Does anyone fish with soft plastics?

[Bloke]

I’d never fished with soft plastics and thought I’d give it a go. I started fishing with Australian Squidgies brand around Christmas last year and after a couple of sessions to get the feel I started catching my target species, Dusky Flathead fairly regularly.

I’ve had good success with both the Wriggler and Paddle Tail Squidgies, flicking around Botany Bay but they‘re a weak composition and Tailor (I think they’re your Blue Fish) bite the tails off and render them useless quick smart so I changed to the U.S. Zman soft plastics and Demonz jig heads a few weeks ago.

They’re a super soft plastic and pretty tough and some of the colours glow in the dark. Sunday night just gone I used a Chartreuse Glow coloured 3” Minnowz Paddle Tail with a 1/4oz, 3/0 Hook, Chartreuse coloured, Demonz jig head for my first ever Flathead at night on a soft plastic. Not a world beater and the season has only just started with the water slow to warm this year but a respectable 49cm fish none the less and a lovely meal for beloved wife and myself.

Yesterday after work I went for a flick using the same size Chartreuse Jig head with another 3” Minnowz Paddle Tail. This time, Electric Chicken colour and nailed a fat well-conditioned fish on my second cast. Again not a world beater but a solid 67cm fish.

Anyhow, I’m still learning about Soft Plastics and only use 6lb line so it’s all pretty exciting for now. It’s a fairly popular way to fish here and I know many of you fish too and was wondering if you use soft plastics and which ones you use and what you target. :)

[awa54]

I generally don't fish, but when I do, I go fly a kite instead

Ain't Dyneema great stuff?

oh yeah, and we used to call the guys who chased you around the screen in the game Lode Runner "squidgies".

[standy99]

Try spinnerbait rigs with soft plastics

http://www.deepcreeklures.com/storenew/ ... rnerburner

Used to work a treat on flat head around Nambucca

Are you using a leader and braid ? Mono and leader ? Or straight mono.

[Doc Dan]

Where I come from Bass fishing is king so I have used a lot of soft lures, like gel/plastic worms, gel frogs, etc. One of my favorite lures is a Mepps minnow. It has a silver spinner, a double hook in the belly and a treble hook in the tail.

[bearfacedkiller]

I use a lot of different tackle depending on what I am fishing for. I use a lot of plastic when icefishing as it is all vertical jigging or live bait. Lots of tube jigs in the winter, often tipped with some live bait. I have used tube jigs as big as 4 inches for lake trout and as small as 1/2 inch or smaller for panfish but that is all vertical jigging. I also have used a lot of curly tail grubs for Crappie when not using standard bucktail crappie jigs. Also lots of rubber worms with weedless rigs for Largemouth Bass.

Sounds like you are fishing salt water and I have actually used plastics very little in salt water. I have used them a little bit for Striped Bass but I mostly I have used crank baits or cut bait, usually Mackerel.

You have Bluefish? I think they may be the meanest fish in the planet.

[Bloke]

David, you don't know what you're missing! :p

Standy, I've seen those spinners but I fish from the shore and they just don't seem very aerodynamic. I flick around structure too and loose gear and I can't help thinking I'd loose even more of those.
I fish 6lb braid with a rods length of 8lb fluorocarbon via an FG Knot and an 18", 12lb fluorocarbon bite/rub off tippet via a Double Uni Knot on one outfit and 4lb braid, 6lb fluorocarbon and the same tippet on a lighter outfit. The tippet is the game changer! I never used to use it till a huge old girl (maybe a metre) rubbed through 8lb leader at my feet. :eek:

Doc, I'm not sure if they are the same Bass but we have Bass in our fresh water systems and they are a very popular sport fish here too. I've never fished in fresh but signed up to fish for Carp here in Centennial Park. I've only been once and even thought about half a dozen 15-25lb fish where caught I caught naught but did manage to snag the biggest long neck turtle the fellow running it reckond he'd ever seen one so big and didn't even know they grew that big. It wasn't hurt and hooked in the shell behind its neck with a barbless hook :o

Darby, That's very interesting and you learn something every day. I thought with ice fishing in particular you would have used bait. When I saw pics of Crappie I always thought worms for bait. :rolleyes:
Are Stripped Bass the same fish that Doc mentioned?

Yes we have no shortage of Blue Fish (Pomatomus saltatrix) we call Tailor. They're a bloody menace for blokes like me flicking plastics at Flatties but great fun to catch on light gear. On our West Coast in particular we get some monsters with the occasional fish cracking the metre mark.

I went for a fish the same afternoon I started this thread and nailed two more nice fish one likely bigger than the 67cm I caught the day before but couldn't say for certain cause I let both go. :cool:

[Surfingringo]

Hey Bloke, I’ve got your pics but it’s late here and I’m fishing early. I’ll post em up tomorrow. If I forget, somebody remind me. :o

[Bloke]

Hey Bloke, I’ve got your pics but it’s late here and I’m fishing early. I’ll post em up tomorrow. If I forget, somebody remind me. :o

Thanks mate! :)

[bearfacedkiller]

Bloke, striped bass are different than what Doc was referring to. I assume he was referring to largemouth bass. Largemouth are an extremely popular freshwater fish here in the US. Striped bass, often called Stripers, are an anadromous fish that live in saltwater but spawn in freshwater. They are however also commonly stocked into freshwater lakes all over the country so we have freshwater landlocked Stripers too. I was referring to saltwater Stripers here on our northeast coast. It is a very popular fish on our Atlantic coast.

The word "Bass" here in the states usually implies one of the Black Bass which are generally Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. If you are referring to any other type of Bass you are usually more specific. If you do not specify then you are referring to one of those two Black Basses. Technically bass is a blanket term for pretty much all members of the perch and sunfish family. Where I grew up we used the names Crappie and Calico Bass interchangably. Crappie are a member of the Bass family too.

[bearfacedkiller]

I watched some YouTube videos of Dusky Flathead. Very cool! They almost look like bottom feeders but they are predatory. You learn something new everyday!

[Surfingringo]

Bloke's Flattie pics.



And look at the mug on this last one! :cool:

[Bloke]

Lance, are you sure these are the pictures I sent you?

My fish look a lot smaller and I look much shorter and nowhere near as handsome as I am in real life. :p

[Tdog]

Hey Bloke,
Here are a couple jigs I've had good success with:
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/hh-lur ... =004185435 in chartreuse/firecracker or other color good for your area. I use a 1/4 oz 1/0 or 2/0 hook with these. I pour my own jig heads as I loose a lot around oyster bars/structure. Usually 8/10/12lb mono, no leader. If your catching "toothy" fish they will get bit off. Another bait I use with good success for many fish is this: http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkley- ... 15887.html. Also a 1 or 2/0 1/4 oz jig head. There are a couple other Berkley baits that also work well on their site. You probably can find them locally. I just bought 50 of these: https://m.banggood.com/50pcs-9_5cm-Soft ... m-alsolike haven't used them yet but they look good and are cheap enough that if you lose or get cut off it's no big deal. Catch one (or 10) for me :D

[Midnightrider]

I have had zero luck with plastic over many decades of not trying real hard. Gave it up. Then again I have had essentially zero luck with any kind of lure. I use live bait or cut mullet when I get the chance to fish which lately is hardly ever. It's just one less frustration.

[Surfingringo]

Lance, are you sure these are the pictures I sent you?

My fish look a lot smaller and I look much shorter and nowhere near as handsome as I am in real life. :p

Yes, that’s them. I didn’t post the one you sent me from your jazz-tap recital, was I supposed to?

[Bloke]

Hey Bloke,
Here are a couple jigs I've had good success with:
Catch one (or 10) for me :D

Thanks T, I'll check them out! Flatties aren't overly fussy in what they'll hit.

I went for a flick yesterday (Sunday) morning. Same spot I caught the two fish in the pics earlier in the week. Conditions seemed perfect tide falling, no one around ... all seemed perfect and I s'pose all was but I fished a few kilometres of beach for one solitary fish around 42cm which I cleaned, filleted and gave to a mate. :rolleyes:

[Bloke]

I watched some YouTube videos of Dusky Flathead. Very cool! They almost look like bottom feeders but they are predatory. You learn something new everyday!

Hi Dardy, they're an aggressive ambush hunter and they're cannibals. Within reason they'll hit anything that comes within range. Many times the bigger fish in particular see the lure swimming down after it hits the water they line it up, swallow it and sit back down. You wind the slack line, drop the rod tip to hop the lure and there's a fish already hooked for you. :cool:

They aren't real pretty either but they are exceptional eating and consequently an Aussie favourite. :)

[Bloke]

I have had zero luck with plastic over many decades of not trying real hard. Gave it up. Then again I have had essentially zero luck with any kind of lure. I use live bait or cut mullet when I get the chance to fish which lately is hardly ever. It's just one less frustration.

It can be tricky fishing with artificials and a long drawn process of trial and error but it can be very satisfying when it all comes together though and patience is truly a virtue. :)

[Bloke]

Lance, are you sure these are the pictures I sent you?

My fish look a lot smaller and I look much shorter and nowhere near as handsome as I am in real life. :p

Yes, that’s them. I didn’t post the one you sent me from your jazz-tap recital, was I supposed to?

I explained that that particular photo was for a different Lance and you said you'd delete it.

Please send my jazz-tap recital photo back ... it was an honest mistake! :o

[Surfingringo]

Please send my jazz-tap recital photo back ... it was an honest mistake! :o[/quote]

Here ya go twinkle toes.