Soft Plastics Rigging

[Cubesy]

G'day everyone

I have some soft plastics and jigheads consigned to the bottom of my tackle box after a few unsuccessful attempts to get something to bite them.

I am heading down to Southport next week and thought I might give them a go on the Broadwater. I was thinking I could target some flathead with some shads or grubs at low tide around the sandbanks (I will be land based).

A couple of questions (hopefully not to silly!).

Is it OK to use a blood knot to attach the jighead to the line?

Do I attach the jighead to the main line or do I use a trace and swivel?

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

Cubesy

[landy1]

G'day Cubesy
Sounds good just tie the jig head direct to your main line. A loop knot is best to allow for lure movement (swimming). just chuck it out and use a slow retrieve if the fish are there youll get hits. Good thing about plastics is the fish keep coming back.
cheers
Michael

[clutter]

Don't use a main that is too heavy. My standard rig is 4lb fireline with an 8lb leader. I don't usually worry about a loop knot myself but thats just me. Don't go too heavy on the jig head either, use the lightest you can get away with and pay particular attention when baiting up your plastic, it has to sit nice and straight and not be skewed. If it doesn't look right to you it probably won't to the fish.

Cheers, Clutter

[porl]

Can help if you dunk it in a small bottle of fish oil before you consign it to the sea. though i suppose flathead aren't the inquisitive type and will just munch it if they see it.

Let us know how you go, and put back the big breeder ones.

[SteveCan]

Hi Cubsey,

Have just been starting to get some limited success with the softies. Most of the stuff I've read says to use a loop knot - but we oftern rig a blood if out on the water in a hurry.

Most of our fishing so far has been out of a canoe and the last two trips have hooked up three pan size flathead. What we found was that all of those flathead were caught casting towards the shore and the hook up was in each case in less than knee deep water. Each time it was a surprise how easy it was - the last time it happened I cast onto the sand and was pulling the plastic into the water when I got hit - quite a surprise.

I think that with flatties there is not much guile required - if you get a nice swimming plastic near one it is going to have a go - good luck!

Cheers
Steve.

[Cubesy]

Thanks guys.

I'll let you know how I go.

Regards

Cubesy

[Fisheasy]

Jig heads in the heavier weights usually work best as this will allow for the lure to be worked along the bottom where the flatties generally lay. For example the largest size in the squidgy range works a treat. Lure size, I usually use the Grass Minnows in large, colour hasn't really mattered too much to date (used black with the same success as the more popular pink) however I do have a tendency to put the blue/pearl on first. There are also power shads on the market in 3" which have produced a lot of fish for me. Usually get about 6 fish from the one lure before the plastic's too mutilated to use. 10lb fireline and about a 5kg leader (mono) okay.
Blood knots okay to use. If the flatties are there, they'll grab your lure if it swims over there nose!!

[spike2]

soft plastics are great fun and fairly cheap ,if your plastics are getting old they might not be as good as some of the new ones on the market . l have found the atomics , sqiddgies , and berkleys to be among the best . fishing lite you will increase your catch 4 pound main and 6 pound vanish trace is a good average. work them slow in an erratic manor . if fishing from the shore look for structure weed beds and drop offs . hope you catch a fish or two

cheers spike

[Cubesy]

Guys

Thanks again for the advice.

I spent a couple of hours on the Broadwater to try and hook something but was unsuccessful .I tried a small pink grub, which got its tail bitten off, but no hook up. I also tried a small amber coloured shad but apart from the toadfish following it in I didn't seem to get anything interested in it.

I did manage to catch a flathead (30cm, released) while I was there but that was on bait.

I'll keep trying though.

Cheers

Cubesy

[RobRocket]

can you drift using soft plastics??

[spike2]

yes u can drift using soft plastics but u have to pick your locations , drifting in weed beds and structure can be frustrating , jigging whilst drifting does work but look for gutters that hold fish .its a big ocean and it helps heaps if u can keep the plastics where the fish should be , the weekends are to short to be fishing water that doesnt hold fish . the biggest advantage of plastics over bait is that on any given day u can cover twice the area of traditional bait fishing methods

good luck spike