clemsy Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Hi guys, I've been trying to crack my bream soft plastic doughnut for the past half a year. And after much research, I find that I still don't have enough information on the species. As a landbased angler, I thought maybe I could start a thread to help those that are in the same boat as me, trying to catch bream on soft plastic or any other lures. I do have one question to start off, when I target bream, is it a matter of just casting into the right spot at the right time or do I have to keep persisting in the one spot and tempt one? Thanks raiders! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Stalker Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Generally speaking you have to cast at the right spot as close to the structure as possible and hope there is one there. Sometimes I will hit a spot 10 to 20 times to pester one into a strike if it doesn't hit in the first few casts, if I am sure there is a fish hiding in there that is, and this sometimes works sometimes, just remember to take your time and be very stop start with your return, they will often take things on the pause when it is just sitting on the bottom in front of its face. If I am not sure there is a fish there however I will give it about 6 or 7 casts just to try and tempt anything that may be there and then try another structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bean Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 For what its worth, make sure you are fishing light. You want to make your plastic look as realistic as possible, so when it comes to jigheads I try to use a 1/12oz normally. If I find that I'm getting a few hits after it first drops but when it sinks a tad further I get nothing ill switch to a 1/20oz to try to suspend it in the strike zone for longer. As with bait, you still fish the structure but I think plastics work best (for flatties and bream) in water between 1m and 4-8m. From the shore this may reduce your casting distance but with a decent setup and a bit of practice you should still be able to cast these lures a fair distance. Just work out where they are holding on the structure and adjust your weights accordingly. If you're trying to mimic a prawn remember that prawns suspend themselves in water so the longer you can keep that lure in the stroke zone the more success you will have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben.marshman Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 The S Factor that you get with the Squidgies helps a lot I have found when targeting Bream with SPs. And I agree that fishing light with a slow retrieve is effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borgie_29 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 The S Factor that you get with the Squidgies helps a lot I have found when targeting Bream with SPs. And I agree that fishing light with a slow retrieve is effective. I tried this last night and I forgot the apply the S Factor at first, had no hits, as soon as I applied it I started getting hits but I assume that they were all small as I caught nothing. I think that I need to try another area with bigger fish for it to be more effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemsy Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks for your replies guys! I've been fishing 5lb braid and 4lb leader on a 1000 reel and 2-4kg rod. I've been using various soft plastics, some with scent and some without. It's been hard to get them to strike, and the only structure I fish around are rocks covered in oysters, weeds and just sand flats. I can't really cast at pontoons or piers because they are either too far away or I'm on the only one within the area haha, and I can't really cast at myself. I think I just have to keep persisting. I did have a go last week with soft plastics and didn't get any hits, but once I switched to bread they fish were going at it, so I knew they were there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Iceman Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Keep at it but if your land based the sandflats will work better Try Iron Cove it is pretty consistant Next weekend would be good there with a new moon and a rising tide Keep moving dont stay in the same spot Use a flick flick pause technique and pause it for a minimum 5 seconds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bean Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Sand flats are great for the shore based angler as you can usually just wade in to try different places. Usually when I'm fishing flats i'll spend a bit of time moving around trying to find gutters and drop offs. Once I've found a few ill start fishing, that way I always have a couple of options. Drop offs and gutters are great - fish will hold tight to the face of the drop off as it acts as a structure/shelter for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bean Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I was also told once that there is no such thing as too slow of a retrieve. Obviously the point of plastics is not to just set and forget like you would with bait, but if you're worried you are retrieving too fast just slow it down a bit often it can't hurt and it may just be what will get you a fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemsy Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks for the replies guys, is there a way to tell if the bream or any fish are there without having to go to bait? As a landbased angler sometimes the water gets choppy and hard to see with pilarized sunnies from the shore. I'm more worried about the fishing not being there and me wasting my time in that spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemsy Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Do people use poppers during the colder months? What is the theory for poppers during different seasons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brighton le sands Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I wouldn't use poppers during winter as the fish are less active and sluggish in winter, during summer however i would use a small 50mm popper for bream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josamill Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 If you systematically work a mudflat with yabby and crab holes you will catch 2-3 per outing with sps or blades or hbs. Wear shoes because of rays and shuffle. Go waste deep. Cast multiple times in a circle - like spokes on a wheel. Once the circle is complete move on 10 metres or so and do it again. All that said i have never been too successful in Winter. October hurry up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griffox Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Nobody has mentioned it (so I may as well!), about the MOST succesful SP for bream would be the Squidgy Wriggler (60 -80mm)in natural colours (Bloodworm). All the above adsvice still counts! Tight Lines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cod Botherer Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Squidgy bugs always seem to work for me rigged on 1/12th heads and worked over and around weed beds on the flats, I have found this time of year if you can get a low tide around 3-4pm fish the runout tide working your way out as the water drops. The main reason for fishing the run out is if it is sunny the water has time to warm up a bit and the fish will be up on the flats sunning themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTTYB Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Thanks for your replies guys! can't really cast at pontoons or piers because they are either too far away or I'm on the only one within the area haha, and I can't really cast at myself. I think I just have to keep persisting. I did have a go last week with soft plastics and didn't get any hits, but once I switched to bread they fish were going at it, so I knew they were there Using bread is great to see what's around - also gets a bit of light burley going and might get some interest. As to being on the only pier around, try going the lightest possible jighead you can, and literally dropping the plastic down alongside a pylon. If nothing, try the next one, and then when you've done all of them, just let it float down under you into the shade of the wharf/pier. I haven't been using my plastics for a while, but fishing under my feet would get some good hits, and not just bream. Keep persisting, and one day it'll all click. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now