plastics for snapper

[madjewiefisher]

Hey members

I haven't used plastics before but am reading alot about how good they are.

I want to learn how to use them what rods to use and what plastics to use to catch snapper in about 30meters,jewies from the beaches and so on.

What technics are used to make them work.

Any help would be good

Cheers people Steve

[Murph77]

G'day Steve,
This site has a heap of awesome info on fishing for snaps with SP's and soft plastic fishing in general. Use the search icon on the tool bar above and you will find enough info to keep you reading for a good month or more. It's pretty simple really mate, just get yourself a quality graphite outfit loaded with braid, a few packets of placcies and jigheads and get out there exploring and give it a crack. It won't be too long before you start nailing a few quality fish, good luck mate - enjoy.
Murph

[madjewiefisher]

Thanks for that Murph I haven't checked everything out yet but will now

Cheers Steve

G'day Steve,
This site has a heap of awesome info on fishing for snaps with SP's and soft plastic fishing in general. Use the search icon on the tool bar above and you will find enough info to keep you reading for a good month or more. It's pretty simple really mate, just get yourself a quality graphite outfit loaded with braid, a few packets of placcies and jigheads and get out there exploring and give it a crack. It won't be too long before you start nailing a few quality fish, good luck mate - enjoy.
Murph

[Tassie JR]

Berkly gulps nuclear chicken is the way to go for snapper at the moment, im sure you will find out heaps of info about them if you do what Murph77 said, good luck and im sure that you will nail loads of big snapper and jews with them.

cheers tassie JR

[Poodroo]

I can't recommend highly enough to rub shoulders with those who already are being successful at plastics fishing. Have a look at some of the posts from the past in the reports estuary section and get to know those who seem to do well with plastics with regular consistency and then don't be afraid to PM them and try organize a day out perhaps. You will find most people on here are more than happy to oblige and help you out and there is no better way to learn than to be out there with a skilled fisho actually landing fish with SP's. Colours I recommend highly are Nuclear Chicken in the 4 and 5" gulps and also the lime tigers. They seem to have the most success. Also not to be sneezed at is the all time favourite of a lot of people out there which is the gulps in pumpkin seed. Best of luck. I have not used bait now for about 8 years and I love nailing all sorts of fish on SP's but mainly target snapper. Technique is something hard to show on here which is why it is good to try getting out with someone who knows their stuff.

Poodroo

[madjewiefisher]

I can't recommend highly enough to rub shoulders with those who already are being successful at plastics fishing. Have a look at some of the posts from the past in the reports estuary section and get to know those who seem to do well with plastics with regular consistency and then don't be afraid to PM them and try organize a day out perhaps. You will find most people on here are more than happy to oblige and help you out and there is no better way to learn than to be out there with a skilled fisho actually landing fish with SP's. Colours I recommend highly are Nuclear Chicken in the 4 and 5" gulps and also the lime tigers. They seem to have the most success. Also not to be sneezed at is the all time favourite of a lot of people out there which is the gulps in pumpkin seed. Best of luck. I have not used bait now for about 8 years and I love nailing all sorts of fish on SP's but mainly target snapper. Technique is something hard to show on here which is why it is good to try getting out with someone who knows their stuff.

Poodroo

Thanks mate ill be reading all i can we are going to bounce the shelf soon and I wanted to try sp's for snapper while fishing for livies.
Steve

[eotbmg]

This reply is only to do with offshore but the techniques used are the same elsewhere. One thing not mentioned on here much is a sea anchor. They will slow your drift down immensely [50%] which you let the plastic in the strike zone longer obviously adding to more fish. My favourite lure [and i have been trying for about 6 years now] is the 4 inch GULP in white. This matched to the appropriate jighead for the depth of water you are fishing. I use in general 1/2 ounce in 20-30m, 3/4 in 30-60/70 meters and 1 ounce in anything deeper. Try different weights in diffrent depths to see which is SLOWLY sinking, not like a bomb, cos most fish have their eyes on the top and side of their head and will watch your placcie drifting NATURALLY down throught the water column. I have been using 30 lb braid and have been spooled 3 times in 5 trips so i have just purchased a bigger rod, reel and line for the aj's and kingies. Cast your lure out with the wind-the sea anchor will be at the front of your boat so you are drifting with the stronger of either current or wind- and let it drift NATURALLY and it may hit the bottom or you may see tonnes of line leaving you r spool and you are ON. YEEAAHHA!!!! Hold on. If not i like to give the rod a couple on sharp jerks upwards to replicate the falling natural look of the lure until you wind it into the boat. Now when you are winding in, wind it in flat out cos heaps of fish like to chase their prey and we have been smashed plenty of times doing that.
Hope this is of some help
Cheers
Ben

[Lovey80]

If your fishing an area thats not too snaggy don't underestimate the ol dead stick!

Get the 5in Nuke Chicken jerk shad drop her to the bottom whilst drifting let out a fair bit of line so its not under the boat and wait. Heaps of guys will atttest to using 2 rods and working 1 with the other in a rod holder. More often than not the dead stick will go off. Myself I really don't think the "whack whack whack" with the jerking motion is any good. A rod that i am working is not done hard now days because of this. The swell or chop does the work for ya.

I'm certainly no expert on SP's as i'm fairly new to it myself but thats what ive found and heard.

Cheers Chris

[Poodroo]

If your fishing an area thats not too snaggy don't underestimate the ol dead stick!

Get the 5in Nuke Chicken jerk shad drop her to the bottom whilst drifting let out a fair bit of line so its not under the boat and wait. Heaps of guys will atttest to using 2 rods and working 1 with the other in a rod holder. More often than not the dead stick will go off. Myself I really don't think the "whack whack whack" with the jerking motion is any good. A rod that i am working is not done hard now days because of this. The swell or chop does the work for ya.

I'm certainly no expert on SP's as i'm fairly new to it myself but thats what ive found and heard.

Cheers Chris

This is true to a degree and it pays to be adaptive with your techniques to suit the conditions on the day as they change on a daily basis. I always like to find the edge of the reef and drift close to but not on the snags whilst running parallel to the reef. I find most of the bigger snapper are on the outskirts. As I said earlier about the conditions changing our biggest contributor to the changes is our old friend wind. Direction that it comes from and how hard it is blowing can dramatically change your drift directions and you can't always set up a drifting pattern in the desired direction. This is where I am forced to improvise with different techniques until I find one that works. Strong winds normally require a sea anchor to be deployed to slow down the drift. If the wind insists on blowing you across the reef and not parallel to it then start the drift further out and make sure you don't deadstick the SP when you reach the snags. There is a lot of learning to do about SP fishing even for me and I have been using them for about 8 years now.

Poodroo

[DR]

don't get locked into one plastic, there are heaps that work, nuclear chicken is flavour of the month at the moment. my favourite is any of the 4" or 5" shad type in baby bass or watermelon.
i think the reason the nuclear chicken is so popular is that it is all that most are using, so it has to catch a lot of fish. the reason i stick with baby bass is the same, 12-18 months ago it was the go to lure, still works. who knows when the next 'best' thing will hit the market.

use the nuke ckook, but still do some experimenting of your own, it's more fun when you discover your own favourite..