Tackle Tactics Surfcasting Message Board

Tackle Tactics Surfcasting Message Board
[ Tackle Tactics Surfcasting Message Board ]

Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by ABU Man on 9/7/2016, 8:50 am

Has anyone successfully used soft baits for surfcasting? If so what is the secret?

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 9/7/2016, 9:08 am, in reply to "Surfcasting Soft Baits"

Are there enough fish out there to truly test the species as opposed to a natural bait leaking a scent trail?
In a number of locations that may be the case.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by The druid on 9/7/2016, 9:18 am, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

I've tried without really knowing what I was doing. I used the little crabs and the long orange ones. I think I used them on normal hooks figuring they need lots of movement and wouldn't get that sitting on the bottom. I didn't catch anything, but then I don't usually with bait anyway.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 9/7/2016, 9:34 am, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

One thing I am going to try are the small crabs for flounder in an estuary. I could use a pair of 3lb carp rods and occasionally twitch the rig back as the channels fill over an in coming tide.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by ABU Man on 9/7/2016, 10:24 am, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

That's the secret I think, getting enough movement. Perhaps a jerky retrieve may work with the soft bait on a long trace.

Some experimentation me-thinks.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 9/7/2016, 12:06 pm, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

I think so hints at using braid to get the movement. Certainly once spring arrives for the flounder.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Jasmine on 9/7/2016, 2:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

Check out youtube re fishing for flounder. There are some great articles & videos by John Skinner. In particular there is an underwater video showing how the flounder react to lures. Type into google "incredible underwater flounder fishing behaviour". It opened my eyes. Not sure though when the flounder are in our estuaries, but I'm going to give this a go.

Jasmine

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 9/7/2016, 3:15 pm, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

Ive watched similar with Plaice in the UK.
This article might be worth a look.
https://activeanglingnz.com/2016/07/03/understanding-flatfish/
The estuary I fish for Trevally and small snapper this winter I'm going to try a soft bait crab in the next good moon phase and see what happens with flounder while I wait for a Trev to turn up.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by GaryK on 9/7/2016, 10:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

Hold on Mark! I mean to your rod and reel.I have caught snapper, kahawai, trevally, gurnard, red cod and moki on crab softbaits (Gulp) just used static on a ledger rig with no movement.
Cast and retrieve from shore I have caught kingfish, kahawai, trevally and gurnard just letting the bait settle and drawing it along the bottom. The trouble most people have with softbaits is that they dont give them a fair go. Wharf fishing in Wellington I was able to catch barracouta, warehou, kahawai and gurnard on softbaits. In the boat on the south coast out from Makara it was 3kg terakihi, red rock cod, scarlet wrasse, spotties, trevally, another warehau, big blue cod (and small ones),

The snapper don't know where the car park is!
Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by GaryK on 9/7/2016, 11:28 pm, in reply to "Surfcasting Soft Baits"

4/0 Gamakatsu Circle hooks for the crabs.

The snapper don't know where the car park is!
Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 10/7/2016, 8:06 am, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

I think that's what probably stops most people giving them a fair go. Limited beach time, limited fish in front of you, (if any) and perhaps for only part of the tide.
My PB Trev was a first trip in the summer, five trips after either a blank or just small snapper, and that was with shellfish bait but I still go back. Plastic crab though will go out still. Need to go get some small ones.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 13/7/2016, 7:17 pm, in reply to "Surfcasting Soft Baits"

Built several flounder rigs over last couple of days will bead bling, flasher blade and size 4 Aberdeen hook. Are small crab soft baits available here? By small under an inch/25mm in size?

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by GaryK on 14/7/2016, 8:51 am, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

Discontinued

The snapper don't know where the car park is!
Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 14/7/2016, 8:22 pm, in reply to "Surfcasting Soft Baits"

Inch sized crabs available but oh no I have to go on ebay! (overseas)!

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Phill on 14/7/2016, 8:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"
Tackle Tactics

What about the worms Gulp Bloody.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 15/7/2016, 11:32 am, in reply to "Surfcasting Soft Baits"

From what I've seen there are plenty of small crabs in the estuary I plan to fish, I'll take a garden fork with me next time and turn over some of the mud beds to see what other natural food is available for the Flounder.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Hangler on 15/7/2016, 4:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

Used to go crabbing for bait when I lived in the UK over forty years ago. No need to dig for them, just turn over manageable sized rocks and stones on the mud where they hide underneath. Remember to replace the rock as you found it so the next inhabitant can take up residence. Also run your fingers through any weed or kelp attached to the seabed. This is another favourite spot for them to hold up. If you have a harbour wall with seaweed attached and hanging, check that out as well, another favourite spot for crabs.

If you can find them in the peeling or soft stage (just after they have shed their shell) so much the better. They are likely to be bigger than the size you are looking for, flounders are really attracted to a cut, well presented crab, bait elastic is necessary.

Another advantage of crab bait is they keep really well. Put your bait in a box well filled with seaweed, put this is the bottom on your fridge and they will keep for at least a week.

Hope this helps.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by Team Century on 15/7/2016, 4:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits"

The fork is to see what else could be buried in the mud for the flounder to feed on I've seen plenty of small crab holes be interesting to see what else there is, just not right now in this weather although I bet I would have the estuary to myself!
But your right Hangler see what natural crab I can find as well.

Re: Surfcasting Soft Baits

Posted by fin-nor on 30/7/2016, 9:07 pm, in reply to "Surfcasting Soft Baits"

I have had some good hits on 5 inch jerkshad soft baits while surfcasting but no successful hookups yet, I use a pulley rig with a worm hook tied on and a couple of bullet floats on the trace to keep the soft bait off the ground and so it can move about in the current.

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