FO, I've used up to 4oz sinkers with worm hooks. Just put the sinker on so it slides down onto the hook. You can use a soft bead to protect the knot if you wish. If using a sinker that big I wouldn't use my standard 20lb trace as the sinker could wear it through. Go up to 30lb to give yourself a better chance of landing the fish. Of course it's always best to use only enough weight to reach the bottom without getting a huge angle on your line. Hope that helps.

you need the right rod to work those weights. I'm using a shortish Daiwa coastal that I bought for fishing inchiku jigs. It's great for heavier gear to 100g or so. I wouldn't want to fish that sort of gear with a soft action long rod.

smudge wrote: you need the right rod to work those weights. I'm using a shortish Daiwa coastal that I bought for fishing inchiku jigs. It's great for heavier gear to 100g or so. I wouldn't want to fish that sort of gear with a soft action long rod.

Redfinger wrote: Are you drifting Foxtrot? Are you using braided lines around the 5kg weight?   I sometimes use 1/4oz weight and hold bottom. - depends on the drift speed on the day. If you are then you should have no problem maintaining contact with bottom in less than 20m with 1oz - even half oz with the help of a drogue to slow drift down. Far Quirk has spent alot of time in perfecting a technique that works so well for him in the City channel - inner harbour. He is dragging the softbait/lure thru the mud and it works very well - by all means replicate this method for the harbour location. However - you refer to Rangi channel and Noises triangle -two very different locations - rangi channel fishes best in good current and has alot more current than the 20m "flats " areas out wider towards noises. You want current running as thats where the feeding snapper will be - use just enough weight to maintain contact with bottom every 10 seconds or so - sort of bounce the soft bait on bottom. There is no right or wrong way - whatever works one day may not the next - try casting softbait ahead of drift watching line carefully as it sinks - slow retrieve or twitch until directly on bottom straight under boat. Micro jigs i fish pretty much same way.  Other times add more weight and drag softbait along bottom  ala Far quirk method behind boat. Good luck

Redfinger is much more experienced in that area than I. Remember I fish in the muddy old Manukau and from an anchored boat usually. If drifting which in most areas works best then you really do need less weight. I cast in the direction of the drift so the lure spends more time on the bottom. I don't advocate using 4oz at all just saying that I have used up to that weight in some circumstances.

smudge wrote: Redfinger wrote: Are you drifting Foxtrot? Are you using braided lines around the 5kg weight?   I sometimes use 1/4oz weight and hold bottom. - depends on the drift speed on the day. If you are then you should have no problem maintaining contact with bottom in less than 20m with 1oz - even half oz with the help of a drogue to slow drift down. Far Quirk has spent alot of time in perfecting a technique that works so well for him in the City channel - inner harbour. He is dragging the softbait/lure thru the mud and it works very well - by all means replicate this method for the harbour location. However - you refer to Rangi channel and Noises triangle -two very different locations - rangi channel fishes best in good current and has alot more current than the 20m "flats " areas out wider towards noises. You want current running as thats where the feeding snapper will be - use just enough weight to maintain contact with bottom every 10 seconds or so - sort of bounce the soft bait on bottom. There is no right or wrong way - whatever works one day may not the next - try casting softbait ahead of drift watching line carefully as it sinks - slow retrieve or twitch until directly on bottom straight under boat. Micro jigs i fish pretty much same way.  Other times add more weight and drag softbait along bottom  ala Far quirk method behind boat. Good luck Redfinger is much more experienced in that area than I. Remember I fish in the muddy old Manukau and from an anchored boat usually. If drifting which in most areas works best then you really do need less weight. I cast in the direction of the drift so the lure spends more time on the bottom. I don't advocate using 4oz at all just saying that I have used up to that weight in some circumstances.

Redfinger wrote: OK - i see the problem - very difficult on anchor - maybe try gulp softbaits that are more of a bait as well as a lure.  But yes the current will be dragging your bait away and up off the bottom all the time. When i am softbaiting (allways on drift) i am hitting bottom every 10 seconds or so releasing line as i need to do to achieve this.

Hi FO

Far Quirk wrote: Hi FO Here's my 2oz rig: This is designed for big tides where the drift speed is around 2 knots or so.  I often stick the rod in the rodholder and let it drag about 20 to 30m behind the boat.

Your other option would be to use a dropshot style rig, I have tied a few up but haven't had a chance to use them properly yet.

Just remember, a slimmer lure will get to the bottom with less weight than something like a paddle tail

FO - check out the cyclops rig. Couple of other things come to mind, as you have realised, there is a depth where jigs become more useful than softbaits. Also, a key part of softbaiting (and jigging) is getting the drift right - as important, if not more important than style and colour of softbait, things we obsess about! I can't tell you how many people I've met who fail to get the drift right and then say that softies don't work. I'm afraid your circumstances against you, if your buddies aren't on board with the plan, it's going to make life difficult. It's not that you won't catch fish, but it'll be a hit and miss affair.