Fresh water softbait fishing

Soft-plastic lure fishing has been a revelation for those chasing snapper and other bottom dwellers over the last decade or so. The South Island has also seen a similar soft-bait gold rush in the last six years, particularly on the huge brown and rainbow trout that frequent the Mackenzie Country canals.

The consistent results that soft-plastic lures provide speak louder than all the words in the world. It was therefore only a matter of time before someone figured out how to catch significant numbers of trout in the Rotorua lakes on softies – and for other keen fishos to start noticing.

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Over the last couple of years, I noticed one particularly consistent fisho on Lakes Rotoiti and Okataina had taken on the challenge, basically focusing on softbaiting and very rarely going back to his old trout-fishing tactics.

Trent Hayman is a name familiar to most who fish Rotorua’s lakes regularly, especially those who compete in the region’s trout competitions: more often than not, Trent finishes in the top three, including more than his share of wins.

As I have got to know him better, I’ve noticed Trent doesn’t say much – he’s a humble bloke of few words, letting his results do all the talking. Trent and his brothers have been fortunate to have a dad, Stan ‘the man’, bring them up; fishing these lakes played a big part from an early age. Stan is a trout-fishing legend in his own right (but don’t tell him I said that!).

One day, while fishing next to one another in Lake Rotoiti, I felt something hit the side of my head. Fortunately, it wasn’t a hard object, but a soft-bait Trent had made himself. The most noticeable thing was the size of it (4-5 inches). I laughed, asking when the snapper would be running in the lake…

While we were discussing the merits of fishing soft-plastics in the lake, I found he had worked out some very interesting things over the last three years of trial and error, which made me wonder if, and when, I should give it a go, too...

A year or so went by, with a couple of failed attempts on my part, where I was not really focusing on soft-baiting, just dabbling, before reverting to methods I already knew well (jigging and fly fishing). These methods provided me with the results I wanted, so why change?

Fishing should be a challenge – that’s why. Challenging yourself leads to education: the more time you put in, the better you become. If you make a mistake, you learn from it. So, most importantly, don’t give up. Trent certainly didn’t.

I was launching my boat at the Hinehopu ramp early one morning and found Trent launching his boat, too. This resulted in an invitation to join him in his boat and give the softies a proper nudge one afternoon or morning over the next week or so. I don’t look gift horses in the mouth, so agreed we should organise something, preferably sooner rather than later.

Four days later saw me fishing aboard Trent’s purpose-built weapon of a boat, which he has set up perfectly for fishing Rotorua’s lakes. What I learnt that morning was worth gold, and after some serious negotiating, Trent agreed to let me share some of the key points that make soft-plastic lure fishing worth serious consideration. So, if you are a keen trout fisherman who wants to expand your knowledge and catch more trout, read on.

Fresh water softbait fishing

Why do soft-baits work so well?

One of the main reasons why soft-baits work as well as they do is because they are soft. This really helps when a fish grabs it, but misses the hooks; as the lure feels like the natural food it eats, the fish will usually have another crack at it – sometimes four or five cracks – before hooking up. That cannot be said for hard-bodied lures such as Bmaxs, Rapalas, Tassie Devils and Tobys, which work well if used correctly, but rarely get bitten more than once, sometimes twice, at most.

The game changer

The first thing Trent pointed out to me (and the most important) was instead of doing what I normally do while jigging (seeing the fish on the sounder and placing my top or middle fly right in front of the trout), I should consider fishing 1-3m above the target showing on the sounder. I asked why and he asked me whether I had heard of ‘Snells window’. No, I hadn’t, so he gave me a rundown on the science of Snells window and how, by understanding this principle, he now has a better understanding of how fish see and hunt their prey, especially small baitfish – or not so small, as I was about to find out.

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Fresh water softbait fishing

What gear to use?

As far as the best coloured softplastics to use, Trent believes dark, earthy colours (browns, olive-greens and blacks) seem to be more consistent because of the silhouettes they cast when fish look upward towards the light of the sky. He concluded that a bigger softbait creates a more obvious silhouette than a smaller lure – and resulted in some eyeopening results.

Jig-heads are usually 1/8oz to 1/2oz, while the hook size varies between #4 to #1, depending on the soft-bait’s size.

Black Magic’s 6kg rainbow braid ‘Elite’ has colours that change every 10 metres, with nips every metre, and a different coloured mark 5m into each colour, which really helps when calculating your soft-bait position after seeing trout on the sounder.

A seven- to eight-foot, softactioned spinning rod works well, and is best combined with a lightweight 2000–2500 size spin reel.

The importance of good electronics and an electric motor

I am very familiar with the term ‘digital sight fishing’, having placed a new Simrad NSS12 EVO2 with a quality transducer on board my boat a year or so ago. I haven’t looked back. My confidence in what I see through quality electronics has paid for itself on countless occasions. Many times I have seen the fish, wound the fly to where it is, and hooked up soon after. Quality electronics allow you to see better and are key for better results.

Trent has a decent-sized Garmin on his boat, which he uses with deadly effect. He sees trout feeding on baitfish and presents the soft-plastic lure above them. Seeing these fish react to the soft-plastic on the sounder screen is entertainment in itself, even before the hookup, which, more often than not, is quite subtle.

When soft-bait fishing in the lakes, the Minn Kota electric motor’s benefits are just as important as goodquality electronics. It’s almost impossible to hold position over an individual fish or a school of trout without one, especially if the wind is blowing. (My boat doesn’t have one, and it placed me at a huge disadvantage when fishing soft-baits alongside Trent.)

The bottom line is: if you wish to get onto the trout using soft-plastics (or by jigging for that matter), an electric motor is a must-have. The benefits far outweigh the cost.

Fresh water softbait fishing

Soft-bait rules...

If you wish to chase trout using soft-baits, make sure you check your local rules and regulations first before heading out.

Scented lures are not allowed in many lakes or rivers throughout New Zealand, and definitely not in the Rotorua or Taupo lakes. Fortunately, while fishing in the South Island’s Mackenzie Country, I enjoyed as good (if not better) results when using unscented softbaits as with scented ones. Presentation seems more important than smell. Speed up the learning process

I have been very fortunate to fish with some great fishermen who helped me learn whatever I’ve been focussing on at the time more quickly. Trent is definitely among those expert anglers. Indeed, his lifetime of Rotorua trout-fishing experience has recently led to him guiding. So, if you don’t have a boat, but wish to experience soft-plastic fishing for trout in the Rotorua lakes, or you already own a boat and wish to speed up the learning process relating to fishing soft-plastics in lakes, contact Trent: 0274 805 642 or email: [email protected]. He will provide you with a memorable and fun fishing experience that you won’t forget. I certainly won’t.

 


February - 2018 - Chris Firkin

New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
Copyright: NZ Fishing Media Ltd.
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

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