Using soft plastics in freshwater

[fisho22]

Hi ya all

Im thinking about trying to catch freshwater fish with soft plastics, (something that I know nothing about) and Im hoping someone can tell me what the best soft plastic would be for freshwater.

All help will be appreciated

Thanx
fisho22 [smiley=confused.gif]

[el_carpo]

Hi Fisho22,

Due to geographical reasons, I can't help with a particular fish species or places (unless you are traveling to the Chicagoland area any time soon). I do however know quite a bit about using soft plastics in freshwater. The following are baits I use and the methods fished with each.

1. Twister tail grub: By far the most used lure in my tackle box. What I do is hook them on to the lead jig head (usually yellow or bright orange in color). Place as many split shot weights as necessary to cast the desired distance. Place the weights about a foot or so a bove the bait for best action. Now, depending on what species I target, the retrieve varies. For perch for example, I let the bait hit the bottom and do a very slow drag and drop retrieve. Lift the rod slowly and let the it lower slowly while reeling in slack. This makes large "hops" along the bottom. The perch love it. For bass, I usually let the bait fall midwater to bottom and do a fairly steady retrieve with a few "jigs" (quick twitches of the rod tip) mixed in. A very good bait. Cheap too! That's why I prefer using them for fish that lurk near the snags on the bottom.

2. Stick baits: Sluggos to be more accurate. They are just straight pieces of plastic that slightly resemble the profile of a long minnow fish. What I do with them is just hook them on Texas style (weedless) and use only the lightest of weights necessary. I usually just use one small splitshot attached about four feet above the bait. This lure beautifully mimics a dying fish. Your retrieve must reflect this. Just copy what you've seen from all of those dying fish in the past. They make eratic lunges and stop dead in their tracks only to repeat so do this with your bait. Switch from fast pulls on your line to three quick jigs and follow instantly with a stop, letting the bait fall. The "fall" is where most strikes occur. Be ready, they whack these baits hard!

3. Plastic worm: Classic bait for large mouth bass here in the states. Rig Texas or Carolina style. These baits are fished near the bottom and usually near the weeds which is why you would rig them weedless. Pretty straight forward retrieve. Just let your bullet weight bring your bait to the bottom, let it sit there a while and start "hopping" it in with a few little pauses with twitches thrown in. I've caught some nice fish on these. I only use this rig in lakes and slow current rivers.

4. Crayfish plastics: I've just started using these two years ago and have been blown away with my success. These lures are quickly becoming my favorite soft plastic. I think the company name is "Mad Man" or something like that. They really look good. My favorite color is the olive green. Again, you want to mimic the natural animal as best you can. Crayfish shoot along in quick bursts through powerful thrusts of their tails. You want to let the bait fall (again split shot about a foot above bait) and begin retrieving with quick jerks of the rod tip so as to make the bait swim about two feet at a time and reel as you go (medium fast retrieve). Every now and then let the bait fall. The following fish too shy to bite may be enticed to do so when they see this.

There are others, but these are the ones I usually stick with and have been pretty happy with the results. I hope I have been of some help to you. In regards to "Texas" and "Carolina" rigging, I think you would be better off doing a quick Google search and finding diagrams to show you pictures rather than me trying to explain them through written words. It's really easy to do once you see them. Good luck! Catch a bunch!

E.C.

P.S. I was assuming that you have crayfish over in Australia and that you know what they are. If not, they look like just little lobsters and live mainly amongst the rocks and sometimes in shallow muddy swamps. Everything eats them. Great bait, but the real ones are very expensive. Soft plastic copies work very well.

[BlitzBaga]

G'day Fisho22

Charlie Brewers 3" Sliders in motor oil, Chartruse/black core or baby bass seem to work well and I'm sure some of the newer colours would work well too, use el-carpos twister technique and every now and then give the rod some aggressive twitches toward you. El-carpo, we do have plenty of freshwater crayfish in our rivers and impoundments, in fact some of our impoundments are being over run with red claw (a crayfish that seems to breed in plague proportion).

Cheers
Murray

[Rosso]

Hi Fisho22,

4. Crayfish plastics: I've just started using these two years ago and have been blown away with my success. These lures are quickly becoming my favorite soft plastic. I think the company name is "Mad Man" or something like that. They really look good. My favorite color is the olive green. Again, you want to mimic the natural animal as best you can. Crayfish shoot along in quick bursts through powerful thrusts of their tails. You want to let the bait fall (again split shot about a foot above bait) and begin retrieving with quick jerks of the rod tip so as to make the bait swim about two feet at a time and reel as you go (medium fast retrieve). Every now and then let the bait fall. The following fish too shy to bite may be enticed to do so when they see this.
.

Keep an eye out for the berkley power baits 2" hawg i have used these in saltwater and the fish hammer it. Haven't got around to using them in the fresh however, but they are a crayfish pattern.

Cheers

Rosso.

[el_carpo]

Thanks Blitzbagga and Rosso.