fishing with soft plastics for beginners

[FrogBat]

Hello.
All my fishing has been done with bait and I have never used soft plastics.
How do you fish with soft plastics and how do you know which one to use?
What should I be trying to make the soft plastic do in the water?
I have tried fishing with soft plastics but I have not had a nibble

I have a very light rod and a spinning reel

Thank you
Frogbat

[goat boy]

If you go into just about any tackle store they will have beginner DVDs from Berkely, Squidgy etc to get you started. There are also some river charters around that will show you hands on techniques etc, very good as well.

[Funchy]

I found youtube andother great source of info. Also try reading through the posts of Mullet Meketeer. He is the SP guru http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/search.php?searchid=248635

[Just_chips]

How do you fish with soft plastics and how do you know which one to use?
Target a particular species, don't just 'go fishing'. Your choice of plastic should resemble something that your target species preys upon naturally taking into account size shape and colour.

What should I be trying to make the soft plastic do in the water?
You should be trying to make your plastic look like a sick or injured fish so that predators immediately think it's an easy meal.

I have tried fishing with soft plastics but I have not had a nibble.
Persistence is the key, watch some of the youtube vids, get out fishing with somebody who uses and has sucess with them. It is a constant learning curve and just when you think you have it all sorted, the fish show you up and you need to go back to the drawing board and start again.


I hope you have some success soon.

Kev

[Yellowjack]

I wouldnt go spending your money on Dvd's mate, better off watching a few youtube videos and going to try yourself!

Cheers,
Jack

[PinHead]

I am in the same boat FB..tried the bloody things ..results - 2 flathead and one estuary cod. Those 3 were suicidal cos I am buggered if I know what I was doing.

It is beyond me how some people can cast something weighing a lousy 1/16 oz.

I ain't stressing over it..will stick with the bait.

[tunaticer]

Are you boat or land based?
Do you fish open waters or rivers and creeks?
Both of the above variations require different techniques of presentation.

Facts of plastic fishing are on average about 70 casts to one good fish, or about ten casts to some sort of fish if you are switched onto using them. They are not a fish a cast technique, not even close, but they are both addictive and enjoyable.

Several hints to learn:
Fish a weight and size jighead to suit the conditions and the bait, your lure needs to free fall to the bottom at a slow to medium pace usually. That means if I am fishing a creek that is 2-3m deep I expect to wait 10 to 15 secs for touchdown as long as the current isn't overpowering the drop.

Learn to control your slack line, a lazy droop in the line is required to show the bites you can not feel in the rod. I do not touch the line except for night fishing, and rely on watching that droop for any changes, a pause, a tick or an unexpected slack droop all indicate a fish has that plastic in it's mouth. Strike immediately you see any variation. Quick reflexes are something you will develop. Probably 60% of all bites are not able to be felt and are seen only.

If you are boat fishing on the drift cast as far as you can towards the direction you are drifting to i.e actively fish ahead of your drift. Your bait will sink properly, your lure will present well and the boat will not have spooked those fish ahead yet. If you have an electric motor USE IT to control your drift and your boats attitude to it's drift. Work at avoiding wave slap on your hull as much as possible.

Fish lighter braids than you normally would use and usually a lighter leader. Plastics are not well presented on heavier bait fishing gear.

Target a species and you will master it fairly quickly. Just chucking a bait out is akin to fishing for whiting with a brick as bait.

If you are going to give plastics a go, leave the bait at home, do not be swayed to change from plastics, they take learning.

General rule of thumb for plastic selection, match the baits they will normally feed on. That means in creeks I use a lot of Squidgy Wrigglers in 65 or 80mm length in bloodworm colour, regardless of the water colour. In the bay I tend to use jerkbaits in the 4-6" range in greens to greys to whites.
In deeper holes in rivers etc I use paddle tailed lures around the 4" mark for the likes of jacks and jew and threadfin. Flathead will eat anything at all, they have no real preference.

I do not think you need to be wished good luck with plastics because they are so effective if you learn them. I wish you perseverence to be able to learn.

Don't buy a tackle shop out with a huge range of plastics, buy the ones I mentioned and learn them.

Greg, give me a holler soon for that fish session.

[Chas & Clarry]

I wish you perseverence to be able to learn.

.

That is nicely said mate! And nice post too.

[gruntahunta]

I,m still perservering!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fafnir]

My two bobs worth ... Brian Readman from Anglers Advantage is back on the Sunshine coast for a couple more months as I understand it before heading back up to Darwin. So you could try learning from watching Youtube or DVD's, or hopefully pick a few things up from reading posts on this site and others. You could even get some pointers from your local tackle store. But if you can afford it, I would be going out with Brian for a least half a day (full day is obviously better) and learn from someone who is not only a gun soft plastics angler himself, but someone who is used to teaching people.

I have been out with Brian a couple of times and it's worth every cent to be coached while you're actually doing it. He runs through the gear with you, including how to rig up, what soft plastics to use, how to work them, what areas to target etc. plus he's got a truckload of patience. He doesn't have a big head so you don't have to deal with an ego showing off rather than showing. You'll catch fish, but more importantly, you will have a much, much better understanding of how to fish soft plastics. So I reckon check out his website and then give him a call http://################.com.au/.

If your budget doesn't stretch that far, or you just don't like the idea, then my only other advice would be to work your soft plastic more slowly. I get a lot of my hits either on the drop or when I skip the sp again after a long pause, often as long as 45 seconds to a minute. Back when I was smoking I would cast out to a likely area then leave it sit while I lit up a smoke. Often I would get a hit while I was reaching for my lighter. Sometimes the fish respond to a quick retrieve but I would say 80% of the time if I'm not getting hits it's because I am working it too fast.

Hope this helps.

[Noelm]

I reckon the best advice is to target Flathead first, they are plentiful, easy to catch on plastics and are available from the shore or a boat, you will need to "think like a Flathead" to get results, after you get confident, move onto something else. If you just buy a bag of plastics and toss them wildly all over the place, you will be pissed off long before you get a few fish, don't be fooled by fancy DVD's and expensive brand names, and don't expect a fish every cast like it seems on DVD's/TV shows either, it will take practice and patience.

[bennykenny]

here is a good article here

http://www.bigfishermans.net/48/offer/fishing-tips-australia/tips-for-soft-plastics

[Mossy247]

Another option is to catch/meet up with a fellow ausfisho that fishes plastics and ask questions. Don't be afraid to mix up your retrieves, slow wind, couple twitches try them all as no one way catches fish and you can find another way of moving your plastic. I say this because I was like you mate int the same boat. Checked out a couple you tube vids 'big E soft plastics' and used to just keep taking out bait also. The guys are right, leave the bait at home and take only plastics. I guess the biggest thing is to look into the water patterns, water movement or bottom soundings if in a boat and you should have a good chance. I often throw my plastics not blindly around but to look for an eddy, where the bottom drops off on a ledge, rocky outcrops etc. Try new things, try new spots and you never know your luck if you get a few of the tips right from the guys you'll be coming tight on fish in no time.
tight lines - mossy