Soft plastic bodies go well beyond jig applications, however.
Plastic worms on hooks -- rigged Texas, Carolina, Wacky or drop-shot
style -- are bass-catching machines (in addition to other species).
Soft plastics can be added to other types of lures, too, to increase
the profile size of the bait and add extra action. Soft plastic
variety
However you fish them, no tackle box is complete without a decent
assortment of soft plastics in the following categories: grubs,
tubes, worms, "creatures" (representing crayfish) and swimbaits.
There are more styles than these out there, but if you have a
selection of sizes and colors within all of the major plastic
categories, you'll be set to tackle whatever the fish or conditions
throw at you.
It can get pretty expensive to amass a selection that you'd find
in a professional tournament angler's boat. So for the regular Joe,
I recommend a couple of sizes and styles in each category -- in
three colors ranging from pearl white to dark (black, purple or dark
blue). This will pretty much cover you for virtually any water
clarity or condition you'll experience on the water.
Hooks and jigs
Being equipped with the terminal tackle you need is critical.
That means having the jigs (traditional and tube), hooks and sinkers
necessary for rigging soft plastics in a variety of ways -- from the
classic Texas rig to the more specialized drop-shot rig. Don't skimp
on your terminal tackle either. Strong, sharp hooks are an absolute
must.
"Skin-hooking" plastics
When anglers thread soft plastic baits on hooks or jigs, they
typically run the hook dead-center through the body of the bait. And
that's just fine. It's the strongest way to rig the plastic for the
longest fishability.
But if the fish are biting light and you're having trouble
hooking them, try skin-hooking the plastic. That means running the
hook shank just below the surface (skin) of the plastic. This opens
up the hook gap between the hook tip and the body of the bait. It
helps the hook point find tissue inside the fish's mouth more
easily. However, it also increases the likelihood that the bait will
tear, so use the tactic only when times get tough, so you're not
burning through your plastic supply faster than you want.
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Dress it up
Lures like spoons, spinnerbaits and even crankbaits can be turned
up a notch with the addition of a soft plastic "trailer" applied to
the rear hook. It makes the lure bigger, adds more vibration, and if
the plastic is scented, it makes the presentation more attractive to
the fish's sense of smell.
More abrasion = more scent
Many soft plastics today are impregnated with fish-attracting
scent and taste. Many anglers have reported that the more they fish
with a particular jig or worm body, the more productive that bait
gets. One reason for this is the abrasions made on the bait by the
fish's teeth. The abrasions create more surface area on the bait,
which equals increased scent dispersal.
So a little tip is to keep some coarse sandpaper in your soft
plastic box, and when you bring out a new bait, scuff it up with the
paper. This pre-abrades the bait so it immediately begins emitting
extra scent and taste.
There's a lot of debate about whether fish actually follow a
bait's "scent trail." I'm not sure. But I do believe that if a soft
plastic bait tastes agreeable to a fish, they'll hold on to it
longer before spitting it out. A longer bite means more time for you
to detect the strike and get a good hook set. So if scuffing the
bait buys you an extra second or two inside the fish's mouth, then
it's well worth the effort.
I hope these tips help you enjoy a more productive fishing
season. Soft plastics have always been my favorite weapons for bass,
walleye, pike and panfish -- so I highly recommend using them in a
variety of ways to catch more fish.
Good fishing.
[By BABE WINKELMAN]
Babe Winkelman hosts "Good Fishing" and
"Outdoor Secrets," the most-watched fishing and hunting programs on
television. Tune in on NBC Sports Network, Destination America,
Velocity, Time Warner Sports Texas & New York, and many local
broadcast channels. Visit
Winkelman.com for air times and more information. |