Soft Plastics

 Hi guys, I'm relatively new to the art of soft plastics fishing. My mate that I go on fishing trips with reckons 

that I'm wasting my time, and that they only work on TV. This makes me even more determined to outfish him with soft plastics on our next up and coming trip. We will be fishing the inner reef at tantabiddi. Are there any soft plastics that I should be focusing on for that area. I realise that it's trial and error, but any advice or feedback would be awesome. I've done heaps of homework on retrieving techniques......( good old YouTube). So I should be ok in that department. My collection so far is 6 inch gulp nemesis in nuclear chicken, gulp 5 inch jerk shad in fire tiger and 6 inch white grub. Oh and some slick rigs in drop bear. These are all guesses. Just want to know if I'm on the right track. 

Hanging out for any tips 

Cheers Fab

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 He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail.


GGs's picture

Posts: 330

Date Joined: 06/09/14

McArthy paddle tails

Tue, 2015-05-19 12:38

I was up there a few weeks ago and the 5" and 6" McArthy paddle tails in copper/chartreuse and chartreuse/pearl with a 3/8oz - 1/2oz 7/0 jig head were going off!

Just cast out let it sink then lift, wind up slack, pause, lift, wind up slack, pause. As per usual most of the strikes where coming on the drop.

Hope that helps a bit.

Paj man's picture

Posts: 360

Date Joined: 16/09/12

Wouldn't be seen dead

Tue, 2015-05-19 14:01

Without my z-man jerk shadz in white, I work them with the same action as above but instead of lifting the rod I jerk it quickly with a couple of twitches mid-way or at the end. Generally find it gets smashed on the way down - only tried in Perth and down south but I'll be putting them to the test in Gnaraloo soon.

 

I'd be reaching for the white grubs and some S-factor.

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aka Nick

Leemo's picture

Posts: 3712

Date Joined: 22/02/07

 I'm a mccarthy man myself.

Tue, 2015-05-19 15:03

 I'm a mccarthy man myself. They kill the pig, just gotta be persistent on slow days. 

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bludgin' since 94'

wangler's picture

Posts: 607

Date Joined: 26/04/08

Soft plastics and Jigs

Tue, 2015-05-19 18:40

all the way....
was on a recent fishing trip with 3 other guys on the port side fishing heavy and baits...what a mess they were making. I was jigging away for about 2hrs and nothing, changed to a McCarthy orange and bam! straight away hooked up and landed a 12kg dhuie. This was the only decent fish for the day, and it was a slow day to. This has happened many times. No bait mess for me to clean up :)

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Want to make someone mad... tell a lie! Want to get the world upset... tell the TRUTH !

Dougie

Leemo's picture

Posts: 3712

Date Joined: 22/02/07

 Truly are the way. I

Tue, 2015-05-19 22:58

 Truly are the way. I remember stopping in 100m after deep drop that day Dougy, first drop on placcy and bang dhuie haha on the orange. 

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bludgin' since 94'

Jimmysparks's picture

Posts: 145

Date Joined: 26/03/14

 Some great help here boys.

Tue, 2015-05-19 18:58

 Some great help here boys. Any tips on size and weight of jig head for depth offshore. Heading out Saturday morning in around the 30 to 50m mark. Cheers

GGs's picture

Posts: 330

Date Joined: 06/09/14

Elevator heads

Tue, 2015-05-19 23:05

I have caught pinkies in 30m using 1oz 7/0 TT heads and 7" McArthy bullhead minnows (avatar) but going deeper you might want something more like a 2oz or 3oz 7/0 elevator head.

I generally use jigs in anything over 20-25m.

 

 

Posts: 6265

Date Joined: 26/04/14

 yeah as GG said jigs over

Wed, 2015-05-20 17:33

 yeah as GG said jigs over 30-40m for me as well, unless its perfect its real hard staying on the bottom with a placcy. the current has been strong of late out past the 40's

Jimmysparks's picture

Posts: 145

Date Joined: 26/03/14

 Yeah last time I was out the

Wed, 2015-05-20 18:31

 Yeah last time I was out the drift was quick and I couldn't feel the bottom. Was about the 40 m mark. I'll give the jigs a crack too, haven't had any success as yet with the jigs.

Jimmysparks's picture

Posts: 145

Date Joined: 26/03/14

 Cheers mate, looks like a

Wed, 2015-05-20 17:25

 Cheers mate, looks like a trip to the fishing shop tomorrow night before Saturday.