Hi all. Does anyone use softbaits while fishing off the beach whether it be calm water on the east coast or surfcasting off the west coast? If so whats your technique, what rigs do you use? Cheers.
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Hi all. Does anyone use softbaits while fishing off the beach whether it be calm water on the east coast or surfcasting off the west coast? If so whats your technique, what rigs do you use? Cheers.
Mainly fish in sandy estuaries in Northland with light gear (15lb braid/leader). Started off with ultralight gear (6lb braid/leader), but kept getting busted off by trevally and kingfish. I've been catching trevally and kahawai on 3 inch Zman paddletails with a straight retrieve. Snapper with 4 inch Gulp jerkshads or microjigs bounced off the bottom. I also target parore with tiny softbaits worked really slowly. Other fish that put in an appearance are spotties and a stargazer.
https://i.ibb.co/zGd1Bs4/Fishing-Trevally1.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/qknwhBy/Fishing-Kahawai1-Fotor.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/dKCT6Rp/0-AE8-D89-A...F1-EE90588.jpg
Same as MB
Beaut Trav MB I had my first go on micro jigs a week ago, Awesome.
Should of mentioned I've been mainly fishing at kaiaua with 10, 12 ,13.6 and sometimes 6ft rods and was wonder if softbaits could be an alternative to traditional baits
They don't sound like softbaiting rods. It's not just a question of sticking a softbait on surfcasting gear, it needs to be a dedicated outfit. That doesn't mean you have to spend heaps of money, but you do have to spend some. If you're just looking for a convenient alternative to bait, then checkout Fishbites. Expensive, but they seem to work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Three O'Three
Hi MBQuote:
Originally Posted by MB
What weight jig heads are u using casting off the beach?
Cheers AMac
Is there a best time of the year to soft bait off the beach or are fish around all seasons
Quote:
Originally Posted by AMac
3/8 or 1/2 oz for the bigger softbaits that I mentioned. Heavier than most people would choose, but I like the extra casting distance. 5 and 6g for the smaller softbaits. Sorry to mix imperial and metric!
Snapper seem to be easier to find in the warmer months. That possibly applies to trevally as well. Doesn't seem to matter for kahawai.Quote:
Originally Posted by AMac
Cheers MB - sold my kayak it was bit hard on my back but I still have my soft bait gear so might give it a go off the beach when the weather warms up!
No worries. I'm also an ex-kayaker. Moved to jetski, then boat. Love going out on the boat, but it's just too much hassle for a short session, so got in to this style of fishing. As with most types of fishing, first light is most productive.Quote:
Originally Posted by AMac
My boat is in Marlborough sounds so a bit of a logistical exercise to go for a quick fish��
Soft baiting down there has been outstanding i don’t use stinky bait anymore- snap limit only3 a day but they typically quite big fish so thats heaps plus we have cod and the carrots in really good numbers.
Watching a few YouTube on soft bait beach fishing and i am certainly going to give it a crack.
Cheers
Been getting on to any squid @MB?
No. Squid is something I've struggled with. Had a little success in deep water offshore, but haven't caught any off the rocks. I can't imagine there are many where I fish as the tidal flows are very strong, but I might be wrong on that. Squid are on the hit list!Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
When using soft baits do you still use a sinker? Following with interest as Im trying to get into beach fishing I started off with using lures mainly for the casting practice
Very first time I tried softbaits was on a trip to Doubtless bay for a family reunion. Was staying at a 'book a bach' at Cable bay. Got up at dawn and wandered down to beach with my trout spinning rod.
3rd cast at a couple of lonely looking rocks saw me doing battle with a nice 7lb snapper. Wandered back with me snapper and a big smile.
I've often thought about all the tourists fast asleep in the Golden Sands units and weather they would have believed me if I'd told I just caught it 20 yards from their balcony.
FWIW you are much better off with a dedicated soft bait rod. Reels are reels but smaller reels balance better with Sb rods.
Casting into white wash is well worth it. Next to weed line etc. You can get away with very light jigheads so long as you can cast them far enough. That said you don't often need to cast very far.
Worm hooks and using a weedless rig (google it) is also very usefull if there is plenty of seaweed around.
My preference is to go for the lightest terminal tackle that you can get away with, you tend to hook bigger fish. The trade off is obviously you run a higher risk of being busted off.
Seeing as you are in the Firth, I would also be tempted to get a handful of mussels and crack the pointy end enough to slid a jig head into one and toss that into the white wash. (cheaper than softbaits)
Not usually. Most people use a jig head, but some prefer a worm/EWG hook and a small ball sinker.Quote:
Originally Posted by blip
I know Doubtless Bay and Cable Bay quite wellQuote:
Originally Posted by 7mm tragic
Always wondered about soft bait with surfcasting . Have the lure masters comp coming up October. Said to a mate we should just put the Long line down with 25 soft baits on it. Wonder how well it would work.or Even change some of the hooks to micro jigs etc.
I've spent too much time thinking about this stuff...Quote:
Originally Posted by Quackers
I don't think soft plastics would be very successful. If you could get them to float and bob around in the current, then maybe, but if you watch videos of people softbaiting, they're using light gear and usually ready to strike at the first twitch. Generally, fish will bite soft plastics, but won't swallow them.
Berkley Gulp is different, it's effectively synthetic bait formed in to the shape of a lure. It would work, but expensive and fragile. Fishbites are a new alternative. I can say first hand that they catch fish and are tough, but again, expensive.
I could imagine kabura-type lures catching fish from a longline if the lures were suspended just off the bottom. Achieving that would be tricky.
Continuing with the softbait vibe, I smashed the parore yesterday on tiny, crayfish softbaits. Landed ten good size fish and left them biting. I don't like eating them, so catch and release.
https://i.ibb.co/K6xJLyJ/Fishing-Parore2.jpg
I'd have eaten them, if they come from clean water (i.e. not a sewerage outlet) they are great eating. Also known as Black Snapper.Quote:
Originally Posted by MB
Aussies call 'em Luderick and value them.
And thanks for the tiny crayfish softbait tip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkN
I shot one in open water once. Gutted, but not filleted straight away which was the mistake I think. Had an iodine-taste. Wife and son didn't notice, but I did. Aussies just love them as you say. If I'm starving, might give it another go.
Also called shit fish..the sewerage outlet tells you why lol
There are a few other names for them back home in Aus, not very politically correct though!Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkN
You will get fish on softbaits fished on a normal surfcaster just like bait, provided there is enough surge to keep them moving
Luderick or Blackfish over here. We use floats with cabbage weed for bait on a small hook underneath it. Fishing in the washes around the rocks.
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Propper little scrappers on line, put up a good fight.
I use mussel and sea lettuce stitched to small hook... only when snapper fishing is hard though.
Parore are my trout substitute. Use similar gear, but different lures and techniques. A lot of fun.
Green weed flies also used over here a lot now.
So even more trouty!
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I have tried and failed, probably because I didn't use any seaweed burley.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dicko
MB, yes, have to burley up with weed and sand mix, maybe some bread in there too. Flies are under the quill floats.
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