[Dave Irving]

Hi Guys,
This a question for those with more experience of using soft plastics than me (which means ALOT of the members)
I am looking for a jighead to fish a standard sized X-Slayer, it will be used while wading, so in a max of 4' of water, I am aiming to hop this lure along the bottom, using the current to move it along. Now I have little experience of fishing soft plastics. So please bear that in mind.
What size/weight jighead would you reconmend???

 

[Ben Field]

I can't imagine you needing more than 5g in 4 foot of water Dave (unless it's really windy of the water is bombing through). Depends a lot on the current though I'd imagine. I'm sure you probably already have an idea of how quickly you'd like it to be moving through, so almost the only thing you can do is take a few with you (along with plain hooks) and play around? Jighead wise, I'd prefer fish a round headed one. If possible though and then plan is to drift it, maybe just a weighted or even unweighted hook would be more successful? Basically, just use the minimum you can - while still maintaining contact. If you're really inexperienced then it may be safer starting a few grams above what will eventually become your ideal, but do go as low as you dare. Depends in the water current, swell, wind, bottom structure.... lots of things really. You'll soon work out what you can and can't do when you're out there though. If you can't feel it - go a touch heavier until you can. If you can feel it but keep snagging bottom, go lighter. Depending on wind and current though, the ideal is likely to be closer to unweighted than weighted - in 4 feet of water. Loads more variable too really (wind direction etc.) when you get in to it.

 

[Alex Jordan]

I have a load you can try Dave - mainly articulated ones I bought a load of Cannelle ones in bulk ... will hopefully be around bank hols now - the secret trip looks like its not happening

 

[Tim Murphy]

I was just going to say: Not Much! (But Ben beat me to it!) You'll probably need a 1/0 hook for a standard xlayer. As Ben says though, the ammount of current's the thing.

 

[Dave Irving]

Thanks Guys,
will get some on order during the week.
Alex, will drop you a pm about week end.

 

[Adrian]

As others have said, it depends on the wind and the water flow but if there's no wind issues and a reasonable flow, I'd start with a 1/4oz jig head on a 2/0 or 3/0 hook. If it lands and stays on the bottom, then go to a 1/8 or 3/16oz, if you can't feel it bouncing on the bottom at all, then go up to a 5/16 or 3/8oz. I take it you're using braid?

 

[Dave Irving]

Cheers Adrian,
Yeap fishing X8 1.5PE braid/15fluro leader. The place I have in mind does have some flow, and could be windy. So will grab a varity of weight jigheads and chop and change until I get something approaching the right weight.

Another question?
What are the takes like generally when fishing in flow?? Loss of contact with the bottom, or something more positive??

 

[Andy Marquis]

The weights and hook sizes sound about right. The takes can vary hugely, often just a different feeling tap, you will feel the bottom contact and hard taps and then there might be a softer tap out of sequence, lift into it if you feel that as it could be a fish. There are always the monster takes though!!

 

[Dave Irving]

Thanks Andy,
I think I have alot of learning to do on this, fingers crossed though.

 

[Luke Fox]

Dave have been using the giant xlayers for a while now and have found that if youre in upto 2ft of water I would go weightless with a weedless hook like a texposer or a decoy. But any deeper than 2 ft and I find its worth using something like the decoy violence jig heads of around the 3.5-5gm mark. These hooks are brilliant as they are weighted and are weedless which really cuts down on snagging rough ground and catching weed halfway through the retrieve (my pet hate).The hooks are only 2/0 which has meant I get alot of tail bites without the whole thing being engulfed. But on a standard xlayer this should'nt happen so much. It is also worth saying the major difference between weighted and weightless is casting distance and I for one would always go for a longer cast and an ability to cover more ground.

 

[kevin white]

It is also worth saying the major difference between weighted and weightless is casting distance and I for one would always go for a longer cast and an ability to cover more ground.

thats where we differ, go with the one that gives the BEST PRESENTATION,

kev

 

[Ben Field]

BEST PRESENTATION

Got to agree with Kev on that one actually. So often we talk about fish taking lures at our feet, but still want lures that cast as far as possible. Have been playing with hardbaits recently that although they probably cast 5 yards shorter than some, in the water they are absolutely amazing! If people ruled them off because they don't cast quite as far then they'd be reeeelly silly. Slightly different topic, but the theory is always the same. Coarse, being able to cast 'some' distance is essential, but even casting as far as humanly possible isn't always necessary.

 

[Matt Newcombe]

Got to agree with Kev on that one actually. So often we talk about fish taking lures at our feet, but still want lures that cast as far as possible. Have been playing with hardbaits recently that although they probably cast 5 yards shorter than some, in the water they are absolutely amazing! If people ruled them off because they don't cast quite as far then they'd be reeeelly silly. Slightly different topic, but the theory is always the same. Coarse, being able to cast 'some' distance is essential, but even casting as far as humanly possible isn't always necessary.

Well said mate!

 

[Adrian]

I think you're both right; no good casting a mile if the lure looks like a bag of nails when it gets there, likewise no good having a superbly presented lure that cant reach where the fish are feeding.

Compromise, that's life!

 

[Ben Field]

Absolutely. There'll be times when distance is essential, and other times it's not. My point really is that we generally all put casting performance at the top of a good plug's traits, but while it's a good trait to have, it's not always necessary - yet we still pick it over a slightly less good caster 99% of the time. I'll sound like an ass for admitting it, but its only recently really dawned on me that hard lures can be pretty much as different or as specific as soft baits can (what the hell have I been doing all this time?!). I think it's almost the opposite to compromise in fact, and choosing an hard bait characteristic to match any situation. Saying that, if you need a distance caster then it IS a compromise (in favour of distance over action) but if it's not 100% essentail then there are a lot of lures out there that shouldn't be ignored.

...apologies for having taken this one slightly off topic by the way.

 

[Luke Fox]

i'll get my coat....

 

[Ben Field]

We all fish different types of places Lukeyboy, all with different requirements. There's not really a right answer, and you've caught plenty of fish this year!

 

[Luke Fox]

Word up ben merely jesting!!!