[Toby Harnett]

I have not got any what I call 'proper SP's' yet but want to give them a crack. The choice out there is bewildering. Not only is there the actual SP to think about, there's also hooks & weights. I'm only just beginning getting to grips with plugs so.........

If I were to get 3 or 4 different types of SP which ones would you recommend I get? I did try a search of previous posts on here but nothing suitable came up so apologies if something similar has been asked before.

I know that everyone will have their own favourites & that I may end up with 100different recommendations but I wanted to try & narrow it down just a tad.

I don't know if this makes a difference but I'll use the SP's mostly down in SE Cornwall & South Devon so will mainly fish over mixed & rough ground. Occasionally clean I suppose if I go to a beach mark.

I'd be grateful for names of SP's & colours along with recommendations for suitable hooks & weights (size/weight of both if possible). Thanks very much

Toby

 

[Tony Barnes]

Hi Toby,

Have a look here, if you haven't already.

http://www.mrfishjersey.com/soft-lures.html

I believe that the Xlayers are very popular.

I have some sidewinders but haven't used them much and have yet to catch on them.

Try using the search box, as there are bound to be lots of relevent threads.

Tony.

 

[Andy Marquis]

If it's mostly rough ground (wrasse and bass + pollack), I recommend a pack of standard Xlayers in Emeraude. Jig heads can be whatever you can afford but ball or football from 7g to 14g with size 1 to 3/0 hooks. Bachi Heads are excellent.

I also recommend the following SP's:

3 inch big hammer in whatever colour you fancy, the pearl is good for bass and brown/purple colours for wrasse. 7g 2/0 jig heads in shad head style from AGM are perfect.

DOA CAL Shad tails if AGM has any left. 5 - 14g heads but smaller hooks again as they are not huge lures, no more than 2/0 really.

 

[Dave M]

Yes agree with Andy AGM have some great SP's cheap to. Have been trying diff ones. Forgot the name but those that come with the jig hook with them and are impregnated with fish oil. Great in the small sizes 2-3" really soft and great colours.

 

[Toby Harnett]

Thanks guys. Right so far on the list of recommendations I have:

* X layers - Emeraude. I think **** told me a while back that the Ayu was a good colour as well
* AGM Big Hammer - 3" long, any colour, with 7g 2/0 jig heads
* DOA CAL Shad tails, 5 - 14g heads, max 2/0 hook size

Tony, thanks for the link to ****'s site. However with 150+ lures to choose from I'm still in the same situation of finding out which ones would be best to get. I've also searched the forum. There's so much info on the site that trying to pick out say 4 SP's that would be good for starting out is nigh on impossible. If its just a case of picking some at random then that's I'll do.

However if those more experienced in using SP's can give me a bit of a steer (SP name/colour/weight & hook size would be excellent) & add some more suggestions to the above list I would be very grateful. I'll do most of my fishing over mixed to rough ground.

On SP types, what do people think about the Delalande Monture Picoleau SP's. There's a You Tube vid within the link below, the action of it looks good

http://www.basslures.co.uk/delalande-monture-picoleau-17g-pearl-blue-white.html

I've watched that vid over & over again & find it quite hypnotic. Just wondered if anyone had any experience of using them

 

[Toby Harnett]

Sorry, just found 3 threads on the forum, of which this is one. Looks like some people like it

http://www.thelureforum.com/showthread.php?t=2371&page=2&highlight=Delalande+Monture+Picoleau

 

[Chris Savery]

Toby - I'm no expert but I have caught wrasse and pollack close to Plymouth using 4" ayu xlayers and 4" gold legend Reins rockvibes.Weedless Jigheads of 5g 2/0 and weedless 1/0 hooks with 7.5g cone head.

 

[Carl B]

toby give the reins rockvib shads available in 2,3,4" various colours i like the gold legend in all sizes and uv shad in 3" from mr fish, they are the bol..x but drop the jig weight and shank length (delande are perfect also from ****) as mentioned xlayers and d.o.a's are killers to, if you fishin over rough ground definatley use football heads or you will lose loads of tackle but with footyheads you'l unsnag roughly 70% more than ballheads once you go heavier than 5g, give keith whites blogs a good read, they are very informative, i'v hardly touched a plug this year cos the s.ps are so much fun, hope that helps enjoy

 

[Toby Harnett]

Thanks very much gents, keep the recommendations coming.............

With quite a few recommendations of light jigheads to use with the SP's e.g 5 & 7g, I was thinking that my plugging rod (8' 6" Bushwacker XLNT, rated at 20-60g) is a bit too beefy to use with them. The obvious answer is to go out & get another rod.

However I've just spent a whole load of dosh on fishing gear so the rod purchase will have to wait. What effect will my rod have when using relatively light jig weights with my SP's, how will I lose out?

 

[Toby Harnett]

toby give the reins rockvib shads available in 2,3,4" various colours i like the gold legend in all sizes and uv shad in 3" from mr fish, they are the bol..x but drop the jig weight and shank length (delande are perfect also from ****) as mentioned xlayers and d.o.a's are killers to, if you fishin over rough ground definatley use football heads or you will lose loads of tackle but with footyheads you'l unsnag roughly 70% more than ballheads once you go heavier than 5g, give keith whites blogs a good read, they are very informative, i'v hardly touched a plug this year cos the s.ps are so much fun, hope that helps enjoy

Carl - re the football heads. I found this

.

What's the difference between 'football' heads & 'ball' heads? Is it the shape of the head - the football head seems to be more oval shaped

I've read some of Keith's blogs already, will go & look at some more.

Thanks

Toby

 

[Chris Savery]

Toby - I have the older 8'6" bushwacker rated 15-40g but to me it seems more suited to heavier lures and probably is not very much diferent to the 20-60g XLNT.The feedback through the line of this rod is not as good as my 10-30g 7" rod making it dificult to tell bites from other contact but when you play a decent wrasse you apreciate the longer heavier rod.

 

[Gary A]

Thanks very much gents, keep the recommendations coming.............

With quite a few recommendations of light jigheads to use with the SP's e.g 5 & 7g, I was thinking that my plugging rod (8' 6" Bushwacker XLNT, rated at 20-60g) is a bit too beefy to use with them. The obvious answer is to go out & get another rod.

However I've just spent a whole load of dosh on fishing gear so the rod purchase will have to wait. What effect will my rod have when using relatively light jig weights with my SP's, how will I lose out?

Hi Toby,

to be honest, it will be very difficult to get any feeling with the bushwacker and 5-7gm jigheads. An alternative option may be to see if Mr Fish still has any of the Cormoran carb-o-stars left in stock. They're rated as 3-15gm and were available at a low price of just £35 a while back. For the money its a good lrf rod without paying big money.

Hope this helps.

Also, a pack of tiny Xlayers would be worth adding to your sp list.

Gary

 

[Carl B]

football heads are our rugby ball shapes its a usa thing i think, i'l send you a p.m, rod wise it makes a lot of diff because you need to feel evrything, when i started using the supermix i knew straight away it wasnt right for jigs under 10g so changed to shimano dropshot, diff unbelivable, go for your shortist rod to start with and move up til you can feel the stones and boulders before you by new this s.p thing is great but its a bottomless keep changing pit, ask the mrs!!!!l lines another issue when u get into it, try and keep it simple. but feel is the main word

 

[Toby Harnett]

Cheers for the advice on the rod chaps. Someone told me when I started fishing that my 'fishing wish list' would go on & on & on. There would always be something that I wanted. Well, for me & I suspect lots of other people, this is absolutely true.

My good lady wife is sat next to me now & (after recently having just bought 3 new rods for that 'other' type of fishing) I have just explained to her that I need another rod. Blank look appeared on her face........"Why?" was her response. How do you explain to a non fisherperson (my family are the same) that you're life is over unless you get another rod. The typical response is "You've already got loads of rods already". The technical details would euthanise them so I've never bothered explaining, not too much anyway.

On top of the issue of actually buying new gear there's the issue of where you put it all?! I do not have a garage so all my gear is in the house. We have a fight with my fishing rods everytime we want to get in the downstairs bog. End tackle, plugs & reels are kept in our bedroom............

I'll have another search around the forum on a suitable rod for use with lighter jigheads at a later date. I'm assuming that as I'll do most of my fishing would be over mixed/rough ground that using heavier jigheads (say 13g +) is not advisable as they'll just get snagged all of the time??

Thanks for all your advice on this one. I'm learning all of the time. Please keep the recommendations on SP's coming in

Cheers

Toby

 

[Gary A]

End tackle, plugs & reels are kept in our bedroom............

Too much info Toby :-D

 

[Toby Harnett]

Too much info Toby :-D

Mmmm.....just realised how what I wrote could be interpreted lol!

Anyhow I've just explained to my wife the reasons why I need another rod (for my SP's), why rods are different lengths & all that - she understands & sympathises!!!! Half the battle is won now - just got to get the money bit sorted

 

[Tim Murphy]

The technical details would euthanise them so I've never bothered explaining, not too much anyway.

:lol:
Xlayers are dynamite but they don't last, Sluggos are not as effective - there's a good range HERE - but they do last better. You might want to go for the bigger shads such as Big Hammer for your rod rating.
If you've a little 2000/2500 sized reel from your "other fishing" you can put it with the mentioned Cormoran carb-o-star, get a few packets of Reins, 20 jig heads and you'd be entering the wonderful world of LRF for £60 ish! :clap:

 

[Retired Member]

Toby,

As far as weight for jigheads: get some various weights. Depending on strenght of the current go as light as possible and still maintain contact with the bottom. Over here we use 7 - 28 grams. Cast in uptide (ten o'clock or so) and let it flow with the rodtip held high. Keep in contact with the lure and at two o'clock start winding in slowly.

When starting this type of fishing make sure you start off with some cheap jelly worms to find out what weight in what current at your chosen venue works best. Start off with a too heavy weight and loose an expensive x-layer. Start off too light and probably catch noting. I'd also advise you to get some different coulors. White, white/bleu for daylight clear water. Brown, salt en pepper for murky water. Blue and purple with sparkles at night will give you a good start.

 

[mike symons]

Hi Toby
you wont go far wrong with xlayer ayu, wakasaki and white pearl with jig heads from 5-10gm. They have caught me a lot of fish this year so far.