Soft Plastics/Rods

[koolerb]

I've always caught all my fish on hardbaits and spinnerbaits. I've been forcing myself this year to use soft plastics without any luck. <br /><br />I've come to the conclusion that I don't like the soft plastics because I have a real hard time feeling the bites; if I'm getting any. (Don't know, can't tell)<br /><br />I've got some decent reels, but I've never spent any money on rods, that may be the problem.<br /><br />I'm thinking a spinning setup is the way to go with these because I've been rigging some of the time with no weight. Should be easier to cast the light stuf with the spinning setup.<br /><br />I've been using 12 lb mono. Too heavy?<br /><br />Can anyone recomend a good rod for this application that wont break the bank.

 

[koolerb]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Went to ****'s and looked at rods. They had two 7ft, medium action rods by St. Croix. One was $100, the other was $70. The $70 rod was St. Croix, but was also labled Triumph. Anyone know the difference? Might be a line made just for ****'s.

 

[Ron G]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Rods are one of the most important aspects of fishing imo.nothing beats a good quality rod and reel.i pefer a tiff rod when worm fishing and 15-17lb line.you can get a reel good rod for a little over a 100bucks for the money the extreme and shimano combo at bass pro is very good.i've started using a rod called outlae rods and im very pleased with them so far.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

When fishing plastics, you need a rod that will penetrate the plastic on the hookset. Would be a good Idea to go with someone to show you the ropes.. Also, use a line that you can see, Yellow or a bright lime green, use a florocarbon leader if you have to but you have to be able to see the line for any movement. I rarely feel a strike on plastics, Im a line watcher.

 

[koolerb]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Thanks, sounds like a Med/Heavy rod is the way to go. Also thanks for the line watching tip.

 

[Ron G]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

LD is totally right on the line watching alot of times you will only see a jump in the line and not feel nothing.

 

[b.gagnon]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Use 8lb mono or switch to braid, the 12 is probably too stiff for what you are trying to do. The single most important thing when finesse fishing is presentation! Also I just bought two of the triumph spinning rods and they are great (Very sensitive)! It is basically a premiere series made overseas.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

You've have got to master plastic fishing because there are so many times that you have to fish slow to catch fish and soft plastic is the only way to go. Those lake in the northeast probably pretty clear so use Berkly Vanish or Berkly Transition line no more then 10lbs for spinning reel, med/heavy St. Croix would be a good choice. Do you even feel the stuff on the bottom as you hop or drag your plastic? The number one rule is always set the hook when you feel pressure on the line. You'll lost lots of lure/hook/sinker at first but you will soon find out which bump is a rock/stump and which bump is a fish.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Man, theres Falling, dropping, sinking, hopping, swimming, dead sticking, finesse, jigging, Texas rigging, wacky rigging, and on and on and on!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />Senko, swim tail, curl tail, paddle tail, straight tail, fire tail, Split tail, Craw tail, 3", 4", 5", 6", 7", 8", 9", 10", and even bigger.<br /><br />And then there are all the colors, not room on the page for all of those. <br /><br />Ya got a long way to go.

 

[koolerb]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

So far I've Texas rigged a purple Berkly worm, and I've been skipping a skirted grub under some docks with no weight. I haven't really stuck with either one for very long. Maybe thirty tosses each time out. Crankbaits have been catching all the fish so far this year, so that's where my confidence is these days. <br /><br />I'll keep working on it, thanks for all the advice.

 

[John_S]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

koolerb,<br /><br />I'm no plastic expert, but coming from the crankbait world, probably the hardest thing is slowing it down. Sometimes, the wait between twitches seems extremely long. But, I've had some of the bigger fish, be the longest waiters. If you try plastic only after the crankbait doesn't produce and putting allot of action into your plastic presentation, that may explain part of the issue. <br /><br />My experience matches what experts have recommended to you, a longer, stiffer rod to be able set the hook-point through the plastic. Also agree that close line watching is a must, especially if using spinning equipment. As you learn, there will be a number of no fish, hook set attempts! allways interesting where your lure/hook end up.<br /><br />Recently, soft plastic jerk baits, produced some decent pickerel for me, after using traditional spinners, spoons, and crank baits, didn't. They were hitting on the drop. Had a good number of bite-offs, until going to heavier mono for leader. Also had some nice largemouths slam some plastic jerk baits, sitting and twitching them on an alge mass. <br /><br />As others have stated, there are so many types, color, and styles of plastics, and so many ways to fish them, and so little time....

 

[Ron G]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Try a 4"ringworm in pumpkinseed or greenpumpkin on an 1/8oz weight.slow down you should catch some nice fish and get a good feel for it.you can go up in weight if your having a hard time feeling it,also try a craw.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Originally posted by John_S:<br /> koolerb,<br /><br /><br /> allways interesting where your lure/hook end up.<br /><br />

Ive always had the thought when that happens.<br /><br />The Bass must think, (If they think)!<br /><br /> WHERE THE H*LL DID THAT THING GO?

 

[John_S]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Lube,<br /><br />If it is not in the branches, weeds, briars, boat, fishing partner, anchor rope, boat, myself, you name it, it will quickly be back in the same spot. Hoping the bass thinks, "Oh here it is, Gee must of misplaced that!, let me try that again!". I am always happy to go another round. One of the two bass, I mentioned above, went 4 times before hook connected with jaw. Nothing beats a surface strike.

 

[koolerb]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

I just went to pick up the St. Croix/Triumph rod. They were all out 7ft Med/Heavy fast action spinning rods. The only spinning rods they had were medium action 6'6". <br /><br />They had what I was looking for in another brand called All Star. It looked pretty good so I got it.<br /><br />I hit the bargin bins a few months ago for baits so I got worms, tubes, craws, grubs, skirted grubs, all in a few different colors each.<br /><br />I'm just going to head out and start experimenting with all this stuff until I get some action.

 

[Ron G]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Nothing wrong with all star rods.time to get out there and start worming.bad day fishing is better than a good day working.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Originally posted by koolerb:<br /> The only spinning rods they had were medium action 6'6". <br /><br />

You will be fine with that rod, thats the rod I give to most of my clients as it will work for about anything I want them to try. Use a fine wire hook, (better hookset with that rod) and 8# line unless you have a large spool reel, then you can use 10#. Regular Mono, I dont know of a Florocarbon that works well with a spinning reel when you are not winding with any tension on the bait. Next cast it will spool right off!<br /><br />Stick with it, when you do finally catch a fish, you will do the "DUH" thing and youre off and running!

 

[koolerb]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Got out today to practice. I was trying to skip the skirted grub under docks again. I can only get about a 2ft skip out of that thing. Next time out I'm going to skip somthing else. I can't get any distance out of the skirted grub.<br /><br />Rigged a rubber craw, weighted from the tail with a jig head. Statred off just casting and jigging it accross the bottom. Then I tried swiming it, looked awsome in the water. <br /><br />No fish on either tecnique, but it was a tough day all round. Only perch, bluegill and rock bass on the crankbaits. The bass must have taken the day off.

 

[John_S]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

Sounds like you're fishing lake is fairly pressured. Its hard to learn a new technique, on your own, on such conditions. Do you have a farm or park pond nearby, with a good population of bass? Even if it is large quantity of small bass? If so, downsize on the plastic a little bit, and practice on that pond. It would be a good place to learn the feel and line sight, for hits, and practice on setting the hook through the plastic. <br /><br />As far as dock skipping, I am only a baby at that myself. What little I've done, the lure seems to make a big difference. I do cast under low hanging branches, to reach shore lines, though. You learn quickly under those conditions, or empty you tackle box in a hurry!

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Soft Plastics/Rods

I second the pond suggestion, there's no better place to learn to fish plastic. If you want to skips dock use compact lure with not a whole lots of tenacles that could grab the water such as a tube. If texas rigged, peg the weight to the line or use jig head. Jig head would works even better if you burry the head in the tube body