In thinking why soft lures are so successful i wanted to also try and highlight what would be the 5 most important things i could teach a greenhorn in order for them to hit the ground running. Its always easier to be pointed in the right direction otherwise the journey is a slow and painful one.
So here are my 5 must things to remember about using soft plastics.
1) Be patient - It astounds me to see people flick lures for all of 5 mins only to put a dirty old pilchard back and lob it out. Not all lures work all the time. Not all fish eat all the time. Lulls in the bite is common and even the gun fishos out there weiding a lure cannot profess to catch fish all day long every time they go out fishing! What the gun fishos will do is know the habits of a fish and time their fishing with peak activities such as tide changes and low light etc. This will tilt the odds in you favour for success but even still some days are diamonds some days are stone. Stick it out, be patient and have confidence the lure your using is the right tool for the job.
Also be patient on the retrieve too. Too many newbies wind back thier lures at too brisk a rate. Aim to bounce your lure off the bottom with methodical hops and twitches. Mid water will rarely catch your chosen estuary species, except up north with speedsters like trevally and tunas.
2) Fish Light - The finesse concept is a highly publicised facet of flicking lures. The trade off is like most in fishing. Fish too heavy and get less bites or fish too light and get dusted up more often. Usually a happy medium should be reached but on the tough days light is the only way to go when fish are shut-down.
3) Use the Right Gear - I've seen fishos believe that any old glass rod is still sufficient for flicking soft plastics. I'll tell you now graphite is the only way to go. Glass rods are too soft, dont set the hooks as well, have reduced casting distance and less feel for the subtle bits that occur with lures. On the flipside graphite has the exact opposite features. It has a fast recoil rate helping set the hooks better, increased casting distance for the same reason, more sensitivity to feel bites and a stiffer tip to work the lures more accurately. mated to braid and a decent little threadline reel makes for one super sensitive integrated system ready to catch fish.
in my opinion fused gel spun is better than braid on thredlines and definately use flurocarbon leader as well. The correct knots should be employed as well (see Mondays article for the right knots)
4) Have a Reason to Fish a Spot - Dont just pull up somewhere and start chucking lures. If u wanna catch fish you gotta fish where the fish are. Use your sounder if you have one. Barring that use your knowledge of the system. Fish known fish holding locations and look for vital signs of activity.
If you cover enuf of the right kind of water, results will follow.
5) Stay Mobile - Probably the most important reason of all, keep on the move. Drift, walk, use the electric, do whatever you can to cover water. When fish are found stay with em till the bite shuts down again. The beauty of lures means you can put your lure where you want it in as many places as you want it...utilise that fact.
They would definately be my 5 must things to remember if i was re-learning to use soft plastics. While theres a heap of small details i consider important they basics must be mastered b4 any of the trick shots can be used!
