Soft Plastics Article Draft #2

[Newt]

Monday Feb 26th at 21:17 EST

The new draft after taking onboard the comments is below. Please have another look and offer suggestions.

 

A huge THANK YOU to all who have posted so far.

 

I apologize for this process being a little slow and choppy but Jan is scheduled for a cardiac catherization in a few hours and we've been a bit distracted. She is the photo expert so the next revision in a few days will contain more and better photos.

This is a somewhat rough draft of an article I will be using as an eBay guide similar to the one on lipless crankbaits many of you were nice enough to critique for me a few weeks ago. Elton will also be putting it with the other AN how-to articles. With the first article I was on pretty solid ground since the style of lure was only slightly different than many that are common in the UK but this one is a different matter since soft plastics are used some by sea anglers but are almost unknown to the majority of coarse anglers.

 

Lure angling is as well known and familiar in the US as coarse angling with it's very refined baiting and rigging is to UK folk. I know when technical baiting, rigging, and technique threads are posted for traditional coarse angling I can easily get lost in new ideas and unfamiliar bits that make perfect sense to even fairly new UK anglers.

 

I really need feedback and criticism on this article and would really appreciate comments from experienced and new anglers including those who have never wet their first lure. What I have written makes perfect sense to me but I have been using this style of lure for many years and have fished with others who have done even more of it than I have. I suspect there are parts in here that will need major revision to be usable by UK anglers and this really needs to make sense to any who read it.

 

- If you have never fished with lures, does this give you enough information to try using soft plastics with some feeling that you will catch?

- Are there rigs or bits that have you scratching your head and muttering about 'crazy Americans'?

- Are their parts where you would like more detail? Parts where you wish there was less detail to wade through?

- If you have done lots of lure fishing, are there things you don't see mentioned that you know other anglers need to read?

 

Also, at the very end is a 'Tips' section. I would be a happy man if some of you could offer more tips that I can add to those.

 

I will revise based on comments and add the photos that are missing. Any time you see {{ comment }} it means I intend to put a photo in there but just don't have it done yet.

 

Happy reading.

 

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UK Lure Angling - Soft Plastics (rubber worms)

 

Because many UK waters are small, sometimes crowded, and most angling is done from the bank, lure fishing, and in particular lure fishing with plastic lures, is less common than in the USA. Apart from the salmon family, there are four species of UK freshwater fish that would readily attack plastic lures - pike, zander, perch and chub. Other cyprinids such as carp and barbel might also respond to a plastic lure - they certainly take small fish on occasion Here are some suggestions for angling with various soft plastic baits and rigs in these conditions.

 

What are they: The term 'soft plastics' is used to describe a variety of silicon based, rubbery textured lures. They are a fairly recent addition to the angler's lure arsenal, dating from the late 1950s when the first ones looked like a lobworm pre-rigged with hooks and a spinner in front. Today you can find a huge variety of shapes and sizes along with lures that have a more traditional hard head with the majority of the body soft and flexible. For ease of writing this article, I will use the term "worm" or "lure" unless discussing some specific types such as a crayfish or lizard shapes.

 

 

In the US they are very popular for all species of fresh water predators but for some reason, most UK use is by sea anglers. Any coarse angler who uses them is likely to have a distinct advantage over anglers who stay with more traditional jerk baits, crank baits, and spinners. The traditional lures target active/aggressive fish in fairly open water while worms can be fished in the most horrible cover you can imagine and work well for less active fish. They have several additional advantages in that they are very inexpensive so your day is not ruined if you lose a lure and they can be fished in any depth of water you are likely to encounter.

 

What rod & line: For most types of lure angling, you can use the rods and reels you already own and have fun. The higher number of casts per session may lead you to getting rods that are purpose made for lures but that will be purely a matter of choice.

 

Fishing soft plastics is a different matter and using your existing gear will probably lead you to join the anglers who declare that soft plastics do not catch fish in the UK. The difference is a matter of sensitivity. If you are fishing a plug, takes are obvious. With soft plastics, they are usually very subtle and more likely to be a faint tap, tap than a hard smash followed by a fish leaving the area at a rapid rate. The need to be able to see or feel these very delicate takes while being able to make a quick, hard hookset and then play a fish nicely to the net means that you need a rod that really does not exist since the best for detecting bites is not good for setting a large hook and the best for setting the hook is not ideal for playing a fish to the net. My recommendations will be just that - recommendations and based on a compromise that will do the job for you.

 

Rod: 5½ - 6½ ft carbon with a fast to extra-fast action is the easiest to use unless bank side conditions make a longer rod necessary. A fast action is a rod the has a fairly limber tip but the bottom 3/4 of the rod is fairly stiff. Extra-fast is similar but only about the last 1/8 of the tip is limber. The short rods are preferred since a longer rod will tend to cause you to over-move the lure when retrieving. Best is a rod that has no padding where the reel attaches so that the reel touches the rod itself for even better 'feel'. You will need a shop that has purpose made US style lure rods so unless you are very lucky, these will be on-line purchases. The rod needs to be one-piece if possible to help transmit the lightest touch to your hand and the cost of shipping will be a bit higher due to the package length. These rods will work fine with most other styles of lures as well. That said, longer rods do have an advantage with a large fish on and if you have bankside vegitation to deal with and multi-piece rods are certainly easier to transport. They also allow you to cast further which might be necessary on some waters.

 

Line: A braid 'super line' is best with the thinner ones like Power Pro doing somewhat better than the original Fireline or similar. Braid does not stretch so you can feel the lightest tap. An added advantage to braid is that when fishing in weed or lily pads, the braid is likely to cut the weed and allow you to land a fish while mono would just wrap around the weed and your fish would get away. Braid is more expensive initially but it last much longer than mono so that the long-term cost is actually slightly less. Knot strength is not affected by water. Almost all braid lines float. The sinking versions have some kevlar in the line which does not add anything useful for this style of fishing. Braids are opaque and so easier to see which is a huge advantage for watching your line to detect a light tap or abnormal movement - both of which will usually be a fish with your lure in it's mouth.

 

If your usual waters will not allow braid or if you just do not like it, the next best option is a fluorocarbon line. It stretches a little more than braid but much less than mono. The early fluorocarbon lines were not very reliable but newer ones do well as mainline or hooklength. They do not absorb water and knot strength is not affected by getting the line wet.

Fluorocarbon lines are all heavier than water and sink which is usually fine since you are fishing on the bottom anyway. Use a line that is coloured to make it easier to watch your line. They become translucent to transparent under water so will not spook fish.

 

Mono is not a choice I would consider for fishing soft plastics. It stretches from 15-20%, loses strength (line and knot) as it absorbs water, and wraps around weed rather than cutting itself free. If you use a limber rod with mono line, you are unlikely to notice takes on a soft plastic lure except for the most aggressive where you could have done as well with a spinner bait, crank bait or dead bait.

 

Use a line of 8-14 lb breaking strength or with braid, a similar diameter line.

 

Reels: You will not be fishing at distance so any reel that holds at least 100 yards of line is fine. You will be casting quite a bit more than with some other styles of angling so a smaller, lighter reel will be more comfortable. You want a reel with instant anti-reverse since even a 1/4 turn backwards could allow enough slack to result in a missed take.

 

The main reel possibilities are multipliers, American style spincast, and conventional fixed spool. I suspect a centrepin could be used and if anyone who has fished soft plastics using them could give me details, I'll add them to this guide.

 

Multiplier is my first choice for any except the very lightest of lures. They allow you to lightly hold your line between thumb and forefinger while retrieving the lure and you can often feel a fish when you cannot see any signs of a take. If you are not comfortable with multipliers due to their habit of backlashing and giving horrible line tangles until you get used to them, consider a US style called a spin-cast reel. It mounts on top like a multiplier but the design is similar to a closed face reel. The Zebco Rhino RCS reels are excellent with the RCS3 for perch & chub and the RCS5 for pike, catfish and larger zander.

 

Traditional round multiplier

 

Carolina Rig - a oval drilled lead or bullet weight is placed on the mainline followed by a plastic or rubber bead (to protect the knot) and a swivel. The hooklength of one to five foot length is tied to the swivel at one end and to a hook at the other. This is a good rig for deeper water to about 60 feet where the bottom is clear of fallen trees or stumps. If there is bottom weed, you want to either use a floating lure or attach a small float near the front of the hook so the lure stays above the weed. If the bottom is rocky you probably want to use a brass or a tungsten weight rather than lead since lead is soft and will deform easily with a potential to damage your line. If the fish are active in warmer weather, brass is probably best since it makes a very distinct clicking sound as it strikes rocks which alerts the fish to the presence of your lure. A nice feature of this rig is that the fish will not feel the weight while mouthing your lure since the weight is not fixed and can slide freely.

 

Carolina rigged lizard

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d128/jsvail/anglersnet/c-rig-lizard.jpg' alt='c-rig-lizard.jpg'>

 

This is probably the simplest rig to fish. Cast out and when the weight reaches bottom, begin to slowly bring it in by holding your rod at about 10 O'clock and giving a slight twitch to move the weight 4-5 inches then let it settle again. Most takes will happen when the lure is sinking so watch the line closely.

 

If possible, before you ever fish a C-rig, find some clear, shallow water and have a friend watch while you retrieve the rig. You will almost certainly be moving it too far at first and the longer your rod, the further it will move. Practice until you have a feel for what it will take to move it a foot or less.

 

If you get hung, it is most likely to be the weight getting caught in something. Try pointing the rod at the lure then putting tension on the line then suddenly letting off, similar to drawing and releasing a bow string. The weight will often bounce free when you do this. If you are fishing a particularly snaggy area, you can use what the sea anglers call a rotten bottom where the weight is attached by a piece of line that is much weaker than your mainline so a hang-up will result only in the loss of a weight rather than your whole rig.

 

 

 

Texas Rig - a bullet shaped weight drilled down the center is placed on the mainline and the mainline tied directly to the hook or on a short hooklength if you need to use wire or fluorocarbon line. If the weight will be free sliding, a plastic or rubber bead is a good idea to protect the knot. Weights are usually lead or tungsten depending on the size you want for a certain weight although brass bullet weights are available. The lure is usually rigged with the hook point buried in the lure or lying close along the side to make it weedless. Texas rigs are good for heavier cover where a Carolina rig would not work. In most cases, you can leave the weight free sliding so that, as with a Carolina rig, the fish will not notice the weight or you can use a toothpick or similar to 'peg' the line with the weight tight against your bead. If fishing where there are logs or stumps, a pegged weight is a good precaution since having the weight on one side of a log and the worm on the other can cause the lure to get hung more easily.

 

Texas rigged lizard and t-rig jig head rigged lizard

 

This is by far the most versatile way to fish soft plastics. You can use the same technique as with a C-rig in shallow water, toss into weed and slowly twitch your way out, toss onto the top of a lily pad and gently slide along until the lure falls off then watch for a take as if sinks, or quietly toss into snags or tree tops and ease your way out. The rig is virtually weedless/snagless so any hang ups are likely to be a fish.

 

The key to fishing a Texas rig since you cannot cast long distances is to have the rig enter the water as quietly as possible and as accurately as possible. You might want to add flipping and pitching to your casting methods and especially if you are using a fixed spool reel.

 

Pitching is good for casts of 10 to 30 feet. Easiest with a rod of 7-8 feet and can also be good with other lures as long as they are single hook lures.

- Face the target.

- Let out enough line to bring the lure even with the reel then hold the lure with your free hand at waist level.

- Lower the rod tip toward the water and put tension on the line then in one quick, smooth motion of your wrist, bring the rod tip upward and forward toward the target. This should be wrist action only so don't use your arm.

- As the lure passes the rod tip, release the line and continue to raise your rod tip.

- The lure should move along just above the water surface and if you begin to feather the line just before the lure reaches it's target the entry should be silent with barely a ripple in the water.

 

Flipping is intended for short casts of less than 20 feet to visible cover and pinpoint accuracy. It is more difficult to master than pitching but is well worth the time and effort. Best done with a stiffish rod of no more than 7 feet with a fairly short handle. Best done with a little elevation over the water.

- Let out about 15 feet of line then grasp the line between the reel and first ring with your free hand and straighten your arm out to the side. You should now have about 8 feet of line past the rod tip.

- Using only your wrist, raise the rod tip to cause the lure to swing toward you and when it gets close to your body, lower the rod tip to make the lure swing forward.

- As the lure moves past the rod tip, continue raising the tip as you feed line out with your free hand.

- When the lure nears the target, lower the rod tip and then gently stop the lure just before it enters the water.

 

Regardless of the technique you are using, be ready to strike from the instant your lure enters the water.

 

 

Wacky Rig - Used only with worm shaped lures, you simply tie a hook to the end of your mainline and put the hook through the center of the worm so that both ends dangle freely. It is used either weightless or with several small shot crimped onto the line just in front of the hook if absolutely necessary for casting. This rig cannot be cast very far but the slow fall and the ends of the worm waving slowly in the water does catch fish. It can be made somewhat snagless by using a circle hook rather than a more standard pattern.

 

{{ Wacky Rig photos /w both hook styles }}

 

This presentation is fun, easy, and surprisingly effective. It is also the only one where a long, limber rod can be an advantage. Since you are using only the hook & worm as weight, you cannot cast long distances but using a bait that has a high salt content made into the material will add some much needed weight to your rig.

 

Simply cast out and let the lure settle, keeping a very close eye on the line. If it twitches or moves to the side, strike. When it reaches the bottom, reel in quickly holding the rod as high as possible or give an upward movement to the rod tip (the method depends on water depth) to get your lure near the surface and then let it settle once more. The less lateral distance your lure has to travel to reach the surface, the more water you will effectively cover during a cast since almost all takes are on the drop.

 

Hooking the lure: Match the hook size to the lure body size and the fish you expect. A #1 to 2/0 hook is good for smaller worms to around 4 inches and for larger lures such as a 10 inch worm/eel, up to 8/0 is not uncommon. The hooks will all be made with a barb but you can crush it without having much effect on the number of takes you get to the net.

 

The simplest way is to use a standard Aberdeen hook starting at the nose and back toward the tail then out with the bend and point of the hook standing proud. This is easy to do and works well for hooking fish but is by far the least weedless of the rigging methods.

 

{{ Aberdeen hook rigged photos }}

 

Better in most situations is to use a worm hook and begin as you did with the Aberdeen but bring the point out sooner and then twist the hook and bring it back through the body. The point can be made to lie on the body so the lure is weedless but the pressure of a take will expose the point and allow hooking the fish. Other variations are to have the hook point almost, but not quite, penetrate through the lure so that again, there is no exposed hook to hang but a bite will expose the point. You can increase the ease of hooking by bringing the point through the body and then backing off a bit so there is a channel but the point is hidden. A variation called 'tex posed' is similar but the hook point is lightly hooked near the outside similar to the way you would side hook a maggot. All of these rigging methods have in common that the soft plastic must be on the hook in a natural manner without bends or kinks that are not seen in nature. This can require some practice so a beginning soft plastic angler might want to buy a package of very inexpensive bodies and hooks to practice rigging.

 

{{ general hook & lure photos }}

 

Sometimes the take on a rubber worm is about as subtle as a blow from a heavyweight boxer or a pike slamming into a jerkbait in Spring. However, this is rare and the takes are usually so gentle they are easy to miss unless you are paying close attention. A lure angler might spend a day fishing rubber worms and only notice 1, 2 or even no takes when there had been a hundred or more. If you want to spend a pleasant day casting, retrieving, and chatting with a friend, by all means do so but pick another style of lure.

 

A good general rule when fishing soft plastics is to strike at anything unusual because it may well be a fish and even if it is not, strikes are free. If you feel weed or if the lure takes longer than usual to sink to the bottom, strike. If the lure gets hung on an underwater snag or begins to feel like the water has gotten thicker, strike. If you think there is anything different but aren't sure what, strike.

 

When you strike, be prepared. That very light tap tap could be a small perch, a nice chub, or a massive carp. The slight twitch of the line you saw even though you felt nothing could be a 40lb pike.

 

Tips from other anglers

 

. Wire trace: If you are targeting pike, you want to use a wire trace. It does not seem to bother pike and will certainly reduce the number of bite-offs. You will not need to have your trace over 12 inches long and a good 49 strand wire will allow the best lure action. For Perch and Chub, wire will greatly reduce the number of takes and should not be used. Use a fluorocarbon trace and if there are pike in the water, crush the barb to allow any fish that bite off the rig to easily get rid of the single, now barbless, hook. If you are fishing for zander, wire is optional but probably not needed. US anglers fishing for walleye do not use wire and the walleye is almost identical to zander.

 

. Try the very new Fireline Crystal line. I rate it very highly for many types of fishing including soft plastic lures.

 

. I've found it pays to have a very short foregrip above the reel seat if you're fishing a fixed spool reel. That way you can rest your finger on the blank and thus feel a lot more little taps. Easy with a custom-built rod, a little work if you buy a rod from a shop.

 

. Using an oil based scent on your hands keeps any nasty 'people smell' from getting on the lure. Since you want the fish to hold on to the lure for that extra second or two so you can feel the take and strike, this gives you a serious advantage over not using scents.

 

. You can buy a wide variety of scents made specifically for using with worm fishing but if nothing else is available, a bottle of peanut oil with a little fish oil makes a good substitute.

 

. If fishing in heavy cover, add extra oil to the lure since the lubrication will make it less likely to snag.

 

. If fishing in heavy cover, avoid lures with long, flattish tails. These work well in open water but will wrap around limbs or weed.

 

. Match the size of the hook to the size of the worm. A 3/0 to 4/0 hook is ideal for most 7-8 inch worms. A 1/0 is too small and a 6/0 is too large. A

2/0 hook is best for 5-6 inch worms. Grubs and small crayfish do well on #1 or even #2 hooks.

 

. Match the weight to the water depth. Normally a 1/32 to 1/8 ounce weight will be heavy enough in water less than 6 feet deep; a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce sinker for 6 to 12 feet; a 1/4 to 3/8 ounce sinker for 13 to 18 feet and a

3/8 to 1/2 ounce sinker for water deeper than 18 feet. Needle nose weights are good for vegetation but hang up in rocks and gravel so use bullet weights for these conditions.

 

. The high-salt content worms are fragile so expect to need a new one every

1-3 fish. If rigging wacky style, a piece of masking tape around the center where you place the hook will greatly extend the life of your lure.

 

. Colour can make a difference. Try carrying along a green/green-yellow, a white, and a motor oil of each style you are using.

 

Please enjoy a visit to my shop JaNewt eMart or check eBay ID Janewt-1 for my current auctions

 

You might also enjoy reading my other lure guides for UK bank anglers:

Lipless Crankbaits

[Vagabond]

UK lure angling is unusual with smaller waters, often crowded, and mainly shore angling.

Now why did that make my hackles rise ?

 

Suggest " Because many UK waters are small, sometimes crowded, and most angling is done from the bank, lure fishing, and in particular lure fishing with plastic lures, is less common than in the USA. Apart from the salmon family, there are four species of UK freshwater fish that would readily attack plastic lures - pike, zander, perch and chub. Other cyprinids such as carp and barbel might also respond to a plastic lure - they certainly take small fish on occasion"

 

Rod: 5½ - 6½ ft carbon with a fast to extra-fast action. Fast action is a rod the has a fairly limber tip but the bottom 3/4 of the rod is fairly stiff. Extra-fast is similar but only about the last 1/8 of the tip is limber. The short rods are preferred since a longer rod will tend to cause you to over-move the lure when retrieving.

I would dispute that last sentence - and a 5'6" rod could be a real disadvantage if fishing from the bank (with trees and bushes) and having a decent-sized fish on. You need reasonable rod length to keep the fish from crashing into the weeds/bushes/tree roots etc on either side of your own bank.

 

A short rod is fine in a boat though.

 

Reels:

Suggest start with " There are three types of reels worth considering - Multipliers, American-style spin casters, and conventional fixed spool"

(...but I sometimes spin for pike with my old Aerial centrepin !!!!!)

 

...and make sure the photos have captions - at first glance the spincaster appears to be labelled as a fixed spool

 

Hope that helps. I have made no comment on the rigs and methods - haven't tried them yet.

Edited February 24, 2007 by Vagabond

[Houseplant]

Good morning Newt. Nice article, think I learnt something. Here's my thoughts.

 

UK lure angling is unusual with smaller waters, often crowded, and mainly shore angling.

 

I don't disagree with the sentiment, but you've already raised one set of hackles and presumably you don't want to do that. Anyway, if this article is directed at UK anglers, then the situation isn't unusual for us. Also, the term shore angling (rather illogically) means sea fishing from the beach in the UK. Bank fshing is the term you are looking for, but bear in mind that very few UK coarse anglers fish from a boat anyway.

 

 

a weight shaped roughly like a rugby ball with a hole longwise through the center to allow it to slide on the line is placed on the mainline

 

If you say "oval drilled lead or bullet", we'll all know what you're on about.

 

 

Wire trace: If you are targeting pike, you probably want to use a wire trace.

 

Please NO probably. Must would make us happier. Personally, I would extend this to all waters where pike or zander(!) are present.

 

 

The rod needs to be one-piece

 

Really? If you can get a decent 4 (or more) piece dry fly rod, I find it hard to believe that you need a one piece rod for tossing a lure.

 

A braid 'super line' is best with the thinner ones like Power Pro doing somewhat better than Fireline or similar.

 

I'd maybe mention Fireline Crystal. Although I admit to being a BIG fan of the stuff, it's fairly revolutionary.

 

**********************************************

You might want to think about mentioning pre-rigged shad-type lures. It's a half way house between what some British anglers have become accustomed to seeing in tackle shops and the methods you describe. http://www.swiftys-fishing-tackle.co.uk/ca...roducts_id=4289

 

Finally, it would be an easier read if you had the sections on each of the rigs combined with the bits on how to fish them.

Edited February 24, 2007 by Sipadan

[The Flying Tench]

As a novice in this area (some would say most areas) I'd like to say I found it a very helpful article.

 

I agree with most of the comments. I'd certainly assumed 'shore angling' meant the sea, and I assumed it meant that plastics were mainly used for sea bass.

[Steve Burke]

Newt, that's really excellent! I've read quite a few articles and book chapters describing this sort of fishing and your's is so practical and, most of all, assumes no knowledge that it beats them all. In fact, it made me want to get out there and fish!

 

A few suggestions:

 

1) Most UK anglers will never have fished plastic worms before, although plastic shads are very quickly growing in popularity. If they have, they'll perhaps prefer to use, say, real lobworms rather than plastic ones. It might therefore be a good idea to add when and why imitations can be superior to the real thing.

 

2) Many UK anglers will take issue with the line sliding through the weight. It doesn't always happen when it's supposed to! You possibly don't have this problem to the same extent, but as many of our fish will have been caught before due to almost universal catch and release they'll often drop the bait/lure if they feel the weight. The sudden increase in resistance may be the reason why I've done somewhat better on Texas rigs than Carolinas, although that's pure speculation. Certainly very few UK fish will have encounted a Texas rig before!

 

3) I agree with what you're written about wire. In my experience you'll catch a lot less perch for instance if you use a wire trace with these lures. I'm quite happy to dispense with a wire trace if I'm fishing a lure with just one single hook. I find that pike get rid of such a lure very easily. If taken to its logical conclusion you'd need to use a wire trace when fishing lobworms - a brilliant pike bait when fished sink and draw!

 

You asked for tips. Firstly. I've found it pays to have a very short foregrip above the reel seat if you're fishing a fixed spool reel. That way you can rest your finger on the blank and thus feel a lot more little taps. Easy with a custom-built rod, a little work if you buy a rod from a shop. Secondly, a quivertip also shows little taps more clearly.

 

Nice one, Newt; I look forward to more on other subjects.

[Newt]

Thanks for the comments so far gents. Exactly the sort of things I was hoping for.

[Peter Waller]

I agree with Vagabond on the small waters issue.

 

Effectively it is small waters where worms are a real winner, atleast for me. When Newt & Jan came over here, two incredibly generous folk, they brought a quantity of soft plastics for me to try. I've been quietly playing with them, especially this autum and winter. We had two days last week when there was not a breath of wind, the ebb tide carried me, doing all the work and letting me fish. I was able to fire these bugs and worms at the reeds so that they sank tight to the cover that nature provides. I was also able to flick these baits under overhanging branches in a way that I have never been able to before. And, as Steve has said, worms catch pike. Nothing huge, so far, but who cares! Its all about confidence, logically the covered, single hooks should not catch pike, but they do. I am gaining fish that perhaps no other method would have caught, and gaining confidence in their use.

 

Re the tackle, a mate and I fished some of the drainage dykes that criss cross the meadows behind the river walls of the Broads. Most don't hold fish but one or two do, the deeper ones that are scoured out by water being pumped along them, for example. No width, six feet maximum. But we have been using 11 ft Avon rods and casting with an underhand lift from behind cover. Its been fun, and effective.

 

Re the longer rods and over moving the lure, not so, just needs care! A longer rod can also allow for delicate placing in smaller waters, almost like dapping.

 

I think that we have a lot to learn about these 'Yankee' techniques, and half the fun is in trying it.

 

By the way, Newt, the Rhino reel is good, better than my ABU. Since I can backwind and ignore the clutch it has proven just fine for pike. Much appreciated.

Edited February 24, 2007 by Peter Waller

[Bobj]

A few points, Newt: 1. Flathead fishing in SE Australia is a very common and popular pastime, where SPs are used. The technique from walking a beach, or estuary, is to use a rod of about 8 ft, a spinning reel loaded with 10-15 lb braid and the SP to have a built-in weight, ie squidgie, what you know as the shad type. The lure is cast out and allowed to settle on the bottom, a few turns of the handle and then a lift of the rod, about 1-1.5 metres and d allowed to settle again, then the process is repeated. There is a growing trend to use longer SPs with smaller, or no weights.

2, Barramundi are aggressive fish and there are two methods, (a) in a river that has a good flow, just cast out a weighted squidgie, Renosky, etc. and allow the flow of the water to activate the wriggle in the SP while using a slow retrieve. ( fishing impoundments for barra is 99% from a boat, casting among the drowned trees using a short rod that has 20-50 lb braid on an overhead reel, such as the ABU Ambassadeur 6500C4. The lure is cast out past a particular tree and is slowly retrieved with no alternate action other than the straight retrieve. Or, trolling 6 inch squidgies about 30 metres behind the boat, in open water at a depth of about 5 metres. Barra usually come out of the tree line to feed in the main basins of the impoundments after dark, ergot, the trolling is usually done from an hour before sunset, to 2 hours after sunset, and likewise at dawn.

3, Snapper fishing off SE Australia is very popular and 6 inch squidgies are used by jigging them in about 40-70 ft of water using fairly heavy tackle and 30 lb braid. Drop the SP to the bottom, wind in about 5 ft of line and lift and lower the rod tip about 6ft. Quite often, the lure is slammed by "hoodlums" ie yellowtail kingfish to 15 lbs.

[Dick Dastardly]

Nice one Newt! as fishing with soft plastics has become a bit more popular in recent years here you often see questions regarding "Carolina" or "Texas" style rigging.Even though I would consider my self quite well up on the subject (having been a long time subscriber to In-Fisherman) I thought the section on how to fish the different rigging styles was very helpfull.

 

Is it ok to copy and save this information and post it on other sites at later dates when asked about the subject? Also some of the photos dont seem to be "working" at the moment/

[Newt]

A revised copy of the article is now posted. I took many of the suggestions on board and I took the liberty of using Vagabond's first suggestion exactly as he wrote it.

 

I'd still love to hear from anglers who have never fished this style of lure if the information is adequate to give them a starting place.

 

Some specifics from comments that were not incorporated into this first revision.

 

Steve

- Secondly, a quivertip also shows little taps more clearly.

- If they have, they'll perhaps prefer to use, say, real lobworms rather than plastic ones. It might therefore be a good idea to add when and why imitations can be superior to the real thing.

 

I'd love to have some how-to written that I could put in the main article. I know so little about fishing like this with long rods that I didn't even try to fake it. For instance, setting the hook requires a pretty substantial strike and my understanding of quivertip rods is that they are pretty soft so how would that work?

 

- Many UK anglers will take issue with the line sliding through the weight. It doesn't always happen when it's supposed to!

 

I think I'll put in some specifics about the newer weights then. Tungsten is more expensive but much smoother than lead could ever be and will slide easily and always. They also make some steel ones with a teflon sleeve inside so the line is only every touching the teflon.

 

Sipadan

- You might want to think about mentioning pre-rigged shad-type lures. It's a half way house between what some British anglers have become accustomed to seeing in tackle shops and the methods you describe.

 

I thought of that and it certainly might be an easy way to lead them gently toward the DIY rigs but I couldn't figure out a way to condense it so the article stayed short enough to use as an eBay guide. Lots of buyers there have fairly short attention spans.

 

Peter

- But we have been using 11 ft Avon rods and casting with an underhand lift from behind cover. Its been fun, and effective.

- Re the longer rods and over moving the lure, not so, just needs care! A longer rod can also allow for delicate placing in smaller waters, almost like dapping.

 

Same as with Steve's comments - long rods and rubber worms might be a marriage made in paradise but if so, one of you long rod guys needs to give me the info. To me, a lure rod over 7½ feet is really, really long and the long rods I remember from my visit were pretty limber so that even with a good braid spooled on them, it looks like setting the hook would require running backwards for 5-10 feet while raising the rod rapidly.

 

Bobj - I will take your good suggestions about boat tactics onboard for myself. I may even do a followup article at some point for boat anglers but I wanted to get shore ones done since there is such a lack of purpose-written articles for that style of angling with lures.

 

Budgie - feel free to make use of any info that will help. Hopefully Elton will put up a copy of this one as he did with the lipless crankbait article so you can also point readers here for the whole thing.

 

I'm beginning to think a follow-on article giving more advanced options and maybe some specifics for targeting different species will be needed.