[Pennywise]

Hello All.

Im a new member to the forum and it looks very well. Good job to all involvement.

I have recently began using Xlayers and other soft plastics but am confused by the way they are actually put on jig head. Is it possible to rig them upside down?

The way the diagram shows on Xlayer packets is different to the way I have seen on other sites.

How do I know which way is up?

Basic I know...but losing confidence in them altogether and have convinced myself that the reason for recent blanks is because I have not hooked them correctly.

Any help would be great but Id really love a pic or two to actually see it!

Many thanks
C

 

[Retired]

Hi Crevan

Either way works. Flatside down planes more so offers more movement. The French pros recommend rigging them this way and it has caught on.

Henry Gilbey has some XLayer photos on his blog, otherwise there is some stuff on MrFish's blog that he and I did early last year.

If that isn't enough let me know and I'll send you some pics.

 

[bob jameson]

Crevan , Welcome

Dont dispare our resident SP guru Paul b will come along and explaine , the ins & outs of soft plastics ,
Dam he beat me to it as always...

 

[Dave Irving]

You might have seen this already but I have found it very useful:
http://mrfishjersey.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... baits.html

I think the general rule is for shallow water rig them flat side down (slightly slower sink rate) and in deeper water rounded side down.

 

[Steve Lewis]

Hi Crevan and welcome to the forum, your first post done and already an answer, keep posting and reading :jump:

 

[kevin white]

hi mate welcome,

as paul said about rigging, me and keith both rig them flat side down, when rigging them try and get the hook point to come out between the second and third rib area.

kev

 

[Keith White]

If you can find jig heads with long enough shanked hooks that is.

4" are fine, 6" barely manageable, 7" and over...

not so easy.

There are other ways though as you'll find out on this forum..

 

[Marc D...]

Welcome to the site Crevan, Enjoy.... :horsesword:

 

[Pennywise]

10/10 for the speedy replies!!!

I was kinda hoping you'd tell me that it was the way I was hooking them up.....might explain my recent blanks. Must be the way Im fishing them so :bangin:

I have read that piece before alright but it was adding to my confusion. I have caught on an Xlayer before so I know what a take feels like. But are takes always like this? I have read people saying that they felt a pull on the plastic not an aggressive take....does this mean Ive been missing fish too?

Thank you all for the help

 

[Keith White]

Some takes on soft plastics are really, really subtle. In fact, most neophyte SP men will
miss 75% or more of the takes until they learn to feel the lure or watch the line or both.

first rule is to fish light, as light as the terrain lets you. Use a rod you can feel the jig head
hit bottom with and work to a series of rhythms or cadences. If you flick the rod tip to lift the plastic
off bottom you will most likely generate too much slack. Then, you cannot time the head back down to
the bottom. lots of takes come as the SP falls. This is why you should TIME your soft plastic baits.

Also, learn to watch for the VEE wake your braid cuts through the water as the lure sinks. Time that too.
If the VEE stops, something has made it stop.

SP work is a whole new game.

If you can find current get the xlayer to bounce by you and tap the bottom on its travels.
This is a superb method. I have an article on my blog reference that.

 

[Retired]

Crevan,

Don't panic, anyone who says they don't miss bass hits on SPs (by missing a hit I mean feeling a fish take the lure but not hooking it) has phenomenal technique. I certainly miss a lot and I see people fishing with me miss them. Its all part of the fun! Sometime you manage to hit a later take on the same retrieve, sometimes not. I realise now that when I first started using SPs I was getting lots of hits and not recognising them, especially on bigger lures.

One thing I have been doing this year (and will be doing more next year) is paying attention to the weight of the jighead. I would suggest try a weightless lure to get a feel for how it works and watch what it does in the water, then try different weights of jig head. I mentioned this on a post last month and if I can find it I'll post a link.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=416

 

[Henry Gilbey]

One of the French guys I know showed me this way here :

http://www.henry-gilbey.com/photo_essay ... layer.html

And he kills with these lures.

Remember a drop of superglue/anglers glue to help hold it in place.