Soft Plastics from boat?

[badboygibbo]

I'm starting to get a bit tired of bait fishing from my tinnie and want to get into soft plastics. I've caught fish on them from the shore but never on a boat without an electric motor.

Is it worthwhile trying to catch fish on soft plastics without an electric?

I've tried anchoring and casting and also drifting with a plastic out the back but I have never had much luck.

Is there techniques that people use for this?

I fish mainly off victoria point in the bay and around coochie. Most of the water is shallow (under 3 metres) but there is deeper water out abit further.

Thanks

Paul

[Terry H]

Without an electric in the bay or offshore, one thing you can try is to drift. In which case you can have a couple of plastics out the back as you drift. You can also then have a rod in your hand and throw it out in front of you (towards the way you're drifting) and work it with your rod.

[Davo_Dinkum]

drifting works for me ,as i'm lazy .

caught a few fish drifting along with plastics out.

let the tide flow and the drift work them ,along sandbanks and edge of a drop off for flathead.

usually when i'm doing this i have a pilly out ,on a gang.

this way i got bait and plastic out ,which ever will get hit .

sometime if i feel motivated i do as terry says .

will flick a small plastic for bream out in front of me in the direction i'm drifting.

in the drop off or deeper part of the water .

if the wind and current is flowing right u can set your self up a really good drift and cover a fair bit of ground .

if i don't have the electric on i just use a paddle to keep myself in the right direction and side on .few strokes every cpl of mins works ,when there is a gentle breeze .

[Keen-as-fisho]

^^^^^This is how my old man does it. I do it as well but work a hb at the same time.

[yoyo]

Paul you will just have to make sure you have the right weight jighead for the conditions on each day....

Too light and you'll just drag it along the surface, too heaving and you'll just be dredging it..

[webbfunk]

yoyo wrote:

Paul you will just have to make sure you have the right weight jighead for the conditions on each day....

Too light and you'll just drag it along the surface, too heaving and you'll just be dredging it..

Agree totally. Plus if you are just gonna drift with a plastic out the back, make sure you have the right plastic that will generate a fair bit of movement with just the current ( like grub or curl tails )

[bootyinblue]

Been fishing from my boat for a few years on plastics and never had an elecric motor. It just depends on where you are and what you are targetting. If you are sitting off a weed bed or structure, anchor up paralell with it and cast to the front of it, then next cast a little bit down, then little bit further down so you are peppering right along it.

If drifting around, then cast at about 45 degrees in to the direction you are drifting and work the plastic back to the boat in an arc shape, then retrieve and cast same again.

Cover as much as possibel with each cast, but I dont mean distance straight out and straight back.

[stinkyibis]

none of my friends i fish with have the enthusiasm for fishing i have so none of them fish plastics and are happy with their top of the range jarvis walker gear from kmart lol. this means we are always anchored and soaking prawns and pilchards while im at the front throwing a prawnstar like an idiot. this also means it is much harder but you can still pull fish like this but theyll mostly (for me) be flathead, which everyone knows are dumb. but if you dont have an electric which none of us do we occasionally drift if the guys arent too scared (of what, i dont know, they just get scared at the thought of drifting away). it makes sense to cast ahead of you into fish that are unaware of your presence, as some have already mentioned. i have caught fish this way and will continue to do so. i do believe you will have more success, especially around structure and along banks, if you cast at a 45 degree angle or so AGAINST the current, and retrieve your plastic with the current along the structure. this gives you a better feel and retrieve IMO. but most importantly your plastic is moving with the current into the mouths of predatory fish lining up for their feed. this makes for a more natural presentation if you think about it cos a 3inch minnow or shad isnt going to be able to swim against the current for long and maybe predatory fish will also find this strange. good luck with your soft plastics fishing i hope you nail some.