying to slowly get going.

3. then after all of this let it drop for about 3 - 5 seconds and start all over again.

I am no steve starling but this has really worked for me. one tip I read was before your cast out just cast short so you can see what you sp is doing and adjust your retrieve to suit, to my amazement the new 3" stick bait Sp from squiddgies actually really swims like a fish with some great body movement all the way through the sp, so this is how I adjusted my retrieve to get some slow swimming into it.

Every fish I have hooked using this method was in the last part of the retrieve when I was slowly winding it back to the boat in a struggling swimming style....

As for flatties, mainly 1/16 jig head silver ball and 3" & 4" shads mainly berkley gulp, works a treat, nice simming action as it sinks also. retrieve is basic flattie retrieve :

1. cast and let sink to bottom

2. 3 or 4 short bounces across the bottom then a good strong flick of the tip

3. let it sink and sit for about 3- 5 seconds and start again

this has been good to me also.

with grubs I mainly let the tail do most of the work but if utilise the same retireves depending on depth and current.

long winded but hope this adds to your success

happy sp'ing

cheers wd