New obsession: soft plastics off the beach

[pontiph02]

I blame Leeann for giving me a new obsession, as she gave some fantastic info in response to a query on another thread in the saltwater room. I am now obsessed with fishing with soft plastics of the beach. I'm even choosing to chase flathead on softies over spinning for tailor (which is just about my favourite way to fish).

So far my best flathead is only 42cm, but what they lack in size they more than make up for in quantity and satisfaction. I have fished for about eight hours in total, and have caught about a dozen fish. Those numbers don't sound too spectacular, but when you consider that it's a totally new style of fishing for me, I reckon that's pretty good. Also there was a 38cm bream last night that really boosted my confidence, as it's far and away the biggest bream I've caught on an artificial.

The damage has mostly been done with ecogear grass minnows and 8cm Gulp minnows (or shads?) in mackerel. I am moving toward heavier and heavier jig heads too - at first I was a bit embarassed to be fishing 7 grams, because I was used to fishing softies in the estuary, but today I fished almost exclusively with a 17 gram jig head. This gives much better control of the lure, so that it doesn't just get towed in with every wave over 30cm high. Unfortunately the only jig head I had with that much weight was a 4/0, so I think I missed a few hookups as a result of that. Still, a couple of flathead today (one of them a keeper) was a very good result for about three hours fishing (plus a good fish lost on my last cast).

All fish came from the very beginnings of gutters where the water spills off the sand over a drop-off. The key is to travel light - extracting a couple of fish from a gutter and then walking the 200 metres to the next good gutter.

Why bother sharing all of this information? Because I'm obsessed! I don't know why, but I really prefer beach fishing to fishing the estuaries. I'm also much happier lure fishing than bait fishing, but until now spinning has been the only way to fish with lures off the beach. Also it reminds me a little bit of nymphing for trout: you have to read the water, cast accurately and work methodically. I think if you miss a fish's lie by more than a metre or two, it would have trouble picking up the lure in such turbulent water.

Wow, I'm still writing! I don't have any pictures, because every time I consider buying a digital camera I realise I'd rather spend the money on fishing gear. I am pretty keen to update my rather primitive setup to a 8/9ft graphite rod running 6lb fireline, as I think fishing mono (also 6lb) might be costing me a few fish. Do they make soft plastic rods that long?

Rob

[roydsy]

Do you have problems with braid in the surf... I seem to get brown sludge all over my line and have to use mono. Have you managed any whiting yet in the surf on SP's thats my lastest facination.

[thesav]

Good gear pontiph. I always used heavier jig heads fishing for bass in the dams. Seemed to give me better casting accuracy and never was a problem with landing fish.
When I asked in a tackle shop for jig heads that suited bream they talked me into buying jig heads so light I can rarely get them near the bottom - and thats not in the surf. After reading your post i may try a few of my old dam jig heads in the gutters up this way.
Regards
Sav

[abbot_86]

pontipho2_ what kind of outfit are you useing when fishing softies at the beach

[pontiph02]

The outfit I'm using at the moment is pretty dodgy. The rod is three metres long and of unknown provenance. I have owned it since I was about 12, I think. It's rated to cast 28-70 grams, so it barely even bends, let alone loads up, when I fish 6lb line. I choose to use it over my surf rods because it's lighter and more responsive (back in the days when K-Mart sold graphite rods, or I may have bought it at a tackle shop) so I can work the lures a bit. The reel is an $80 Daiwa job.

I'm a bit conflicted about using a threadline in the surf because there is a lot of splashing and at least once a trip it seems to get covered (but not immersed) with salt water. I could, of course, just stay in shallower water, but that seems to defeat the purpose of beach fishing altogether. Having said that, the only alternative is an Alvey, which is incredibly annoying for lure fishing because the twist gets out of control very quickly.

roydsy: I haven't fished braid in the surf, yet. I've been using 6lb mono. I am familiar with the brown sludge you're talking about, as it is there with mono. I think that maybe it just doesn't bond as strongly to the smoother mono. I have fished braid a little bit spinning for tailor, but that doesn't seem to gather as much sludge as fishing in close.

I might have to go to the tackle shop and see what's on offer. I shall report on how I go. I need some 6lb fireline anyway, for spinning for tailor.

[Mullet Musketeer]

Lat time I was up at Noosa I noticed a Berkley Dropshot Surf Rod about 10FT in teh tackle shop - interesting concept. I have mentioned in a few previous posts I have not had much luck with plastics in the surf but you success has inspired me to keep trying. Thanks for a good post.

[shin25]

ive done well using the gulp 6inch worm in cammo and the full red one in the surf using a cpl of rigs
just a standard bait rig sinker swivell small long shank put the hook in one end i havnt had much luck when cutting the worm in smaller peices nearly all the whiting ive caught on them have swallowed the the whole worm.
the other rig is just a normal plastics jig head with a longest skinniest shank i can find good for the close gutters (not much weight)i caught several dart last year at fraser in 60cm bracket as well as a few flatties and whiting .
the outfit i use is a 10 foot whiting rod (old wilson) and a 3-4000 size spin reel with 4lbs braid 6lbs fluro carb leader
hope that helps
cheers Shin

[435_Mark]

Rob, Have a look at the new "stirlo rods from shimano. I was at BCF the other day and they had quite a few, slightly heavier then the normal estuary soft plastic rod. One in particular that might suit was a 9ft rod rated 6-10kg. Built like a large soft plastics rod. I'm thinking of getting one myself as a light bay spin rod for spotties with 4kg mono. Looks as though it would cast a mile. The build isn't real flash (I'm a bit surprised Starlo's name is on them) but they are only retailing for $119 so you can't complain too much. Have a look at them and let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Mark