Soft plastics in the surf

[Captain_Zero]

Hi all

I will be spending a week at the Gold Coast shortly and would like to have a go at fishing SP in the surf for dart, bream etc. if I find a nice gutter.

I have tried this once and got some touches on squidgy wrigglers but no hook ups.

Would appreciate any advice on jighead size, types of plastics and any techniques that might work.

Thanks

Chris

[goat boy]

mate I think you'll find it hard to fish plastics in the surf. even with the heavier jigheads getting the cast out far enough will be hard? You might get lucky and get a nice close gutter with a bit of a westerly to help. If you really want to use plastics use something like the gulp worms and fish them like you would a true worm bait. I've used the bigger slick rigs trying to bounce through some close gutters for flathead with lmited success. I'm yet to meet anyone that successfully fishes plastics in the surf in the sense you would in the creeks/rivers.

[Scalem]

The only advice I can give is as a result of someone taking plastics to Fraser, but I have not tried it. Whatever it was up there they can demolish plastics in no time, so have a backup plan with snapbacks which will last a bit longer otherwise it can get expensive if you are in the middle of a school. I would certainly try Gulp sand worm immitations, I think they should get some results. I've wanted to give it a go myself sometime. I'll watch with interest. Good luck!

Scalem

[Teejay24]

mate thats sounds near impossible. a close gutter is your only chance. for bream id find a rock wall(rock groin) and fish light as possible heads. i dont think dart will chase them. flathead is your best chance with a close gutter incoming tide and 100mm fish plastic. personally i would fish the canals or rock walls found everywere round the coast.
good luck
tj

[Captain_Zero]

Thanks for the advice. I will have a crack and see waht happens.

I have caught 1 dart on a 3 inch berkley minnow but that was from a boat at the Northern wall of the seaway. I have a photo somewhere.

Cheers

Chris

[Slider]

Flathead are being caught every morning atm in front of Teewah on plastics and last week in fairly boisterous conditions. Mostly they are being caught beside gutters in shallow water on an incoming tide. Clear or white 4 inch plastics seem to be getting best results.

[greenie.77]

I'm not sure why everyone says it's so hard. I have fished the beach quite a few times with good success for flathead (with my 6 foot pastics rod).
The swell can't be too big and the wind needs to be slight. if you can find a bit of a rip next to some rocks the flatties sit in there. Don't be afraid to use a fairly heavy jig head.
My success has come with 5inch gulp jerkshads. I found fishing off the rocky point casting parallel with the beach and bringing my plastic back with the rip to be the easiest technique to use. One time I went out on the knee deep sandbank and cast back into the gutter. It is definitely easier if the plastic is running with the water though. If you find the right water there is usually plenty of flatties in there.
Good luck mate!

[stonecold]

Ive got a how to thread somewhere on Ausfish specifically on SP in the surf...only way I fish the beach for bream and flatties these days. Super effective

[johnlikes2fish]

I have fished sp's in the surf for a while and captures range from tailor dart long tom salmon jew flathead to bream and the odd whiting.
I have specially made gear but you can use 6-7ft light rod or even a light surf rod with larger heavier sp's light line is a must with braid the obvious choice.
Its like all fishing pick a species and target it accordingly for dart tailor etc I would use something like a squidgy stickbait or similar, jighead size is dependent upon conditions but as the retrieve on these is quite quick size isnt that big a deal these should be retrieved quickly anywhere from the surface to whatever depth until you find the fish.
For Jew and flathead I use big fuish shapes (shads or paddletails whatever each brand calls them) bounce them along the bottom for flathead for jew i jerk the rod up a few times and let the sp sink. All the popular colours work for the surf too and they work at night.
Fish the same structure you normally would flathead love banks and drop off etc
If you do a search of some of my other posts i have written about this before.

[johnlikes2fish]

Bit more info: I use steelhead rods (loomis but reddington make cheap ones also fly rods are good for this) around 9-10ft that cast light weights i use 6lb braid on shimano 2500 reels leaders range from 6-15lb mono these rods also cast tiny lsugs that i occasionally use. I have no problems with casting distance as it is rare that I am fishing structure that is a long way out with this type of fishing but on occasions with the westerlies blowing I can get some good distance. Tailor can hammer sp's if they are around i would switch to a slug if they are being picky an sp will work better.
have fun sp's in the surf are great and they catch plenty.

[johnlikes2fish]

Hi Lindsay hope things are going well, hopefully this guy gives sp's in the surf a go I have had some great success.
How did things with the lures work out let me knwo thanks
John

Flathead are being caught every morning atm in front of Teewah on plastics and last week in fairly boisterous conditions. Mostly they are being caught beside gutters in shallow water on an incoming tide. Clear or white 4 inch plastics seem to be getting best results.