# Soft plastics for snapper.. a few clarifications



## wongus (Feb 12, 2006)

Just a few questions on techniques for members who target snapper with placcies [especially in my neck of the woods (SE Qld)] from their yaks...

Is preferred method to fish from anchored position or to drift... I find anchoring seems too restrictive and with drifting, you only get 1 or 2 drops before having to paddle back up current to avoid heading to New Zealand. Do the people that drift fish with a drogue? How do you fish when current and wind are in opposing directions?

If anchoring, what depth of water do you choose? Presumably anchor over structure or broken reef rather than just a flat bottom. I've been aiming around 15ft to 20ft.

Also when drifting, do you cast ahead of the drift or at 90 degrees ? Also how much distance should you be getting from the yak.. With the wind I'll be lucky to get 10 metres especially when using the lighter jig heads. I'm using 6lb or 8lb Fireline with about 2m trace (currently 10lb Vanish)... The uni knot is a bit of a pain as it catches on the runners.

Also we talk a lot about jig heads but what size hooks are people generally using.. Do you use the same jig head with a typical size 1 hook for both the 3" and 5" jerk baits?

Do you strike as soon as you feel a tap or wait for the rod to load up?

Lastly.. is your fishing style a very subtle wrist flick and then a long pause .. take up slack and repeat or more of a moderate flick, flick, flick and wind the slack in trying to keep in contact with the jighead?

Thanks for your patience....


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

I drift with a drogue. Haven't had to contend with much current so can't say what happens if wind and current oppose.

While drifting, I just drag the plastic behind me, near the bottom, though have had some success in mid water. I choose the jig weight to give me the depth, so depends on strength of drift, depth of water and size of plastic. Have used jigs in the range of 1/8-1/2oz. Go big in the hooks - I've recently been using TT jigs with 5/0 hooks for 5" and 7" jerk shads. No problem having the smaller fish (30cm and less) take the big hook. The 5" sp has had a lot more attention than the 7". I give the fish plenty of time to swallow the sp - it helps having the rod in the rodholder. I've had no success with the rod in my hand!


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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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## pcsolutionman (Apr 9, 2007)

mate all of us guys that have been getting a few out off bribie have been getting them on the drift with bigger plastics in the 4-5" range. the technique used id just to cast out and drift along leaving your rod out just twitching it every now and then. no need to cast and retrieve. a tip is to have a second rod out with a lighter jighead just drifting along mid water no action needed. we have nailed a lot of fish on the second rod. use jig heads in the 1/6th to 1/12th range

Lee


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## Hard_Yakkin (May 23, 2007)

Hey Wongus - Here's what i've found works in my part of Moreton Bay

Jigheads - 1/8 mostly but anything lighter in shallower water. Most important is the hooks - i use the TTLures 3/0H. Heavy wire hooks are a must i think as a decent squire will bend or straighten anything in the light gauge.

Plastics - you'll get smaller squire on 3 inch powerbaits and Gulps but the 4 inch plastics seem to interest a slightly bigger class of fish. I've been using 4 inch Gulps with success lately.

Try to find the areas where heavy reef drops off onto rubble grounds - that's where i've found they congregate for a feed but in the first and last light of day the bite is best at this time of year. I find a few quick flicks and a pause long enough for the lure to hit the bottom again, wind slack to just contact lure - do it again (cast in front of drift). I find that a fairly high flick gets the lure high up in the water column and allows a fish to smash it on the drop. This has one MAJOR advantage - it allows the fish to hit something without any resistance (more natural) so theres more chance of swallowing it quickly and you'll find the rod just loads up automatically most times with the fish attached.

I drift at all times targeting squire and maintain casting in front of me. If you need to paddle back for another drift - adjust your line of drift so you don't go back over ground where you've just spooked fish - especially if it's shallow and clear. It pretty important to limit your noise in shallow water aswell - especially banging around on the yak hull...

all the best

Mick


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## sitonit (Dec 29, 2006)

I fish Moreton Bay up around Margate and Redcliffe (4-10ft) and I tend to anchor and then fish the area around me before moving once the fish stop biting, I generally anchor as the Patches i fish are small so I would get one cast and have to paddle again and as the water is so shallow I figured the less i paddled the less i would disturb fish. Hope this helps


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## Garfish (Jun 2, 2006)

This is an awesome post, with some fantastic responses already.

I love the idea of drifting with SPs of two different weights... one to cover the lower end of the water column, and the other to run up near the surface.

There's a few places that I fish which are basically a few footy ovals worth of a rubble sort of bottom... so to cover a bit of ground fishing plastics like this will be terrific.

Could perceivably drift with soft plastics for a km, and troll hard body lures back to the initial point... hmmm - i need more rods in the yak.


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## sitonit (Dec 29, 2006)

Hi Garfish when I am fishing for flatties I usually fish with one rod in the holder and I cast with another the rod which bounces along the bottom this one always does well.


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## pcsolutionman (Apr 9, 2007)

garfish its a great way to fish and like you said you can troll a hardbody back to your starting point. in my opinion there really is no need to cast and retrieve when drifting with plastics. I usually have a 5" gulp with 1/6th head on the one im working and a 1/12th head on the one just drifting with a 4 inch gulp. I had 3 double hookups trip before last that was a bit of fun

Lee


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## Garfish (Jun 2, 2006)

Cheers guys.

are these techniques successful on snapper as well? or just flatties? Lee, do you find the catch on the lighter rig is different to the heavier rig?

I guess the only downfall is that you can't actively adjust the action of the plastic with the rods in the rod rest. I guess you could do this quite effectively with different paddle strokes though.

How do you set the drag when you're trolling?? are the rods behind you or in front?? how are you alerted to a bite?

I was thinking that I could have both rods in the rear holders, and lower the drag so I can at least hear the bites when I get them.

Thoughts? Comments?


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## AdrianK (May 30, 2006)

I fish Moreton Bay mostly Southern (Green, Wello, Tingalpa Ck, Epripah Ck, Coochie and Macleay Is.) and never anchor. If windy at Wello or Green, I do use the drogue and its been invaluable... if 5 kts though, would never bother. I tend to cast only, as got sick of snags on a dragged line. I've found thinner profile plastic work best as the snapper inhale the plastic, and thinner ones can fold over easily for a good hook-up... 4 inch Powerbait Minnows fold realy well, and any worm imitations. I'm mostly fishing less than 10m, so usually use 1/16 Oz Jigheads - have been using Nitro Bream series (with the owner hooks) and so far none have been crushed despite warnings of other fisho's... the anti-pantsing and the hook-up rate is excellent with these... no need to strike.. just lean back when you get a bite, and its either a hookup, or they'll come back for another go. Have been using 1/0 hooks for 4 inch minnows, and size 1 for 3" shrimps, Atomic 3" flick baits, and size 2 for 3" Berkey powerbaits, gulp minnows or 2" gulp shrimps.


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## pcsolutionman (Apr 9, 2007)

garfish I use these techniques mostly on snapper, I troll both rods in front of me when pulling 2 hardbodys around. when fishing the plastics I drift backwards not side on, I place the drifting rod with the lighter head in my scotty up front facing out to the left and I cast the rod im working out to the right, as I drift I just give the rod im working a few jigs every 5- 10 seconds. the one in the holder just drifts along with the current mid water and has caught me alot of fish

Lee


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## FishinDan (Jul 3, 2006)

I've been mainly fishing around Scarborough/Redcliffe areas, but have fished the south side a couple of times with the same techniques. I have a couple of points in the GPS which outline roughly where the reefs are. These are a start and a finish point. I then have the tracks from previous drifts which gives me the outline of the reef (This was done at dead low tide so I could see it above the water/in the water).

Essentially I figure out which way the drift is going that day (dependant upon currents, wind, etc) and then paddle to where I will cover as much ground as possible. I then deploy the drogue, and cast plastics in front of me. I have also in the past had one drifting dead out behind me, and that has caught fish too. You don't need to worry about knowing when you get a bite on this, because from what I've seen, it will get SMASHED! The drag just starts yelping at you and you are on. My thoughts on it where that as you never drift dead flat, the plastic is always bouncing up/down/sideways slightly and always slowly swimming, so appears pretty natural.

The plastics I use are varied, but I have a couple of "Go To" plastics. My latest one is GULP Pumpkinseed Turtleback Worm. I cut about 1"-2" off the front to put the hook point a little closer to the start of the tail. I do this for Bream as well, but get the point right at the tail... It's not as important for Snapper I've found. My old faithful though is a Salt Water Assassin in Baby Bass colour. I've caught heaps of Snaps on this plastic, and it has definately held out well. The Nuclear Chicken in SWA also has done pretty well. All of these are the straight tailed, "stick bait" style plastic (except the Gulp to a point) and are used to cast ahead. I use anything from 3" up to 7" plastics.
The plastic dragging behind I have been using the SWA Nuclear Chicken in the paddle tail. If you a dragging a plastic while drifting, I've found the paddle tail gets alot more action, and therefor alot more fish.

The jigheads I use are all TT Lures. For Snapper, I try to use hooks from 2/0 through to 4/0 dependent upon the plastic. Match the hook to the plastic, not the fish. I usually tie on a 1/8Oz first, and then adjust according to current/depth. 1/12Oz would probably be the lightest and 1/2Oz would be the heaviest (Unless I'm out alot deeper off Moreton)

Gear I use 1500 - 2500 size reels with either 4lb or 6lb Fireline. The 4lb usually has 6lb F/C leader, and the 6lb usually has 12lb F/c leader. I get dusted up nicely on the 4lb sometimes, but it's all part of the fun. And it's surprising the fish you can catch on it without busting off.

In terms of where to fish, I have found that drifting the rubble around the reefs has actually produced better fish for me. I try to get tracks that run around reefs and then drift alongside these tracks. The smaller fish & bait (Plus also Sweeties/Cod/etc) usually are right on the reef itself, but the bigger Snapper seem to patrol the rubble lines waiting for the smaller fish to venture out. You will get less bites (due to less smaller fish), but the bites are normally bigger, and are better quality fish.

Around the Scarborough/Redcliffe area, run in tide seems to produce a little bit better than run out. And I like to get out there while it's still dark. That period before the sun rises is the best producer of bigger fish, but you can still get some decent fish all day long... You just need to fish that little bit deeper. Paddling out in pitch black in this area is a little spooky sometimes with a head torch as there are alot of fish surface feeding, and you get fish jump into the yak (causing you to poo yourself a little and swear alot) or bounce off the side of it.

I will miss that place when I move, but I think I can live with trading in Squire for Barra & Jacks for a while :lol:


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## Garfish (Jun 2, 2006)

I'm always amazed at how generous people are on this forum in providing tips and advice.

Thanks again...

When I learn something, I'll make sure I let everyone know


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## Y-Knot (Sep 26, 2006)

Heya fellas ... i am generally only fishing with 3"Pumpkinseed on 1/8 jig head as the results have just been so good on pinkies and flatties but am aiming for something bigger this year, wondering do the pumpkinseed minnows come any larger than 3" as i dont think ive ever seen them at 4 or 5" in any of the shops.

Have you fished sunnyside yet Gareath, reckon you will love it with such a bid spread out reef thats close in to the shoreline, well protected and providing some great fishing. A great spot for drifting with plastics.


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## Garfish (Jun 2, 2006)

Tony - I haven't yet, but I'm looking forward to a guided tour from you come snapper season! :lol:


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## FishinDan (Jul 3, 2006)

Y-Knot said:


> wondering do the pumpkinseed minnows come any larger than 3" as i dont think ive ever seen them at 4 or 5" in any of the shops.


They should come in 4" ones. I'm pretty sure I've seen them in it. The other option to try if Pumpkinseed works for you is the Ginger Beer something-a-rother in Berkley as well.... Fantastic colour and has caught some very nice fish (Up to about 60cm) and that was only the 3" :wink:


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## AdrianK (May 30, 2006)

pcsolutionman said:


> I place the drifting rod with the lighter head in my scotty up front facing out to the left and I cast the rod im working out to the right, as I drift I just give the rod im working a few jigs every 5- 10 seconds. the one in the holder just drifts along with the current mid water and has caught me alot of fish


Completely different technique to what I have been doing (so it got my interest) ... what sort of depth do you find this useful, Lee? Any suggestions on when you would and wouldn't use this approach?


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

FishinDan said:


> Y-Knot said:
> 
> 
> > wondering do the pumpkinseed minnows come any larger than 3" as i dont think ive ever seen them at 4 or 5" in any of the shops.
> ...


Yeah definately, I have a bag of 4" Pumpkinseed, but you don't see them very often. And don't think that bigger fish won't smack smaller offerings, all my best snapper have come on 3" plastics.

When drifting for snapper I prefer casting ahead of the yak and working the plastic back towards me - watch where the line enters the water for hits on the drop.


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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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## Fishing Man (Oct 4, 2006)

Squidder said:


> When drifting for snapper I prefer casting ahead of the yak and working the plastic back towards me - watch where the line enters the water for hits on the drop.


This is the way ive fished for them, 
just cast infront of your drift path and gradually work it back with twiches and pauses.
ive found that better fish have hit my lures as they hit the water or on the drop,

good luck, they sure are a ripper fish to catch on placcy gear


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## mark5fish (Jun 18, 2009)

great post a lot of info cheers


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## AdrianK (May 30, 2006)

wongus said:


> position or to drift... I find anchoring seems too restrictive and with drifting, you only get 1 or 2 drops before having to paddle back up
> what depth of water do you choose?
> With the wind I'll be lucky to get 10 metres especially when using the lighter jig heads.
> The uni knot is a bit of a pain as it catches on the runners.
> what size hooks are people generally using


Definitely drift for me. Get a $30 sea anchor (parachute) from a chandlery - it will change your life in Moreton Bay - increase time over fishy water 10-fold, and allow you to cast with the wind at your back (will definitely increase your casting distance enormously)

From places like Wello, I like to fish light - 2gm jig heads (in size 1-0 - usually with 4" minnows, sometimes 3" shrimps) - pretty snaggy country and the fish are usually in water that is not deep (can be anywhere between 2m and 5 m), so lighter results in less snags and time wasting. 
Also I've found light wire hooks get a lot more hook-ups, and have only seen one get mangled.


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## mrwalker (Feb 23, 2009)

Congratulations to the forum members for there generosity of time and effort, this is a great resource for all of us whatever we fish for. I am going to put some of this into practice here in the UAE, cheers and thank you everybody, Dave.


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

I have gone fully away from standard jigheads lately and scoring much better results using worm hooks with a weight in front of the hook. Still using the same 1/8 oz for the most part and tying a loop knot to the worm hook and on the bottom side of the loop knot attaching a splitshot of the right weight. Changing weights is lots easier than retying a new jighead all the time, just carry one of those dial dispensers of removeable splitshots in one pocket and a packet of worm hooks in another. The baits swim more naturally and seldom ever spin on the drop because the sinker is below the eye of the worm hook.
Never anchor, always drift, best results to be had with about a 3-6 knot drift. 
I have also taken to recording every snag that catches a lure of jig and create a waypoint of it, soon shows the directions of the fingers of reef that sounders do not always display.

Jack.


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## Donutslayer (Jun 9, 2007)

Garfish said:


> Could perceivably drift with soft plastics for a km, and troll hard body lures back to the initial point... hmmm - i need more rods in the yak.


Thats exactly what a few of the yokels do down our way. Good way to find em.


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