Page 24 - BNB Fishing mag

Bream are a popular target during winter and this one ate a Z-Man 2.5” Slim SwimZ.
This SUP session was quiet until the bait was lo- cated and then it was sh on.
Just one example of the by-catch being landed re- cently.
The plastics also re- spond well to almost any retrieve and I will normally rotate be- tween slow rolling (slow wind), hopping (hop, hop, pause) and shaking (a few winds while shaking the rod tip, pause) retrieve un- til I find what the fish want on the day or even stage of tide.
The bite gets quiet, I add scent and it’s fish on. Fish aren’t commit- ting to the strike... add
10 tips for using soft plastics
* from P22
snapper, whiting and
the day, and for this reason it is essential to carry some different lure colours.
during winter, because you can’t catch the fish if you don’t get the bite. Scent
myriad other by-catch landed during winter.
Westerly wind can create crystal-clear wa- ter and at times a very natural lure colour is required to get the bite, such as a Bad Shad, Opening Night or Baby Bass.
Scent has proven itself to me over and over again.
Over the flats, the fish may want a faster, more aggressive retrieve and then when they drop off the channel edge with a falling tide they may prefer a slower, hop, hop and long pause.
ten to be a coincidence, so add scent to your soft plastics, especially if the bite is tough or you’re fishing slower. Squid jig
Likewise, the bream may want a slow roll across the flats, while flathead might like a shake and pause.
This colour combines the UV-reactive quali- ties of the super-pop- ular Motor Oil colour with a silver fleck that creates a natural scale flash in the water.
You’ll just think it’s weed or rubble un- til you finally see the squid.
Lure colour
It’s also frustrating how difficult they are to hook on a soft plas- tic and how distracting they are when you can see them but can’t catch them.
Water colour and clar- ity will vary dramati- cally throughout winter, as will the brightness of
After fishing a bunch of colours throughout winter, this is now the first thing tied on.
Go light
Squid jigs are not ex- pensive and it’s worth having a couple in your kit, just in case you come across some squid.
When the water is dirtier or the conditions dull, a darker silhou- ette colour can produce more bites, and I also include a fluorescent colour in my kit, just in case, such as bright pink or chartreuse.
scent, fish on.
It just works too of-
Midnight Oil has ex- celled throughout win- ter for me, and I have heard this from other anglers as well.
Winter is squid time and it’s amazing how of- ten squid will follow and grab your soft plastic.
Sean Bekkers got lucky with two squid at once on a Fish Inc. Egilicious squid jig in Green Joker colour.
Page 24 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2020
See you on the water
We hear it often: “go light to get the bite” and this can be even more important in winter when the water is clear.
A few casts and you could have a side of ca- lamari to go with your freshfish.
I will generally fish with a 7’, 2-4kg or 3-6kg spin rod and 20- 30 size reel loaded with 8-10lb braid.
That’s a quick wrap of what’s working for us at the moment and hope- fully there’s something in there to help you get hooked up.
Leader wise, I will commonly fish 10lb Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon, which provides good security against flathead while still being fine and clear, however I will also carry 8lb and 6lb in my kit, especially
Get out there early and make the most of those magical winter days, the influx of bait and the variety of spe- cies on offer.
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