Soft Plastics (hinchinbrook)

[NAGG]

HI FELLOW AUSFISHERS ..... I'm just after a little advice on SP selections for NQ estuaries I've had previous but limited success (due to throwing HBs most of the day) on a previous trip! ... However, on my upcoming trip .. I want to deliberately target Barra , Jacks etc on Sps .. .. I can see the merit of throwing a lightly weighted or snag less rigged SP into a big ugly snag
Anyhow ..... I'm keen to know what SPs are used & how they are rigged / fished ...... Any help is greatly appreciated ... Nagg
PS .... As we will be staying at Lucinda ...... No doubt we will hit the sugar loader of an afternoon / evening ..... & SPs cold be on the menu for any Fingermarks , trevally, Mackerel etc that inhabit the area

[Steve B]

Good thread NAGG,

We will be up there in three weeks and also wanted to know some info regarding SP techniques.!!

I bought some slick rigs between 80mm and 120mm. Also got some bigger squidgies and Gulps to go with light 1/8oz and 1/16oz gamagatsu jig heads with big hooks. I reckon they should go well in the snags. I have stuck to the basic colours (silver/gold/natural( Bought a whole heap of cheap kokoda lipless crankbaits, (They are a jackall knock off, I dont want to throw my REAL jackalls into that sort of country!!) One of the boys in our crew reckons he cleaned up last year with prawnstar for Jacks. I reckon that would be a start.

I cant wait, should be interesting. As you said, fishing around the jetty at lucinda should be fun. I have been instucted by they guys to leave the rods ath home for that fishing......just bring the 100lb handline!!!

When do you head up?? if is the same time we should catch up and sus out the situation...mabey over a beer!!! We are staying at Lucinda also. 22/9 to 30/9.

cheers steve

[whiteman]

Gotta wonder why you would bother with lures if you are up that way to catch fish to eat and not just for sport. Live bait (prawns best) and fresh peeled prawns (buy quality green locals from any of the seafood shops in TSV) seems to get the attention of whatever is around whenever I venture into those parts. I have spent many hours chucking lures for little result - these days I like a feed without much effort.

[cdg81]

wooooo hoooooo

[marty+jojo]

Try big squidgees 150mm or storm shads or other big shads for the fingermark at the sugar loader, you will want to use about 5/8-1oz heads heavy leader 40-80 pound a tight drag and quick reflexes to stop the fingermark.... Enjoy
Check my photo gallery for a nice fingermark from the sugar loader.
Marty.

[NAGG]

Good thread NAGG,

We will be up there in three weeks and also wanted to know some info regarding SP techniques.!!

I bought some slick rigs between 80mm and 120mm. Also got some bigger squidgies and Gulps to go with light 1/8oz and 1/16oz gamagatsu jig heads with big hooks. I reckon they should go well in the snags. I have stuck to the basic colours (silver/gold/natural( Bought a whole heap of cheap kokoda lipless crankbaits, (They are a jackall knock off, I dont want to throw my REAL jackalls into that sort of country!!) One of the boys in our crew reckons he cleaned up last year with prawnstar for Jacks. I reckon that would be a start.

I cant wait, should be interesting. As you said, fishing around the jetty at lucinda should be fun. I have been instucted by they guys to leave the rods ath home for that fishing......just bring the 100lb handline!!!

When do you head up?? if is the same time we should catch up and sus out the situation...mabey over a beer!!! We are staying at Lucinda also. 22/9 to 30/9.

cheers steve

Steve .... you're gunna be there 2.5 weeks before me (I arrive on 16th Oct) ......... So I'll be looking forward to your report ..... Nagg
PS .... You've gotta have a go at the loader with your barra gear

[NAGG]

Try big squidgees 150mm or storm shads or other big shads for the fingermark at the sugar loader, you will want to use about 5/8-1oz heads heavy leader 40-80 pound a tight drag and quick reflexes to stop the fingermark.... Enjoy
Check my photo gallery for a nice fingermark from the sugar loader.
Marty.

Marty .... That is a nice fingermark (That would make my trip ) .... Well done ! ... Nagg

[NAGG]

Gotta wonder why you would bother with lures if you are up that way to catch fish to eat and not just for sport. Live bait (prawns best) and fresh peeled prawns (buy quality green locals from any of the seafood shops in TSV) seems to get the attention of whatever is around whenever I venture into those parts. I have spent many hours chucking lures for little result - these days I like a feed without much effort.

Whiteman ..... Lures & SPs are just plain good fun For me its just part of the challenge of catching a target species. Also I couldn't see myself sitting under the hot sun for 10 hours soaking a bait .
However .... I will have a cast net & fish livies at the loader of an evening ....... While throwing SPs .... Nagg

[Steve B]

Marty thanks for the tips, mate those fingermark in your photos give me chills!!
I cant wait to have a go at them. We are really going to have a few good sessions at them with livies and/or plastics.

NAGG, I dunno whether the barra gear will handle to sugar loader from what I hear!! But I am one to give it a go I will give you a report a soon as we get back. The other dude CDG81 (gippsy) he's also in the crew and is a bit of a salt water ledgend!! he's been there before and raves about the place. I will keep in touch with you regarding the best SP for the job targeting the Jacks and Barra in the snags, before you head up. Hope we get into them!! Cheers

Whiteman, Not everyone is out to fill freezers. some of us enjoy the sport side of things.Dont get me wrong, we will live bait too, But we also love the challenge of catching fish with plastics an other lures...It is often more satisfying, and if you know what your doing, can often outfish livies

[3rd degree]

I've found the Gulp Podgy has worked the best up there, in mackeral colour.

Get the bigest ones you can buy, I think its 5 inch.

Cheers

Jim

[omulloway]

A little further north (Tully area) I've had some success using 100mm SP's in white with pink head for barra recently (Squidgy's). More importantly ... bury the barb just beneath the fin of the the SP and get it in the snag as deep and dark as you can... work any decent snag over 4 or 5 times.

Good luck!
Omulloway

[slabjig]

If you can get 'em, try a Fin S Fish rigged on a 5/0 worm hook without any weight at all. I caught a nice barra of about 10 lbs off a jetty in Cooktown on one of them. Strike King Zulu or Z-too is very similar. Jerkbaits fished unweighted are FUN

[STUIE63]

My advice is don't use barra gear at the end of the jetty. daytime use heavy jigging gear and metal jigs 40-50 pound line will still be busted off. at night bring a squid light and drop livie squid down on 100 pound hand lines if you use a rod make sure it is 50 pound and don't put it in the rod holder as you wont get it out.do not give them a chance to run or it is over
live squid is the go
Stuie

[jackextracter]

Live squid is the go out there but i found when they school up they will just about hit any good looking plastic or lure, heres a teaser photo for ya caught on last years trip one of the 81cm models,biggest we got was 84cm,cheers.

[omulloway]

Live squid is the go out there but i found when they school up they will just about hit any good looking plastic or lure, heres a teaser photo for ya caught on last years trip one of the 81cm models,biggest we got was 84cm,cheers.

Nice Fingery jackextracter, here's one I prepared earlier ....