Soft plastics question.

[Fab1]

Hi guys I know the done thing is using braid with soft plastics matched to flurocarbon and graphite rods but can you use straight through mono on light glass rods for a while to see if soft plastics fishing is for you?

  I want to give it a go and am armed with said glass rods 7ft soft tip rods matched to 2500 and 4000 reels spooled with fresh platypus platinum line.I'm betting the 4000 reel is probably a bit big.Its a Shimano sienna and I can hold and cast the outfit all day if I have to as I have Popeye forearms.

Look forward to comments and if we can and we enjoy it I'll arm us all with the proper gear at a later date to make it more enjoyable.

I have some soft plastics like gulps,squidges and jigheads already with a mate recommending 100mm vibes too.

Cheers.

   

[kingie chaser]

Well you will get better casting, line drop though the water & feel from braid regardless of the rod type.

 

If you want to fish Sp's this mono then why not, it will be nowhere near the same but hey anything is worth a go I guess butimo using mono for sinking artificals isnt something I would be doing.

[noelm]

Mono and glass rods have worked for decades, the fish don't know the difference, I fish plastics all the time for Flathead in Lake Illawarra and use only mono (for various reasons) and have plenty of success. Also quite often fish for Snapper on "old" gear with success, not saying it's not better to use braid, but, it's not the be all to end all.

Edited January 23, 2021 by noelm

[Fab1]

I guess I'll find out having a crack.Cheers guys.

[DerekD]

Hi @Fab1,

The short answer is yes you can.

My first ever fish on a soft plastic was a silver trevally on a small white grub with a 2-4kg fibreglass tipped rod and mono.

The fish and I were both hooked but in different contexts.

As I learned more about it I gradually switched to gear more suitable to it.

What you will find is that there is flex in the rod, stretch in the line and you don't have the sensitivity. Furthermore, setting the hook takes a touch more effort. It will work but once you make the switch to modern gear you will likely find yourself cringing if you ever try going back.

Give it a go using the 2500 reel, light rod and say 8lb line but factor in that using the appropriate gear will make it a joy. The whip as you cast out a light lure. The little spray of mist as the moisture gets flicked off your line. The settling of the light braid on the water. The direct response of the lure to your every twitch. The feel of a bite as a fish decides it wants a plastic lure more than you do.

Regards,

Derek

PS. What jig heads are you using. My personal opinion is that most people fish a little too light to start with and get in trouble with poor casting distance and birds nests.

Edited January 23, 2021 by DerekD

[Fab1]

48 minutes ago, DerekD said:

Hi @Fab1,

The short answer is yes you can.

My first ever fish on a soft plastic was a silver trevally on a small white grub with a 2-4kg fibreglass tipped rod and mono.

The fish and I were both hooked but in different contexts.

As I learned more about it I gradually switched to gear more suitable to it.

What you will find is that there is flex in the rod, stretch in the line and you don't have the sensitivity. Furthermore, setting the hook takes a touch more effort. It will work but once you make the switch to modern gear you will likely find yourself cringing if you ever try going back.

Give it a go using the 2500 reel, light rod and say 8lb line but factor in that using the appropriate gear will make it a joy. The whip as you cast out a light lure. The little spray of mist as the moisture gets flicked off your line. The settling of the light braid on the water. The direct response of the lure to your every twitch. The feel of a bite as a fish decides it wants a plastic lure more than you do.

Regards,

Derek

PS. What jig heads are you using. My personal opinion is that most people fish a little too light to start with and get in trouble with poor casting distance and birds nests.

I'm at work all weekend I'll put up a photo on Monday when I am off as I won't have time until then. From memory 1/4 and 1/8 is 2 sizes I have.I think I have others.I don't have much jigs or plastics.Ill show you on Monday with the photo.

[savit]

I have a bit of range of  glass/soft tip rods however all they have use only on a kayak.

I find 2-4kg glass tip rods are too soft for working the lures or even setting the hook.  Also  precision ( cast direction and  distance control)  is very low due to whipping - therefore would not use them close  to structure (e.g trees , boats, mates  etc).

Therefore I use at least 3-5kg and usually 4-8kg glass tip rods as they are stiffer and allow to feel the lure better, and allow  better control over cast. The downside is their weight (and therefore sensitivity) - so not quite suitable for long time casting - at  least for those without Popeye forearms. Shorter - 6 feet instead of 7 feet glass tip rods will make lure casting a bit more enjoyable.

Edited January 23, 2021 by savit

[Fab1]

4 minutes ago, savit said:

I have a bit of range of  glass/soft tip rods however all they have use only on a kayak.

I find 2-4kg glass tip rods are too light for working the lures or even setting the hook.  Also  precision ( cast direction and  distance control)  is very low due to whipping - therefore would not use them close  to structure (e.g trees , boats, mates  etc).

Therefore I use at least 3-5kg and usually 4-8kg glass tip rods as they are stiffer and allow to feel the lure better, and allow  better control over cast. The downside is their weight (and therefore sensitivity) - so not quite suitable for long time casting - at  least for those without Popeye forearms. Shorter - 6 feet instead of 7 feet glass tip rods will make lure casting a bit more enjoyable.

I'll make do for now with what I have and see how we go.Like I said if we get into it I'll slowly invest in better gear.

[big Neil]

Just go and have FUN Fab. Any day spent trying to catch fish is a good day. Go with an open mind and you may return with wonderful memories. Cheers mate, bn

[Fab1]

26 minutes ago, big Neil said:

Just go and have FUN Fab. Any day spent trying to catch fish is a good day. Go with an open mind and you may return with wonderful memories. Cheers mate, bn

We have a blast regardless mate.

[dirvin21]

You'll still catch fish, the only issues with glass rods and mono is it can be a bit more difficult to get a hookset and it's really difficult to get the subtle action if you're specifically targeting bream. I started out the same trying soft plastics on the glass mono setups and caught plenty of fish before I switched to graphite braid

[Green Hornet]

Agree with those above saying we caught plenty of fish on plastics (Mr Twisters etc) long before braid or graphite rods came about.

If I could add one thing, it would be to concentrate on using curly tail grubs, as they have a good action without requiring a lot of rod work, taking the need for a lot of sensitivity out of the equation.

[Rebel]

I use Mono all the time. Never used Braid. I have never had a reason to switch.

When it ain't broke, don't try to fix it.

Cheers.

[Fab1]

15 hours ago, DerekD said:

Hi @Fab1,

The short answer is yes you can.

My first ever fish on a soft plastic was a silver trevally on a small white grub with a 2-4kg fibreglass tipped rod and mono.

The fish and I were both hooked but in different contexts.

As I learned more about it I gradually switched to gear more suitable to it.

What you will find is that there is flex in the rod, stretch in the line and you don't have the sensitivity. Furthermore, setting the hook takes a touch more effort. It will work but once you make the switch to modern gear you will likely find yourself cringing if you ever try going back.

Give it a go using the 2500 reel, light rod and say 8lb line but factor in that using the appropriate gear will make it a joy. The whip as you cast out a light lure. The little spray of mist as the moisture gets flicked off your line. The settling of the light braid on the water. The direct response of the lure to your every twitch. The feel of a bite as a fish decides it wants a plastic lure more than you do.

Regards,

Derek

PS. What jig heads are you using. My personal opinion is that most people fish a little too light to start with and get in trouble with poor casting distance and birds nests.

Hi mate this is everything I have relating to soft plastics .Some jigheads are tiny and the heaviest is 3/4.I can buy more if need be.Not a problem.I just don't want to spend on outfitting the 3 of us with good rods,reels,braid etc at this stage until I'm certain we will stick with it.

  I have about 10 hardbody lures also that I've picked up from friends,family etc.

How do you stop the plastics going all dry and shriveled up like and old fellas turnip?Can you buy more juice or something or rehydrate them?

 The gulp shrimp in one of those bags are dry.

Cheers.

Edited January 24, 2021 by Fab1

[Rebel]

Gulp alive recharge, buy it at most tackle stores.  If you have opened the packets put the lures in a snap lock bag with the recharge.

Cheers.

[Fab1]

1 hour ago, Rebel said:

Gulp alive recharge, buy it at most tackle stores.  If you have opened the packets put the lures in a snap lock bag with the recharge.

Cheers.

Cheers mate.The gulp that is open that I have is in its original snap lock bag.Hasn't stopped the drying out/shrivel.

[savit]

1 minute ago, Fab1 said:

Cheers mate.The gulp that is open that I have is in its original snap lock bag.Hasn't stopped the drying out/shrivel.

See if you can find Gulp tubs on  clearance or decent sale around. You get good container,  plenty of Gulp juice and lures on top - you can add yours there. Regular price is not much attractive though.

I started from Gulp too however moved quickly to Zman + scents due to leaks and smell. Well, in a "proper" spot  - a pack of Gulp wont last enough to dry under the sun anyway 🤣.

[Fab1]

20 minutes ago, savit said:

See if you can find Gulp tubs on  clearance or decent sale around. You get good container,  plenty of Gulp juice and lures on top - you can add yours there. Regular price is not much attractive though.

I started from Gulp too however moved quickly to Zman + scents due to leaks and smell. Well, in a "proper" spot  - a pack of Gulp wont last enough to dry under the sun anyway 🤣.

Or with tailor devouring them.Wonder if you can use gulp juice with any other plastics?

Edited January 24, 2021 by Fab1

[Rebel]

@Fab1

You had better check before mixing Gulp with other plastics.

I keep my lures in their orginal packets if I haven't used them. Keep them in a large plastic container in a dark place out of the day light, never had a problem. You will get other versions from the Raiders.

Cheers.

[savit]

1 hour ago, Fab1 said:

Or with tailor devouring them.Wonder if you can use gulp juice with any other plastics?

As Rebel mentioned - do not use/mix, and there is no need to.

As far as I remember Berkley Gulp is made of some water-based  biodegradable stuff  in the shape of lure rather than actual plastic. The actual SP does not need juice as it does not dry out quickly (nor leaks, or badly smells), however you can still apply various scents later if you wish.

It is better to keep SP brands  in separate or original bags as sometimes they can melt together if stored together.  Zman plactic is well known for that.

[Yowie]

Fab,

regardless of what some fellow raiders have written, I HAVE used soft plastics on occasions with mono line (I do not use braid - my regular fishing mate has now used braid over recent times - hypnotised by the dark side 👹 )

Maybe not as much casting distance as braid, I have caught numerous flatties up river in various locations on SP's.

If you open the bag of SP's, they will dry out if you do not use them for a while (12 months 🤣) so I place that bag into a zip lock bag and remove as much air as possible. 3 years later, nah, chuck them away.

 

Popeye forearms?  

 

Dave.

[Fab1]

2 hours ago, savit said:

As Rebel mentioned - do not use/mix, and there is no need to.

As far as I remember Berkley Gulp is made of some water-based  biodegradable stuff  in the shape of lure rather than actual plastic. The actual SP does not need juice as it does not dry out quickly (nor leaks, or badly smells), however you can still apply various scents later if you wish.

It is better to keep SP brands  in separate or original bags as sometimes they can melt together if stored together.  Zman plactic is well known for that.

Points taken mate.Cheers.

1 hour ago, Yowie said:

Fab,

regardless of what some fellow raiders have written, I HAVE used soft plastics on occasions with mono line (I do not use braid - my regular fishing mate has now used braid over recent times - hypnotised by the dark side 👹 )

Maybe not as much casting distance as braid, I have caught numerous flatties up river in various locations on SP's.

If you open the bag of SP's, they will dry out if you do not use them for a while (12 months 🤣) so I place that bag into a zip lock bag and remove as much air as possible. 3 years later, nah, chuck them away.

 

Popeye forearms?  

 

Dave.

You could catch a fish with a rag dangling on the end of a stick mate.

As for my forearms they ain't like that from winding in massive fish I can assure you.

Thanks for your advice mate.

[DerekD]

Hi Fab1,

Going to try and compress 15+ years of learning and teaching people into a relatively short post (for me). I don't fish competition so I've taken it to the point where I am happy and feel confident of catching fish. I don't really go into the super finesse stuff with ultralight jigheads such as 1/24oz.

I think Gulp are genius in that you have an edible, biodegradable lure in the shape of a soft plastic. I really don't like using them as they dry out if not kept in their liquid, the liquid can leak into your gear bag once opened, they are relatively easy to damage if/when a fish hits them. On a positive they will catch fish and are a good starting point.

I'm also not a big fan of the trendy new kid on the block - the Z-mans. On a positive they are bite resistant. On a negative I find them a pain to rig on consistently straight as the material is so rubbery and resists going over the jig head. They also do not play well with other plastics. There seems to be a sort of chemical reaction where one will melt the other (usually the Z-man). The puddle of plastics which results does not fish well.

If you told me to drop my plastics down to the minimum for my 2-4kg outfit I'd head out with:

2.5" grubs matched with a gamakatsu 211 ball head jig head in 1/8oz and size 1 or 2 hook. The short hook sits well in the grub.

3" minnows (my go to are Berkley power bait) with a TT tournament bullet head jigheads in the 1H hook (H is for heavier gauge wire) in 1/4 oz for range, 1/6 oz for a little more hang time and then rarely 1/8 oz if I want even more hang time.

4" minnow with 1/4 oz and 1/0H hook.

Hold the jig head alongside the plastic and it has to look right. I'm a big fan of the TT brand and I wish I was sponsored by them but there are many other choices which will work. The reason I'm a huge fan of the bullet heads is because I've worked out a retrieve which results in a sub-surface walk the dog which turns out to be very effective on pelagics.

Alternative plastics are the wriggle tails or paddle tails (like the squidgy plastics in your photo). Very effective for fish like flathead or bass as they create vibrations and movement in the water which the fish are keyed in to.

The dicussion continues.

Derek

 

Edited January 24, 2021 by DerekD

[Fab1]

16 minutes ago, DerekD said:

Hi Fab1,

Going to try and compress 15+ years of learning and teaching people into a relatively short post (for me). I don't fish competition so I've taken it to the point where I am happy and feel confident of catching fish. I don't really go into the super finesse stuff with ultralight jigheads such as 1/24oz.

I think Gulp are genius in that you have an edible, biodegradable lure in the shape of a soft plastic. I really don't like using them as they dry out if not kept in their liquid, the liquid can leak into your gear bag once opened, they are relatively easy to damage if/when a fish hits them. On a positive they will catch fish and are a good starting point.

I'm also not a big fan of the trendy new kid on the block - the Z-mans. On a positive they are bight resistant. On a negative I find them a pain to rig on consistently straight as the material is so rubbery and resists going over the jig head. They also do not play well with other plastics. There seems to be a sort of chemical reaction where one will melt the other (usually the Z-man). The puddle of plastics which results does not fish well.

If you told me to drop my plastics down to the minimum for my 2-4kg outfit I'd head out with:

2.5" grubs matched with a gamakatsu 211 ball head jig head in 1/8oz and size 1 or 2 hook. The short hook sits well in the grub.

3" minnows (my go to are Berkley power bait) with a TT tournament bullet head jigheads in the 1H hook (H is for heavier gauge wire) in 1/4 oz for range, 1/6 oz for a little more hang time and then rarely 1/8 oz if I want even more hang time.

4" minnow with 1/4 oz and 1/0H hook.

Hold the jig head alongside the plastic and it has to look right. I'm a big fan of the TT brand and I wish I was sponsored by them but there are many other choices which will work. The reason I'm a huge fan of the bullet heads is because I've worked out a retrieve which results in a sub-surface walk the dog which turns out to be very effective on pelagics.

Alternative plastics are the wriggle tails or paddle tails (like the squidgy plastics in your photo). Very effective for fish like flathead or bass as they create vibrations and movement in the water which the fish are keyed in to.

The dicussion continues.

Derek

 

Thanks for taking the time for writing that excellent write up mate.I will remember all these recommendations when I'm a little more advanced.

[DerekD]

3 minutes ago, Fab1 said:

Thanks for taking the time for writing that excellent write up mate.I will remember all these recommendations when I'm a little more advanced.

If want to have a chat to talk through little details feel free to PM me your number. Also if you get to the lower North shore of Sydney I'm happy to give you an introduction to soft plastic and similar lures lesson.