I've previously mentioned my success when dragging - particularly with paddle tails (right up to the 6.5" Z Man Doormatadorz in the Far North, but normally on the 4" or 5" for pannies over sand.

I love it when I'm casting forwards and suddenly the rod behind me goes off with a real string puller. As Kerry said, the stretch tail resists the smaller fish pulling until a bigger model comes over. When that happens with a 20lb plus fish up in Northland, the adrenaline goes off the charts.

 

I reckon the buoyancy creating the head down position, and the waggly curly tail, is very effective. However, I've also used Z Man Paddlerz occasionally - normally in Bruised Banana or New Penny and done okay.

There's a noticeable difference in the paddle tail design in the Z Man Paddlerz (which are quite slim and wiggly) and the Daiwa Bait Junkies - the latter are much bigger and more circular. More like the Z Man Diezel Minnowz style.

Obviously those are more intended for a slow roll retrieve in more tropical lands - for example, the Aussies in estuary systems for mangrove jack and flathead, or in the US for speckled trout, bass, and redfish. 

When I first started softbaiting, I used a 4" Paddlerz in Bruise Banana religiously on cast and retrieve. I used a 'burn and kill' retrieve, which is about 3 fast winds, then a lengthy pause. Rather than lots of jerky movements with the rod. Worked very well and meant the line was relatively tight for reliable hookups.

The Bait Junkie jerk shads have amazing side to side movement, due to the cut half way down, and their paddle tails have that too. So maybe that gives them a bit more movement than Z Man's Diezel Minnowz.

Either way, it's great to experiment with colours and styles. As Kerry found, there's often a preferred colour on a particular day, for a reason only known to the fish. Camo doesn't appeal to me as a colour, but it's the fish that counts!!

MB, I have tried the Carolina rig - which is mentioned in John Eichelsheim's book on soft baiting which came out about 10 years ago. I looked it up on YouTube and used it quite a bit dragging in the Tamaki Strait. I used a Trokaw hook that kayak expert Stephen Tapp recommended for softbaiting. It has a sharp keeper style piece sticking out near the eye. It certainly would have created an amazing dip and wiggle style effect on the drag. However, I went away from it in the end because I got a lot of solid pulls that didn't hook up in the rod holder. Maybe it'd be better with rod in hand, but still dragging?

Thanks Kandrew. Off the west coast (Manukau) I often cast out an inchiku or slider - sometimes with the tiniest bit of squid tentacle attached while bait fishing from an anchored boat for snapper and that gets a good gurnard bycatch while the actively fished rods get snapper. When I figure out why that is I'll let you know. Slow action softies are a good option for gurnard for me