PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant VBA_SCRIPT - assumed 'VBA_SCRIPT' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in ..../includes/functions_navigation.php(802) : eval()'d code on line 1 Snapper on soft plastics off the Gold coast
Having used soft plastics on flathead and bream around the Broadwater successfully I would like to try catching snapper off the Gold Coast using soft pastics instead of the old pilly rig.
I am fishing out of a 4.5m tinnie so would be limited to 18/24's and would like to know what size and type of jigheads/plastics I should be using.
The choice is a bit confusing!!
Any help would be appreciatted.
Wazza
personal preference is stickbaits in watermelon, pumkinseed and also shads in particular in the lumo colour. as the saying goes... match the hatch. see what size bait is around and pick size of plastic accordingly. basically its usually 4-6 inches. jig heads as light as possible but need to get to the bottom (fish are sometimes only hanging mid water as well) but choose a size that will get down in the conditions. main thing is current! if its running quickly, obviously heavier head ect. good luck.
I had my first success with this last Saturday. Plastics were gulp 5" jerk shad in blue pepper neon or nuclear chicken although I suspect that most colours will work. I was fishing in 20m of water and found 1/2oz nitro jig head was ideal at the time. Use and have faith in your sounder and GPS. If the sounder is saying there are fish close to the bottom spend some time working the area. As chaos said jigs have to be on or close to the bottom. I found marking the fish on the sounder (furuno 600L) then dropping the jig straight over the side and using a vertical jig technique effective.
mark,
if your not getting snapper on your plastics and still you see fish, trying an erratic high speed jigging retrieve. could be a school of kingies waiting for something to excite them....but use stickbaits for this cause you will pull the shads off the jig head.
Havnt had that problem yet, the SP were just to effective. Ive caught quite a few kings on S.P, cobe's also. Kings tend to show up a little different to snapper on my sounder.
hey wazza, I've had success on the snapper mostly on reefs between 10 and 30 metres. At these depths i find jigheads between about 3/8 and 5/8 to be the best depending on conditions. Plastics i use almost exclusively are 5" snapbacks mainly in white and a lifelike pearly blue colour. These are really good cos they dont tear up and the ultra soft flexible material gives them a really good action. Also as other guys have said use your sounder, i look for bait schools and cast into and around them, if u can find the bait it shouldn't take long to get onto some. Its a really fun way to fish! good luck with it.
Any particular outfits you guys prefer(I was going to use 8kg braid on a cacutta 400),and what jigging action do you recommend.Do you jig as per flathead or just let it sink to the bottom.
I am thinking of going out either Fri/Sat morning to give it a go weather permitting.
A. cast into the direction your drifting and let the jig sink to the bottom then work the jig back to the boat using a single verticle rod lift then let it sink back to the bottom and repeat
or
B if the drift is negligible simply drop the jig over the side and work the rod with a single verticle lift, again let the jig sink to the bottom prior to repeating.
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