plastics beginner what softies do we use

[ad heeney]

hi fishos, just getting back into fishing used to fish hard bodies , been told about those soft plastics, been catching everything i here .so what are the best for say the brissie for fish like bream jew flathead snapper . what would, we use for bay snapper like around mud green peel pin. squidgys, gulps, ect ect........please give me advise about what type of softies to use. thanks adam

[bayfisher]

You will find days of reading on what lures to use for what fish if you do a few searches. There is a wealth of information built up over the years.

None the less some proven plastics for species are

Bream - small grubs
Fathead - 3 to 5inch grubs
Snapper - 5 to 7inch jerkbaits or 4 to 5 inch grubs
Jew - 5inch+ paddle tails(or slick rigs) or grubs

[chief 1]

Bream-soft plastics-Squidgy Wrigglers,Firebait longtail minnows,berkley gulp,Atomic Prongs.
Hardbodies for bream-most of ecogear range
Flathead soft plastics-Squidgy fish in killer tomato,Squidgy flick baits in evil minnow or pearlescent white,powerbait

[tunaticer]

The recomendations for this thread will read like a walk thru a Boating Camping Fishing store if everyone places up thier preferences.

Basically nearly anything in the 4-7" bracket thats supple and flexible in almost any colour worked right and with the right jighead will catch snapper.
Similarly flathead can be caught on 3-5" softs too with the same flexibility but slightly different techniques.

Concensus here leads towards Nuclear Chicken as being the most talked about colour that works, however I like more watermelon coloured greens myself.

Biggest thing of all tho is getting the weight of the jig the hook size and the presentation right for your target species. You do not want a bait that spirals down into the depths, it needs to sink perferably in a wafting style like a feather falling through the air.
Do not be afraid to fish a large jig hook in the right weight on light line either, the fish will drive that hook home on the strike 90% of the time. I fish 3/0 to 5/0 heavy guage hooks on 6lb line regularly.

Jack.

[Scalem]

I fish 3/0 to 5/0 heavy guage hooks on 6lb line regularly.

Jack.

Agree with everything you said Jack, you only ever lose the fish of a lifetime because of a straightened hook once.... so Heavy guage Gamakatsu hooks is the ONLY choice for me. 3/0 is an all round favourite fishing 4" shads in the bay. You will find the 3/0 good for some 3" patterns also.

Scalem

[SummerTrance]

Hey there,

Also try looking back about 4 pages for a thread I started called: Help needed for plastics beginner.

I asked simalar questions and got some very good advice thats not listed above. Went on my first plastics trip yesterday and did ok. Look in the estuary/bay reports section also if your interested.

[Keechie]

hi for bream: use flickbaits and grubs preferably squidgy flickbaits and powerbait in 3", and also for the grubs use squidgy wrigglers, atomic's and gulp minnow grubs.

snapper: 4-5" powerbait and gulp jerkshads these are accounting for more snapper and by-catch at the moent also try some big squisgy wrigglers these also pull in a few nice snaps.

Flathead: basically anything i have caught flahead on 1" of gulp worm and also on 5" jerkshads try the squidgy flickbaits and wrigglers and fish these are t he main big flathead lures.

Cod: anything thhat moves and is brightly coloured try using a wriggler patter with a bright orange running through it.

regards,
keechie