Soft Plastics Work ! How i turned it around.

[fishnsleep]

Just this weekend, after three months of practice. I caught my first fish! Four flathead and two big bream later, I am convinced that soft plastics actually work I searched, watched and listened for help and finally it payed off

This is how I improved :

-Letting the plastic hit the bottom

-Fish slow, let them catch up/smell/bite look

-and not changing plastics every three casts (face palm)

I used Berkley prawn3" (vader) jiggin grub 3"(pumpkin seed)

My rod is a 7ft 2-4 kg pfluger TRION / reel shimano Sienna 2500
line and leader I used vanish 6lb (berkley) fireline 6lb braid

I was fishing at Sandgate QLD the first day and west of Kallangur QLD the next.
The first day was was in a tinny in an estuary and the second was on shore
(Both in murkey water mangroves/sand bars/fallen trees)

The only reason im saying all this, is to let you know what worked for me in those area's
hoping it will help you all hook up.

Happy Hunting
James ;D

Ps. happy for pointers in the right direction on something I may be doing wrong
let me know if you want pictures for proof.

[tunaticer]

Well done James, welcome to the plastic addiction.
90% of fish will respond to the standard lift and drop technique, your job is learning to detect that take.
Forget trying to feel a bite, that will result in lots of tail snips and less hookups.
Maintain a constant sag in the line between the tip and the water during the drop, reel in or stop reeling to maintain that sag.
Watch that sag for anything out of place, a tic on that sag will be a fish with the lure in its gob, no chance you will ever feel that tic.
Your rod and reel and line setup is fine, keep using it.
Persist and you will learn the art well.

[fishnsleep]

Thanks that's very helpful :)

[Mossy247]

have to love that, well done mate. You will now be hooked on the plastics targeting different fish with different plastics, it becomes a problem hahaha well not so much for you, more for your wallet LoL.
I know plastics has changed the way I fish and driven me to know more about where's and what works for you, I find different places require different techniques in some cases so don't be afraid to mix it up and try a different retrieve, longer pause a more aggressive twitch and so on.
e.g sometimes I fish the brisbane river pylons (port of bris) and the usual depth is around 15 mtrs, I don't let it hit the bottom but often apply a slow rolling action past the strike zone, with minimal twitching of the rod, I try letting it fall a little longer or start the retrieve as soon as it hits the water depending on the where in the water the bream may be feeding or how quickly before port security come along and ruin the fun :-)
Hope this helps, mix it up and try new things all the time you might just find something that might work. tight lines mossy

[fishnsleep]

Thanks mate i will keep that in mind lol i live in Brisbane area so i mite run into ya one day :D

happy hunting
james