# Working soft plastics for pinkies



## Mick_Lane (Oct 1, 2006)

Just interested in using soft plastics for pinkies or snapper! Which types do people rate? and what methods seem to be reliable in shallower water (2m-10m) I've really come from the school of hard body users, and need to learn more about these SPs. Mick.


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Hi Mick,
You've got to come out with the mangoes - you'll learn a lot more than I can write here. In short:

- Any of the Berkely 3" and 4" minnow styles work well (especially in GULP), my fave pinky SPs at the moment are GULP 3" minnow in Pumkinseed, and GULP 5" Jerkbait in Sapphire shine. But most of the colours are great, in the normal Berkley power minnows some good standbys are pumkinseed, smelt, bloodworm, and the trusty pearl/watermelon. The realistix minnows are also very good. Jigheads of 1/8 oz will do the job most days, go up to 1/6 if the drift is fast, down to 1/12 if there is not much drift. Bullet or torpedo shaped jig heads are better than balls for snapper. A great all round jighead is a Gamakatsu darter 1/8 oz in 2/0, especially for 4" plastics. For the 3" plastics I like a 1/12 oz with #1 or #2 hooks.

-Retrieve is easy - cast out, let the plastic sink to the bottom (you'll often get a hit 'on the drop'), jerk-jerk, let it sink, retrieve some line, jerk-jerk, let it sink etc. As long as you're working your plastic near the bottom, with plenty of pauses, you're on the money.

Your HB background will also serve you well - the HB brigade have been doing better recently in terms of size and quantity of fish. But I reckon SPs are funner :wink:


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## JB (Jul 5, 2006)

In NZ we are finding the berkley nuclear chickens working well. The larger the better. Bottom bouncing them along seems to work if the snapper are about.

regards


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Hi JB, I saw that nuclear chicken colour at the tackle shop on the weekend, but was too scared to try it (they're so bright!) - I'll have to now, good to hear they work. Cheers :wink:


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

theres another article on snapper on plastics in the current Modern Fishing magazine. Thumper Snapper are being taken on sp's, so much so that most of the gun snapper fishos now prefer to use Sp's over bait.

I'm keen to give this a crack, all I need to do is find somewhere locally that holds good numbers of snapper. Any Sydneysiders have any idea?


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Dave, I was going to go looking for reefs in close to Long Reef this weekend, but the weather isn't looking promising. I'm keen to try sometime soon. Have some gulp jerk shads and ready to give it a go.

When Kraley and I got dumped off peril on my first Mona Vale outing, I managed a just legal pinky near Turrimeta Head, on a trolled whole squid (hungry bugger!)


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

Never fished for snapper let alone caught one on SPs but my mate that fishes Scarborough for them regularly with success swears by (so much so its all he uses) the Saltwater Assassin Minnows in Electric Chicken colour (half flouro pink and sparkly and half flouro green. Not sure if its the same as the Nuclear Chicken but they seem to like the brighter colours from his reports.


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## JB (Jul 5, 2006)

daveyG.
I know a spot for snapper out of sydney. Go to the heads at the harbour enterance and head SE for 2000k's and your on it  Plenty of big snapper around there as the photos recently will atest. When you get close I'll give so gps marks :wink: :wink: Make sure you have a following sea and wind might make it a bit easier :lol:

Good luck on the snappers anyway. Have also caught them on the cast a retreve on soft plactics. The Nuclear chickens often do well but also have caught them on bright yellow 4" as well. Have just acquired some 7 inch nuclear chickens so will give them a go on some bigger snapper hunts or a kingi mission and let you know. Haven't heard of them working much on snappers when trolling unless you can get them to the bottom and keep them there. Most snapper here in NZ are taken off the bottom unless in agreesive feeding mode (under work ups or in berley trails etc). Typically school snapper don't feed until the hit the bottom, you can see huge schools on the sounder sitting 5 -10m above the bottom and only once they drop hard on the bottom do they bite generally. Not sure why but just my observation.

I have also found that once you find a location where you know snapper are going to be. Berleying with pellets will bring them on to the bite and make them more agressive which sometimes means the difference from 1 lazy snapper to a bin full. Make sure you get the pellets that are not blood or fish parts made up or else mr bitey might show up.
regards


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## fishtales (May 7, 2006)

scotty beefs said:


> Never fished for snapper let alone caught one on SPs but my mate that fishes Scarborough for them regularly with success swears by (so much so its all he uses) the Saltwater Assassin Minnows in Electric Chicken colour (half flouro pink and sparkly and half flouro green. Not sure if its the same as the Nuclear Chicken but they seem to like the brighter colours from his reports.


That sounds a lot like the Snapback 4" Electric Chicken pictured below. I used them the other night off Scarborough and caught 2 squire and a sweetlip with them. I started using them after hearing on Ausfish about a guy that was getting good snapper and squire with them at the same location. They are very good, and tough to boot.( very elastic )

Chris


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Nuclear chicken is fast becomming my fave too. Berkleys in 5 and 7 inch. Love the glow in the dark!!!!!

Cheers

Scott


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## JB (Jul 5, 2006)

Here's the one - so far have got a 7" and 4" normal shape and a 4" shrimp as well


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## Mick_Lane (Oct 1, 2006)

Thanks for some great feedback guys. Gives me some more ideas on what type of SP to start looking for. Also Jason, I would really like to come out with the Mangoes soon. When is the next trip out? I guess it's wind dependent? I can do most weekends. And weekdays during school holidays are good as I teach. I guess I'll keep an eye out for the next trip planned on the Forum. My only concern is going for a swim, because I've got a small perception minnow. Should be ok if it's fairly flat. Mick.


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## Russ (Feb 24, 2006)

:shock: Thats a good nomination for our Sydney Yak fraternity,

The Sydney Snapbacks 8)

very stretchy indeed

 fishing Russ


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

I'd like to say this weekend Mick, but I've been keeping a quiet eye on the forecast and it don't look too pretty:

Saturday 
West to southwesterly winds increasing to 20 to 25 knots during the day, then easing to 15 to 20 knots at night. Waves 1 to 2 metres.

Maybe Sunday? :?


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

fishtales said:


> scotty beefs said:
> 
> 
> > Never fished for snapper let alone caught one on SPs but my mate that fishes Scarborough for them regularly with success swears by (so much so its all he uses) the Saltwater Assassin Minnows in Electric Chicken colour (half flouro pink and sparkly and half flouro green. Not sure if its the same as the Nuclear Chicken but they seem to like the brighter colours from his reports.
> ...


Its probably my mate that put that up on Ausfish - think the the user name is Dezza or something like that? They look identical to the snapbacks - he can't find the saltwater assassins anymore so they may have stopped importing them. The gulps look the goods as well.


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## Milt (Sep 2, 2005)

Nuclear WTF, nuclear chicken :shock:

I got to give this a go??? Mind you i heard the the pinkies lllooove the fluoro pink gulp minnows :?

Squidder if you find a spare pack in the store grab one for me and we'll give them a crack one balmy evening. All decent reports i've read so far indicate some good fish in close Black rock area.

I must stop working on weekends and give that snapper a serious hiding on my bbq plate.

Mangoes get ready to march  :shock: 

Milt,


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

I'll keep an eye out for a pack for ya :wink:


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Milt/Jason

I'm on to em at Billfisher Tackle Frankston. They have a huge Berkley range way beyond any other store I've been to including mail order.

Cheers

Scott


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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