Thread: Beach fishing and Softbaits

Very first time I tried softbaits was on a trip to Doubtless bay for a family reunion. Was staying at a 'book a bach' at Cable bay. Got up at dawn and wandered down to beach with my trout spinning rod.

3rd cast at a couple of lonely looking rocks saw me doing battle with a nice 7lb snapper. Wandered back with me snapper and a big smile.

I've often thought about all the tourists fast asleep in the Golden Sands units and weather they would have believed me if I'd told I just caught it 20 yards from their balcony.

FWIW you are much better off with a dedicated soft bait rod. Reels are reels but smaller reels balance better with Sb rods.

Casting into white wash is well worth it. Next to weed line etc. You can get away with very light jigheads so long as you can cast them far enough. That said you don't often need to cast very far.

Worm hooks and using a weedless rig (google it) is also very usefull if there is plenty of seaweed around.

My preference is to go for the lightest terminal tackle that you can get away with, you tend to hook bigger fish. The trade off is obviously you run a higher risk of being busted off.

Seeing as you are in the Firth, I would also be tempted to get a handful of mussels and crack the pointy end enough to slid a jig head into one and toss that into the white wash. (cheaper than softbaits)

Originally Posted by 7mm tragic

Very first time I tried softbaits was on a trip to Doubtless bay for a family reunion. Was staying at a 'book a bach' at Cable bay. Got up at dawn and wandered down to beach with my trout spinning rod.

3rd cast at a couple of lonely looking rocks saw me doing battle with a nice 7lb snapper. Wandered back with me snapper and a big smile.

I've often thought about all the tourists fast asleep in the Golden Sands units and weather they would have believed me if I'd told I just caught it 20 yards from their balcony.

FWIW you are much better off with a dedicated soft bait rod. Reels are reels but smaller reels balance better with Sb rods.

Casting into white wash is well worth it. Next to weed line etc. You can get away with very light jigheads so long as you can cast them far enough. That said you don't often need to cast very far.

Worm hooks and using a weedless rig (google it) is also very usefull if there is plenty of seaweed around.

My preference is to go for the lightest terminal tackle that you can get away with, you tend to hook bigger fish. The trade off is obviously you run a higher risk of being busted off.

Seeing as you are in the Firth, I would also be tempted to get a handful of mussels and crack the pointy end enough to slid a jig head into one and toss that into the white wash. (cheaper than softbaits)

I know Doubtless Bay and Cable Bay quite well