Plastics - Help

[Captian_Zero]

Hi

I bought these plastics one day when I was blinded by optimism. They were in a Force Ten snack pack.

I have never caught anything on them despite numerous efforts. I have tried treating them with aniseed essence and that did not work. The best I have done is have a toad fish take a nip out of the tail of a pink grub. Should I persist with these or throw them away and buy some new ones (or could you point out the ones I should keep and what type I should buy). I want to target bream and flatties.

Thanks

Chris

[Captian_Zero]

and these!!! Notice the nip out if the tail of the pink grub. That is the closest I have come to catching a fish on these

[el_carpo]

Hi Captain Z,

In the first group, number 5 looks alright but the others don't look so hot. The second group look good but the pink colors might not be the best choice. Maybe they are, remember, I'm from a place far away . With the twister tails, I usually stick to white or pumpkinseed (clear olive green with red metallic flakes). I don't know if that makes sense but it works for me so....

It may be your retrieve. Are you letting the bait fall far enough? Keeping your bait at a desired depth for the targeted species? Are you jigging it in (good) or just rocketing it back to you (bad). Do these baits resemble what the fish see and eat normally. Does your retrieve closely mimic what the fish are used to or does your bait look like a visitor from another planet? Do you pause and let the bait fall briefly? This trick can get those shy followers to take a whack at your lure. Generally, I try to use a slow and steady drag and drop retrieve. Pull your line in with your rod tip for about five feet and let it fall while reeling in the slack. Repeat. It takes a while to get used to fishing soft plastics. Try your best to copy what you have seen in the particular waters you fish. As the fly fishermen like to say, "Match the Hatch" You'll get the hang of it. Good luck. Good fishing!

[beefaman]

For bream: All the grubs in 2 and 3 inch work a treat...atomic, sliders, squidgie etc.....I have recently been using the Gulps made by Berkley with great effect.....
For flathead: Nearly anything will work, just need a bigger jighead to keep the SP in the strikezone on the bottom.

[BOMBER]

Hi,

I find the retrieve to be very important when fishing softplastics also jighead weights too big the softplastics drop to the bottom after a lift like a school port where as with say a 1/16oz jig head they flutter to the bottom at a more acceptable speed and look to the fish. The retrieve I find most successful is to cast to a piece of structure or bank let the plastic sink to the bottom give the rod a sharp lift from about waist high to around the 11 o clock mark then let the plastic flutter back to the bottom and very very slowly retrieve the slack line that will then form, I catch a lot of Bream, Flathead and Mangrove Jack this way. Retrieve speeds can change also depending on the mood of the fish, my favourite colours are charteruse,tomato core, john deere, pumpkinseed and pearl in the salt in the fresh I use more darker colours but keep persisting and eventually you will catch that fish on plastic your after.

[Captian_Zero]

Thanks for the replies. I will work on the things you mentioned. I am determined to catch a fish on these.
A further question - do you find the painted jigheads work better than the plain lead?


Regards

Chris

[BOMBER]

Hi Again Zero,

Re the painted jig heads I only have a few of these in my box on the night that I caught this fish it was dark and I just grabbed it for the weight, I don't really think it matters too much 99.9% of the fish I have caught on softies have all been caught on plain jig heads.

Regards,

THE BOMBER

[beatle]

I have had the same problem with soft plastics I've never caught a thing on them. I've looked at the video on how to use Squidgies, I've got a tackle box full of all sorts of s/p's. The last time I took the boat out I found a spot with a big school of Bream around used bait to start with and caught them one after another, switched to soft plastics-nothing.-back to bait -heaps .Am going back to that spot monday and I will try the advice from the posts.-Beatle [smiley=beatnik.gif]