Angles

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    Posted: 14 Dec 2016 at 8:04pm
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Hello

Just a newbie here so apologies if this has been discussed before. I have been a bait fisherman for a while, and have just got into soft plastics. My question is: what is the best angle to fish a SB at from the boat? Should they be fished straight down, or can they be weighted so they can be fished down the berley trail?

Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Muppet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Dec 2016 at 9:31pm
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Depends on depth, current, wind, etc.

General rule is 1/4 ounce jighead for 10m and less, 3/8 for 10-15m, 1/2 for 15-25 and so on. Cast the bait out and let it sink always watching the line as this is when I reckon most bites happen, if not twitch the bait back and repeat. There is more to it but its a start you will get a feel for it. Good luck 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote funandfunction Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Dec 2016 at 10:39pm
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The best results are when drifting and I find ideal drift speeds are between 0.4 and 0.8kn . When the drift gets up around 1kn or so it pays to use a drouge to slow the drift and the bigger the better. A fish finder and chart plotter are important to find the fish and then be able to repeat a successful drift or change the drift starting point to better target an area. It's very much hunting rather than passively waiting for something to happen. With drifting you'll cover a much larger area and learn a lot more about where fish are holding..... hope this helps.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Espresso Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Dec 2016 at 7:33am
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And...yes. Try everything, fish are fickle and always surprise, so if something isn't working, just try something different. Only real rule of thumb is they must move to be alive - that is how they work, same as jigs.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Spudnik Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Dec 2016 at 7:29am
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Cheers guys. I will give it a shot.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote CBF-Whk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Dec 2016 at 9:30am
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First thing I do is do a drop to the bottom right under the boat and count how long it takes to get down. Adjust your weight, lure style now, I aim to try and get a drop of around 8-12 seconds. This allows for some hang time but not to much as you drift off the reef/ marks you are targeting. 
Now when you cast forward of your drift you count down the 8 seconds and this is when I start to put some action into the lure knowing I am at the right depth. Keep a watch on your sounder as you need to make adjustments as the depth changes but you at least have a starting point.
Allot of bigger snaps will hit on the drop in mid water. They do not need to be as wary of predators as smaller fish and hang in the open more. So always be ready to strike on the drop.
The quickest way to be a good softbaiter is to leave the smelly stuff at home.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Spudnik Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 2016 at 7:14pm
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Originally posted by CBF-Whk CBF-Whk wrote:

The quickest way to be a good softbaiter is to leave the smelly stuff at home.

True! Thanks for the info. Looking to head out at some point next week, so I'll give it a crack.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Motorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 2016 at 7:25pm
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X2. No smelly bait means no temptation to anchor up. Nothing wrong with dragging a bait while softbaiting though. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2016 at 11:32pm
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you've heard from experts such as Muppet, Espresso and Whk with sage advice, but I'd like to add a couple of things to help you on the learning curve i was on last year or so.
1. Cast in the direction of the drift, but at about 2 o'clock. If you cast directly down wind, you spend most of the retrieve just catching up with the line slack and you can't react as well to takes when the line zips away or straightens.
The key seems to be keeping a relatively straight line to the jighead.
2. Don't dismiss dragging as an option over summer, particularly over sand/mud feeding zones when fish are grubbing on the bottom. My dad is elderly and enjoys holding a rod dragging a grub tail while I cast ahead.
3. If you need to use a sea anchor, try to attach it to the bow quarter so that you aren't always trying to cast up the side of the boat, which in my opinion is more awkward than the other way around.

Typically, you fish on the drift, as others have said. But give soft baiting a crack down a berley trail if you're out with bait focused mates. you could very well outfish them.

Good luck and watch some of the videos featuring Mark Kitteridge - either from ocean Angler or on the TV shows he's been on. He is good to watch in action. 
Also the Jet Ski Fishing Channel, which mostly has examples of dropping a soft bait into sign, rather than the classic cast and retrieve method.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote PJay Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 12:18pm
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We can always make life better by making it more complicated.  As well as drift fishing being more productive with SBs than sitting at anchor and burleying, think about these:
 
1.  My experience over many years has been that you get more strikes if the bait is swimming into the current/tide.  So work out your direction of casting the SB according to whether your drift direction is coming from current and wind together, or comes from a combination each at different angles (usually is).  Then cast downstream of the current flow, not just at some favourite angle from the boat.
 
2.  Direct contact between you and the bait is the key to picking up every bite.  So "mending" the line as trout fishers do can be very helpful.
 
3.  The further you cast, the more time your SB is in the water.  The more time it's in the water, the more likely it is to be hit.
PJ
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote The Tamure Kid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 2:21pm
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Very interesting PJ.

So you retrieve against the current, if possible? As you say, it's not that common to have wind in exactly the same direction as the tide, and I've just been casting slightly quartered to downwind most of the time without much thought to the current.

Funny, I was going to ask if you meant what you originally said about the favourite angle, as it didn't quite make sense to me. But I see you spotted the same thing and changed 'but' to 'not'. Now I get it! Smile


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Muppet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 4:12pm
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You need to cast down current TK the bait swims down almost a strayline effect and this is when most strikes happen. Retrieving against current flow is best because generally baitfish will face into current looking more natural. 
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