Fishing for Estuary Species using Soft Plastics
Written by Thomas
Welcome to my “Guide” on showing those who are beginners using soft plastics the How-To catch plenty of great fish in the future. This guide will teach you plenty of things from lines to jigheads.
Species you may encounter
Just to name a few species you are going to catch whilst flicking Estuaries. I haven’t named them all as there are too many.
Yellowfin Bream
Estuary Cod
Mangrove Jack
Flathead
Where the fish hold
For Estuary bashing I like to look for an area with lots of structure, personally my favourite structures are pylons although yours might be fallen trees or even flats. You should be casting in as close to your chosen structure as you possibly can without getting snagged. On the flats cast as far out as you can so that you don’t spook the fish in the area, then retrieve (More in the “Your Style of Retrieve” section When flicking the flats you should always wear protective shoes as of rays and other marine life. Remember if you’re not fishing the structure you will not catch as many quality fish!
Knots
One of the most important if not most important thing to remember whilst fishing is your knots. When using lures I like to use an Albright Knot when connecting my Braid (Mainline) to my Fluorocarbon leader. A simple but very good knot, to do this knot visit this website http://www.animatedknots.com/albright/index.php. Then to connect my leader to jighead I use a Perfection Loop Knot, another great knot but quite easy to complete. To learn how to do this knot please watch this video
Soft Plastics
There are so many soft plastics nowadays that it’s beginning to be an expensive sport. When flicking the Estuaries you should be using smaller plastics ranging from 65MM – 100MM, or if chasing big Jews and Lizards then you’d be using 150MM’s.
My favourite Plastics
Squidgy 80MM Wrigglers in Dusk, Wasabi, Bloodworm and Flash Prawn. Bream just can’t resist these, Cod, Flathead, Flounder and many more species love these wonderful plastics as well.
Squidgy 70MM Flick Baits in Pilly, Flash Prawn and Real Bloodworm. Bream just can’t resist these, Cod, Flathead, Flounder and many more species love these wonderful plastics as well.
Berkley Gulp 2.5” Power Minnow in Emerald Shiner and New Penny. Bream just can’t resist these, Cod, Flathead, Flounder and many more species love these wonderful plastics as well.
Berkley Gulp 3” Power Minnow in Pepper Prawn and Pumpkin Seed. Any fish lurking the snags will hammer these awesome little minnows.
Berkley Gulp 2” Baby Shrimp in New Penny, Natural Shrimp, Bone Jack and the faithful Banana Prawn. One of my GO-TO plastics if the fish aren’t biting.
Atomic Guzzlerz 2” Prong in Pearl Shot and Old Penny. Another of my GO-TO plastics, this great plastic has caught me multiple big Bream.
There are many more plastics but I find all of the above the most versatile and catches me a lot more fish than others do.
Soft Plastic Retrieves
To be a successful plastic fisherman you need to have your retrieve correct. There are many retrieves out there you may have heard of, you might have forgotten them or didn’t know them in the first place so I’m going to try and refresh your mind. The most versatile retrieve is the Drop-Lift retrieve. Basically to do the Drop-Lift retrieve all you have to do is cast your plastic out then lift the rod tip up to about 80Degrees, then drop it back down to water level, after doing this action wait about 5seconds then wind in the slack and repeat the process. Another one of my favourite is the 1-2, it’s basically the Drop-Lift retrieve but slightly different. First off you cast you plastic out and wait for it to hit the bottom, once it hits the bottom lift the rod tip up to about 60degrees then drop the rod tip back to the water level then lift your rod tip to approximately 90degrees, once it hits the bottom wait a few seconds and wind in the slack and repeat the process.
Jigheads
Jigheads are essential if you are planning on catching any fish. There are too many brands to name so I will just name a few, TT, Gamakatsu, and Squidgy. It all depends on where you’re fishing and which jighead to use. When fishing shallow sand flats use the Squidgy Resin Heads size 4, these heads let your plastics sink naturally down to the strike zone which equals more fish. They’re extremely light though so don’t work them aggressively. When fishing deeper water opt towards the lead heads such as Gamakatsu Round 25’s, hook size 1 with different weights including 1/22OZ and 1/16OZ. Gamakatsu Round 25’s are made using fine wire hooks which is a extra bonus when trying to hook the fish and has a great “falling” action. Another brand I use are the TT Jigheads, these are made with Gamakatsu light wire hooks. They come in various sizes and weights so choose carefully. My favourite sizes and weights are the following, size 1 hook and 1/28OZ, then the size 1 hook in 1/16OZ. These weights are so that your plastics reach the strike zone at a reasonable pace but not too fast that the fish can’t have a real look at your plastic. Ending up in more fish.
Line
When flicking plastics you should be opting to use Braid. Main reasons being that it’s tough and has a much higher sensitivity than Monofilament. This doesn’t mean you have to use Braid but all my lure work is done with Braid. My favourite brand of Braid is Stren Microfuse. It has a great casting distance compared to many other brands. Another favourite Braid of mine has to be the almighty Fireline. It’s been around for ages and has been a favourite to many anglers. For beginners I would use 6lb in either Braids mentioned before. 6lb isn’t too heavy and isn’t too light so that you can handle anything from 30Cm Bream to 60Cm Cod.
Leaders
The Leader material used when using soft plastics is another vital component whilst using soft plastics. Use fluorocarbon as it sinks to get your soft plastics down a bit faster and naturally. Another plus is that it is invisible underwater, test it yourself. Leader can cost anything from $15 right up to $80 plus. To start off choose to use 8lb, so that you don’t get too many bite offs. There are plenty of brands to choose from including Berkley Vanish, Sunline FC Rock and Yamatoya just to name a few.
Rods
Choosing a rod is a personal thing but here are a few I have used and find great rods at a brilliant price.
Berkley Dropshot IM6 Graphite Blank Spin 2-4Kg and 6’6” in length : Brilliant rod for casting light plastics a fair way with it’s whippy tip and a nice length for a beginner.
Pflueger Trion HM-45 High Modulus Graphite Blanks Spin 2-4Kg and a great 7” length : Superb rod for flicking lures into heavy structure. Has plenty of grunt but a whippy tip so that you can work your plastics a lot better.
Shimano Starlo Stix Spin 7’2” : Perfect for a beginner lure flicker with a great length to flick those light lures a mile but has plenty of grunt in the lower section of the rod. Fuji guides are an extra bonus for extra life.
Reels
Once again, your choice on reels is entirely up to you. I’ll try and point you into a few directions though.
Shimano Sienna 2500: Awesome reel for it’s price with the following features, Graphite Frame, Graphite Sideplate, Graphite Rotor, Diecast Aluminum Spool, Varispeed, Paddle Handle Grip, Paddle Handle Grip, Dyna-Balance and Power Roller 2. Basically one of the best reels out there for under $100.00.
Shimano Slade 2500: Another great little reel by Shimano which doesn’t cost a lot. These nice reels have the great features, Graphite Frame, Graphite Sideplate, Graphite Rotor, Diecast Aluminum Spool, Varispeed, Ported Handle Shank, Dyna-Balance, Power Roller 2 and Super Stopper 2.
Daiwa CY 2000: A great reel designed and manufactured by Daiwa. It’s got great features including, Real four concept, Super metal body and sideplate, Braid friendly Airbail, Silent Cross Wrap oscillation, Infinite Anti-Reverse, Digigear 2 Drive System, Machined folding aluminium handle, Four stainless steel ball bearing including 2 CRBB bearings, Twistbuster 2, ABS aluminium spool with titanium nitride ring, Micro precision click adjustable drag. One of my favourite reels to use in its price range.
Thank you for reading, go out and get those big fish on plastics! Feel free to add pictures of fish that this guide helped you catch.
Thanks Tom
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