PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant VBA_SCRIPT - assumed 'VBA_SCRIPT' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in ..../includes/functions_navigation.php(802) : eval()'d code on line 1 SOFT PLASTICS CHAT!!! + some questions
hello, i am new here and this is my first post, i am 16 years old and i live in brissy and have just gotten into the whole plastic craze. i just made myself a entry level rod for throwing plastics and am now starting to go out most weekends.
my question is what is your guys favourite plasics for targetting flathead, bream, small trevally and queenies, mangrove jack, tailor mainly any fish that i will encounter in the esturays of gold coast, brisbane and the sunshine coast.
i have pnly been fishing plastics a few times and have bought a few different brands to experiment with, gulp, squidgies, snapbacks, atomic. just thought id ask you guys your opinion.
also what is the best braid that isnt to expensive? at the moment i have 6 pound fireline crystal, is that any good or is there somethign better and does color really matter?
also with the line i am having troubles with the fireline getting tangled when i cast due to loose wraps around the spool (i think) is there someway to fix this and when thsi happens as braid is so damn expensive if i couldnt get the tangle out i have been cutting the tangle out then rejoining. is it worth it or should i just cut it back to where there is no knots there is 3 knots joining the fireline to itself becasue of this should i just cut them out?
and one last question where is a good spot to throw plastics for those sorts of species? along the coast or in brisbane itself, i have a hobie fishing kayak but no boat.
Last edited by Tom Slater; 08-11-2007 at 06:10 PM.
Hey Tom, welcome to the darkside.... (its been said so many times now i know)
Nice work making your own rod..you've got more patience than me, so i'm sure a long and (hopefully) helpful explanation of my theories wont be too boring for you.
Sounds like you've got the basics right.
The first thing to mention is dont re tie your braid, if you get a knot that cannot be undone cut it and tie on a new leader. What sort of reel have you got and are you trying to cast really hard or into wind when these wind knots are happening. If its happening quite abit you might have too much line on the spool (might also be due to the knots you have tied to hold the braid together). You want the line to be a couple of mm under the extreme edge of the spool when full.
If you back your spool up with monofilament than you should be able to get quite a lot of fishing out of a $30 roll of your 6lb fireline which is fine for what you are doing. Quite a good choice actually. i recommend a fluorocarbon leader of either 4lb or 6lb for bream whiting etc. and 8 - 12lb for most of the other species you want to target but this varies depending on the area and size of fish you might encounter.
The brands of sp's you mentioned are all the mainstream gear that will get you amongst the fish. What profiles and colours did you get? To start out i recommend profiles that have a built in action like paddle tails, wrigglers etc. these dont require a great deal of input to produce a good action. Just reel them in a couple of turns at a time, pausing every now and again and a twitch of the rod tip helps too, dont be in too much of a hurry to get it back in though. When you get a bit more experience, profiles like the flickbaits and minnows etc, which require a bit more input to work correctly, can be extremely effective when worked properly.
In saying this just about any profile will catch a fish if you put it in the right place at the right time, but starting with the basics will help you get started and hopefully avoid early disappointment. A lot of people who have tried plastics and say they dont like them cause they dont catch fish, probably got the wrong type for their level of experience not realising that some profiles need a certain type of retrieve or action to work correctly and might as well be throwing a piece of tyre tube in the water.
Finally mate, your kayak will get you to alot of really good spots. Try any of the creeks/canals up and down the coast. Look for quieter canals or creeks with bait and structure. The last few hours of the run out is best for species like flatties and jacks. If you want to try for flatties in brisbane the flats across from the fishermans island boat ramp can be quite good at times and very easy to access with a kayak, just be careful when the tide starts racing through under the bridge.
Hope i didn't bore you too much..........Good luck
as for the line i will go through and cut all teh knots out.
the reel is a shakespeare synergy 2500 which my dad baught me i was thinking of upgrading in a few months.
i think the tangles happen from losse wraps under tight wraps of line on the spool and the tight ones go under the loose ones, if that makes sense
i bought a range of colours from bright to almost clear paddle tails, wrigglers and flick baits,
i watch alot of fishing shows on tv so ive got the technique down pat aswell as one of my cousins has been into it for years and we go fishing and he shows me the tricks.
thanks for the spots aswell ill have to check out the flats in brisbane
um teh line is a good 3mm from the egde of the spool, and the tangles happen whenever not only when im casting into the wind or going for a bit more.
im pretty sure its just the first few winds of the reel after the cast that the line goes on loose and then the over wraps which are tighter go under and casue the tangles.
Flash prawn squidgy flick baits, black gold or gary glitter squidgy fish, nuc chook or pumpkin seed 4" minnows, pumpkin seed or green/ blue 4" powerbait minnows.
Hey tom , i get the same problem with braid . After a dozen or so casts i do a longer cast where i put tenstion on the line when retreiving , it seems to help !
If your keen on getting out in that kayak , try cleveland point around the cardinal beacon 4 squire !!!
Hey Tom, i'm also a newby to this game and site, but i found out pretty quick that you have to bind on the braid extremely tight and also have to back the spool with some mono so it won't slip on the spool. The guy at the tackle shop showed me how to do it myself, but i just paid him a couple of bucks and they did it on a machine. I've not had the problem since.
If you find braid a pain and too expensive..... there is nothing wrong with mono.
then you don't need all this backing & leader fiddle and you only need to know two knots.
I'm a confirmed alvey man, but I do have an eggbeater or two...... because you cant regulate the lay up with finger tension on an egg beater it is vey easy to get slack wraps on your spool.
so you need to keep an eye on your spool and trow the odd long cast and a steady retreave with the line and bait in the water supplying tension to fix the lay up.
otherwise youll be throwing bunches of grapes all over the place
if you do find you have a minor spool off inbetween the runners, draw the rod tip back and walk back with it if you can, to pull it all straight befre it tangles.
You got acatch tangles early before they become knots.
one other thing you might try is when casting , pinching the line against the side of the spool with your index finger instead of against the rod but..... in this position you can regulate the spool of with your finger and you might be able to prevent blow offs and catch bunches of grapes before the spool off.
This method I'm only just learning & i can see real advantage but it helps to have strong long fingers.
SOFT PLASTICS CHAT!!! + some questions
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..........Good luck
