[Keith White]

Well, last night quite a number of us targeted Bouley Bay on Jersey's north coast.
I arrived to see Liam H, Tom Phillips and the Squid (Chris Steel) fishing happily away. I arrived with Mark Sleep who, on his first night soft plastics mission learned enough I think to do well in the future.

That made 5 of us.

Next came Kev and then Paul. 7 now.

Then Callum came, and later Ritchie. 9 guys with an interest in soft plastics (finesse style), wow.
We need a bigger harbour. We were being closely watched by some guys over on the far side slipway too.

So, Liam had just been bust out by a good fish and had 1 Pollack already.
Squid had seen loads of, Squid and Tom hadn't had a touch.

The swell rolled around the end of the wall and was of decent size and power.

People started to spread out and Paul tackled up and ready to go, made his first cast..

Paul B with a current caught Pollack to the spindleworm.

New softie man Mark Sleep concentrating inside the harbour wall.

Tom had moved up onto the back wall. 2 fish in quick succession.

Tom with number 3.

Toms soft plastic, 4" on a 5g head to 8ln mono straight through. He was just letting the jig come around in the current. The current was swinging left to right at this time. It then switched.

I joined Tom and we started to refine the method. We worked with lifting and sliding the jig back down in the current under close but not tight contact. The idea is to get the softie to swim AWAY from you, WITH the current whilst maintaining enough contact to detect the shy bites.

It surely was working by now. Tom again with a fish.

I switched to a 7g Gobix head and a Gary Yamamoto 4" curly worm. I slid the jig in the current on my Cormoran ULX with 0.8PE braid. Contact was simply awesome. Thump, reel screaming, rod doubled over !.. Reward was this very nice Pollack of around 2lb.

Close up of the same fish with the plastic and jig. Also seen are Paul's foreceps as this fish really wanted the softie. Fish was released unharmed.

Mark Sleep had a few more takes but unfortunately couldn't connect. He will though, given more practice. Paul B had another fish or 2, Liam had had some more but sadly, Kev and the Squid couldn't find them on the night. That is fine, it happens and we were in a new spot for this style of fishing. Tom finished the session with this fish as the tide died.

All in all, a great learning session. More guys coming along. It's nut's. Those bait fishermen came around to join in but sadly, they had blanked. So soft plastic stuffs bait again.

All are welcome to these sessions and don't forget, It's all training for this....

http://www.thelureforum.com/showthread.php?t=1367
Please pop along to that guys if you can.

Anyway, thanks all for turning up. I had a blast again.

 

[Alex Jordan]

nice results guys ... wish I could get out - sat at home with man flu

 

[Mark Sleep]

It was really good fun, and was good to get out with some experienced SP guys. I was amazed that the only way to get interest was to use the left to right flow to slide the SP back away from you, it felt alien and hard to do to start with (gusty wind and my braid being too thick didnt help), but when I finally mastered the freefall but in contact method, I magically started getting bites - couldnt hook the bastard things though!

Anyway, I am putting the thin braid on the reel tonight, and am already looking forward to thursday.

Cheers for the loan of the Infeet by the way Liam.

 

[Tim Griffin]

Excellent fun! Seems quite a good number of you getting out to do this now, and I guess you will gather plenty of data on what works and what doesn't. Interesting how the lures are giving the edge over bait, which in cold winter conditions go against my ingrained thinking.
Were all the fish landed last night pollack, Keith?

 

[Keith White]

I was amazed that the only way to get interest was to use the left to right flow to slide the SP back away from you, it felt alien and hard to do to start with (gusty wind and my braid being too thick didnt help), but when I finally mastered the freefall but in contact method, I magically started getting bites - couldnt hook the bastard things though!

In reality, that just in contact freefall actually turns your SP head first going WITH the current. This is why we cast plugs up current in tide when skishing. Same effect.

Were all the fish landed last night pollack, Keith?

Yes Tim, I believe so. However, I reckon it was a Bass that hammered Liams 'Grasdos' type SP. Tom saw a good Bass too off the back wall so it is possible.

 

[Ben Field]

Where were you catching most fish guys? Inside our outside the main wall?

 

[Keith White]

Where were you catching most fish guys? Inside our outside the main wall?

In the current Ben, sweeping around the end. Swell and wind didn't help.

 

[Ben Field]

Yeah, swell and wind are the main problems I have around here. Not that there are many decent harbours to start with (with permanent water), but those we have are also quite exposed. I've only tried once, but a 10-30 rod was way too heavy to feel anything in the swell.

Could be interesting when I get myself sorted. Think the main species around here are likely to be whiting or small wrasse, depending on where I go. Maybe even a few rockling if I can sort them out??????????

 

[Mick Ward]

Another great evening it sound like, I couldnt make it, too much stuff to do with my site and this site. Anyways great effort and you will be seeing me soon for some soft plastic lessons.

 

[Ben Edwards]

really interesting stuff lads, nice! was all the fishing done in darkness? if so do you think this helped you catch more?

 

[Keith White]

really interesting stuff lads, nice! was all the fishing done in darkness? if so do you think this helped you catch more?

Yes.

For the species and the time of year, yes it helped.

 

[Ben Edwards]

Cool cheers for that, pioneering stuff! God knows what will be being done at the end of the year, I can see UK lure fishing taking off a lot more this year!

 

[Mike Cornelius]

You're having great success over there at the moment. I just waiting for a few clear days here to give it a bash.

I've got a few questions though ! What sort of ground are you fishing over and at what sort of distance ? Do your SP's trip the bottom, or move above it ? I'd be really interested to see SP's fished properly, cause, as has been said before, everytime I fish them they very quickly turn into snag finding demons. As with Ben the majority of fish to be targetted here would, I think, be Whiting. Thanks - Mike

 

[Keith White]

You're having great success over there at the moment. I just waiting for a few clear days here to give it a bash.

It's getting to be quite addictive.

I've got a few questions though ! What sort of ground are you fishing over and at what sort of distance ? Do your SP's trip the bottom, or move above it ? I'd be really interested to see SP's fished properly, cause, as has been said before, everytime I fish them they very quickly turn into snag finding demons. As with Ben the majority of fish to be targetted here would, I think, be Whiting. Thanks - Mike

We have been getting Pouting. Obviously another bottom feeder that we are catching with greater frequency with appropriate soft plastics. Whiting ?, I know of 1 here so far but they aren't thick in numbers where it was caught. In fact, they aren't thick in numbers anywhere around here. However: I believe you can catch them.

We are doing all sorts of stuff Mike.

Slow rolling, Vee cutting, sink and draw, bumping, vertical freedrop, deadstick, wacky, carolina etc
It is also important sometimes to choose paddle tailed (shad) over straight tailed slug (xlayer type) or split tailed flukes eg.

Balancing jig weight with the size of bait is very important and in my opinion, not overworking the plastic is vital.

You must have confidence. This is 50% of it. Maintain contact always unless, you can watch the line to compensate.
If you can, use the water and the elements to move the plastic.

We are fishing harbours ranging from huge boulders, to flat smooth silty bottoms to dense wrack covered or mixed heavy ground. We are sometimes swinging over hard structure, sometimes bouncing stuff in it. Sometimes, doing nothing at all.

It's a tough one to try to cover specifically because it is so fluid.

A thread has been started in the 'learning zone'. I think we could cover each specific technique in there so people can try them, or add to them as new stuff is discovered. It is new remember and many techniques are modified, hybridised, or bastardised from other forms of jigging and techniques.

All I can say is, go do it. Really, try it. It will be very hard without someone there to help you detect the bites you will likely experience but, the rewards will surely follow if you put the effort in.

 

[The Squid]

Whiting ?, I know of 1 here so far but they aren't thick in numbers where it was caught. In fact, they aren't thick in numbers anywhere around here. However: I believe you can catch them..

Sinkers Sea Fishing Club is the premier fishing club in Jersey and if you are catching 8-10oz whiting you are weighing them in for 50 or so points out of 100 for the club League.

 

[Mike Cornelius]

It's getting to be quite addictive.



We have been getting Pouting. Obviously another bottom feeder that we are catching with greater frequency with appropriate soft plastics. Whiting ?, I know of 1 here so far but they aren't thick in numbers where it was caught. In fact, they aren't thick in numbers anywhere around here. However: I believe you can catch them.

We are doing all sorts of stuff Mike.

Slow rolling, Vee cutting, sink and draw, bumping, vertical freedrop, deadstick, wacky, carolina etc
It is also important sometimes to choose paddle tailed (shad) over straight tailed slug (xlayer type) or split tailed flukes eg.

Balancing jig weight with the size of bait is very important and in my opinion, not overworking the plastic is vital.

You must have confidence. This is 50% of it. Maintain contact always unless, you can watch the line to compensate.
If you can, use the water and the elements to move the plastic.

We are fishing harbours ranging from huge boulders, to flat smooth silty bottoms to dense wrack covered or mixed heavy ground. We are sometimes swinging over hard structure, sometimes bouncing stuff in it. Sometimes, doing nothing at all.

It's a tough one to try to cover specifically because it is so fluid.

A thread has been started in the 'learning zone'. I think we could cover each specific technique in there so people can try them, or add to them as new stuff is discovered. It is new remember and many techniques are modified, hybridised, or bastardised from other forms of jigging and techniques.

All I can say is, go do it. Really, try it. It will be very hard without someone there to help you detect the bites you will likely experience but, the rewards will surely follow if you put the effort in.

Thanks for the reply. I've seen the Learning Zone thread. What about a short, You Tube, video showing equipment and techniques. I now it'd probably be a pain to sort out, but would give people like myself who can't tag along for a watch something to go on.

How do you not catch the bottom, over and over again ? Maybe I've previously used too heavy a jig head ? Just a thought ! Thanks again - Mike

 

[Mick Ward]

You're having great success over there at the moment. I just waiting for a few clear days here to give it a bash.

I've got a few questions though ! What sort of ground are you fishing over and at what sort of distance ? Do your SP's trip the bottom, or move above it ? I'd be really interested to see SP's fished properly, cause, as has been said before, everytime I fish them they very quickly turn into snag finding demons. As with Ben the majority of fish to be targetted here would, I think, be Whiting. Thanks - Mike

Not that I am any eggspurt on the topic Mike but I have found that the lighter I go with the jighead the less I seem to lose. It does seem boring to sit and wait as your softy sinks so slow, but the drop is the time when the lure seems to be in the zone, so dont hurry to get it down there is you can help it. I will defo be experimenting alot more this year, but give me a plug on a tight line anyday.

 

[kevin white]

mike, that's a little difficult to answer, but as a general rule use approx 1/8oz (3.5grms) for every 10ft of water depth as a starting point then increase or decrease if there's current / wind etc as required to either just bounce bottom or keep the lure in the strike zone depending on wether fish are suspending or hard down, sometimes you have to go really light to get takes on the drop, if the lure sinks to quickly they'll lose interest really fast at times, the size of plastic/pork trailer makes all the differance in the world to how fast/slow it sinks because of either bouyancy or resistance around it as it falls, start small say 2" and play around, if no takes are forth coming try smaller/ larger....... lighter/ heavier, a change of lure type is normally better than a colour change till you get follows or takes, then play with colour to see if you can pick up more takes/ fish.

kev

 

[Keith White]

Kev, don't get me started on pork.

I'm thinking of expanding our pork armoury. Seem some cracking new porks recently.

Might take Uncle Josh fishing tomorrow. LOL

 

[The Squid]

It does seem boring to sit and wait as your softy sinks so slow, but the drop is the time when the lure seems to be in the zone, so dont hurry to get it down there is you can help it.

Hi Mick,

When we are looking for a quick drop we are using Mono of 3lb to 5lb althought you do lose some of the feel you get with braid.

On one of our sessions I could not get in contsct with the fish using braid so I swithced to mono (using the same lure and retrieve) and was into the fish straight away.

Its all a bit of a steep learning curve, but its fun.

Chris

PS Mr Fish has Ultima Power Plus mono as a buy one get one free deal at the moment.