Softplastic help

[Little_Flatty]

16 hours ago, DerekD said:

Meadowbank is the home ground for @Little_Flatty so keep an eye out for him.

Happy to help @faker. A few fish to be had in the area when you know what to look for.

[bluefin]

You Tube vids. Z man is your friend !!

[Mike Sydney]

Honestly @faker it sounds like you’re doing a lot right…the technique sounds good , the locations are good. There’s always bream around, I think it’s just a bit of perserverance before you break the drought.

Once you crack your first couple the floodgates will open. Keep trying new spots, don’t cast to the same spot more than a few times. Better to cover a lot of ground (eg walking the banks casting every 10m or so) . I’m not a fan of lure fishing wharves for that reason, you’re kinda locked in place. 

Sounds like you’re getting pretty close, keep at it! 

[Little_Flatty]

9 hours ago, Mike Sydney said:

Better to cover a lot of ground (eg walking the banks casting every 10m or so) . I’m not a fan of lure fishing wharves for that reason, you’re kinda locked in place. 

Yep, this is the single most important tip for landbased lure fishing; move around and find the fish, rather than wait for the fish to find you. Everything about my setup is about mobility. I normally only bring one rod, and everything else I carry is belt mounted. So nothing to put down/pick up every time you move.

I often even use timers to keep myself moving - set a timer for 15-20 mins and if there are no fish in a certain spot, then I change spots.

[XD351]

2 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Yep, this is the single most important tip for landbased lure fishing; move around and find the fish, rather than wait for the fish to find you. Everything about my setup is about mobility. I normally only bring one rod, and everything else I carry is belt mounted. So nothing to put down/pick up every time you move.

I often even use timers to keep myself moving - set a timer for 15-20 mins and if there are no fish in a certain spot, then I change spots.

Careful Mike , walking around with a countdown timer strapped to you might draw some attention 💣💥 But it would guarantee that you have the whole area to yourself😂 

This is one area that causes a conflict in me - I hate lugging lots of gear around but if I really skimp I just know that the one lure I left out will be the exact one I need 🤬 - still refining the setup though . Was just watching a tv show about fly fishing and it amazes me how much stuff they have strapped to them , maybe some of that gear like chest bags could suit lure chuckers?

 

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by XD351

[faker]

@XD351 @Bennyg78 finally caught something. It's a tailor but finally landed something 

[XD351]

Good job mate - first one is the hardest!

Did the fish twist that plastic or is that how you are rigging it ?

[faker]

6 minutes ago, XD351 said:

Good job mate - first one is the hardest!

Did the fish twist that plastic or is that how you are rigging it ?

fish twisted it. there were plenty of choppers around just only manage to land one of the bigger ones. was actually looking for flathead in balmoral.

 

 

[Bennyg78]

Keep it going , and as the others have said keep moving.

I’m also an advocate of just focusing on one type of lure and becoming obsessed with nailing it.

Soft plastics are a great start so keep it going, I’d have a think about what you intend to target and that will influence your jig heads, plastics size and shape, and then leader, line , reel and rod.

‘I’m currently trying in desperation to be come one with the bream. That means usually lighter jig head 1/6-1/40 smaller plastics ( often creature bait plastics). Then lighter fc leader 5-8 lbs, 6-8 lbs braid usually 1-4 kg rod and a 200 reel. The cool thing about a light set up is you can often catch some big by catch. 

So now you’ve got your first fish have a think about what do you really want to chase and work on your tackle from there

[faker]

1 hour ago, Bennyg78 said:

Keep it going , and as the others have said keep moving.

I’m also an advocate of just focusing on one type of lure and becoming obsessed with nailing it.

Soft plastics are a great start so keep it going, I’d have a think about what you intend to target and that will influence your jig heads, plastics size and shape, and then leader, line , reel and rod.

‘I’m currently trying in desperation to be come one with the bream. That means usually lighter jig head 1/6-1/40 smaller plastics ( often creature bait plastics). Then lighter fc leader 5-8 lbs, 6-8 lbs braid usually 1-4 kg rod and a 200 reel. The cool thing about a light set up is you can often catch some big by catch. 

So now you’ve got your first fish have a think about what do you really want to chase and work on your tackle from there

I want to go after flat head i have 10 pound braid and can give it a 6 pound leader. i just don;t have enough rods for soft plastic purposes because i am sometimes tempted to chase kings too

[Mike Sydney]

congrats @faker ! When did it take the lure?

I ask as often tailor hit a fast moving lure and turn away from a pause. And yet targeting flathead, they typically hit on the pause. It’s not often I get tailor on a soft plastic. Did it bite while you were winding in fast?

[faker]

1 hour ago, Mike Sydney said:

congrats @faker ! When did it take the lure?

I ask as often tailor hit a fast moving lure and turn away from a pause. And yet targeting flathead, they typically hit on the pause. It’s not often I get tailor on a soft plastic. Did it bite while you were winding in fast?

yea i did got it during the winding back. since beach was shallow and i was using 1/4 jighead i just kept pulsing it as if flatty wanted it it would strike anyway as it passes. caught it during one of the pulses

[XD351]

You can go a long way towards catching that flattie by going to the area you want to try at low tide and have a wade around in the shallows , look for flathead lays and note any areas that are high and dry like sand bars . The sand bars usually have some sort of drainage system and this is where the baitfish have To go through to retreat to deeper water - flathead love these drainage channels and wait there for the food as the tide drops - make sure your plastic is hitting the bottom on the pause as the vibration it creates when it hits the bottom attracts flathead and don’t wind it in to fast - the longer it is out there in the strike zone the more chance you have of a fish finding it , short sharp hops rather than a slow roll is my preference. My general rule is run up to high for bream and whiting , run out to low for flathead .

[faker]

@XD351not sure if jighead is too big or rigged properly after the the tailor encounter.

 

[XD351]

Looks ok to me .