Knots for soft plastics

[parkertr]

Hey guys,

I've been had my fishing thirst refreshed after going out off Scarborough last weekend and want to start really catching fish.

I am committed to getting these soft plastics working for me.

I have done heaps of research with no real definative answer to the best rig for them.

I have always used half-blood knots on everything and have maybe only once had one slip. There seem to be a lot of people advocating the perfection loop for lures / soft plastics.

My questions are: does it matter how big the 'loop' is - ie, should it sit tight down on the eye of the lure. Also, can / should the loop be used as a method of quick lure / sp changes by feeding the loop through the eye and around the sp?

I was toying with the idea of snap swivels but don't have much positive comments with regard to the swimming action. If I am using about 15lb mono line should I have a leader / swivel or just straight to the sp?

My main targets are flathead, bream and basically any big fish in the area.

Thanks!

Troy

[Dazzamcgee]

Ok Mate let me try and answer some of your questions.....

First of all:: The knot I use for rigging SP's is a Rapala Knot(for more details search the net)as for the size of the loop I prefer the smaller the better.

It should never sit down tight on the eye of the lure as the idea is the let the SP/lure move freely in the loop.

Snap swivels are great for hardbody lure but not so great for SP's try getting snap swivels in the smaller size possible...

Unless your fishing outside 15lbs mono line is WAY to heavy for river fishing try getting some braided line like Berkley fireline in 6lbs as a main line as this is plenty strong enough for most river species and use a mono leader.

[parkertr]

Thanks for the reply Dazzamcgee,

I suppose I always had a 'general purpose' rod set up. In reality I think it's closer to 10kg line.

Anyway, say I'm fishing for Bream and/or Flathead, and I get some 6lb braid - do you use a 6lb mono leader, or a bit heavier? I have some 12lb stuff hanging around which (I think) seems fairly light.

I suppose the other question is, if I buy 125yards of braid would it be fine to use my 10kg line as backing? I would think yes but I'm not sure.

Thanks again,

Troy

P.S. I'll send the first boat-load of fish your way

[Do$tylz]

Dude, unfortunately i suck at plastics so i can't give any real advice, but it does seem as though you are on the right track. I think 12lb mono doesnt seem too much, especially if you catch an aggro flattie or bream. And it will also withstand a little abrasive action you might encounter along rocks and other lil snags.

Backing line...i don't do it...but thats coz im an amatuer that just goes willy nilly when i fish.

[Oceandonkey]

I have 15lb backing line.

whether thats a really bad idea or not i cannot say but it seems to work fine with me.

Im pretty sure all its there to do is just fill up the spool so you can increase cast distance no other purpose.

Post edited by: Oceandonkey, at: 2007/06/21 12:25

[parkertr]

Thanks everyone.

Hopefully the wind has settled down - might go out of scarborough again early Sunday morning and try some things.

[bigtez]

I use the same rating for mono to back the braid, ie 4lb braid w/4lb mono. If you use to heavier backing the knot between the two won't hold as well.

The backing is there to bite into the spool. Braid alone will eventually slip on the spool. Its also a lot cheaper to back with mono then fill completely with braid.

As far as leaders go, I find lighter is better. I use 4-6lb fluoro for flatty and bream. Flatties will only rub through it if you allow them to get their head out of the water too much. If you net them whille a little submerged you shouldn't have any problems.

As far as knots go on plastics I use the perfection loop because that is what I am confident tying. Because most of a plastics action is in the tail a closed knot won't affect the action much.

Terry

[Cowfish13]

For soft plastics, I just use a Uni-Knot. Dunno if its good or not, but it is a strong knot that I find easy and quick to tie. Backing could be a bit heavier than the main line. Because, if you get spooled to the backing, if you use weak backing, you could snap all of the braid off, but the stronger backing will hopefully let the braid break and still let you retain some of it.

I wouldn't use snap swivels for anything, they will reduce your catch rate, and may stuff up the swimming style of the lure.

I use 6lb Fireline, with 6lb flurocarbon leader. I've caught way more fish since I've switched to the lighter stuff. I got 5 today on HB's(a new record=-))

But I'm not the best at SP's

[parkertr]

I am definately new to using the lower breaking strain line so I'm a little cautious ...

The perfection loop is definately easier to tie (edit: compared to the Rapala) - especially getting it nice and tight. Does anyone know if there's any difference in strength?

Is 4-6lb definately heavy enough? I suppose there's only one way to find out.

Thanks again to all. I'll let you know how I go.

Post edited by: parkertr, at: 2007/06/22 07:53

[Dazzamcgee]

The perfection loop is definitely easier to tie but its a basic beginners knot how ever I did use it for many years when I started playing with SP's.

It did work well though I have more confidence in the rapala knot for its strength and the fact that it was invented by the Rapala brothers who own Rapala lures and by swimming thousands of there own lures should know how to tie up a good knot....... Works for them, Works for me..

Seeing your starting out using SP's 6lbs line is all you need for river fishing but if your not to confident using the lighter lines you could try 10lbs braid as there isn't much difference in diameter between 6lbs and 10lbs....

Cowfish, I use snap swivels with all my HB lures and still catch plenty of fish and if you tune ya lures you will never have swimming problems....

[Dan23]

I've found snap swivels don't seem to put off flathead on SPs. I catch them all the time trolling from a kayak and using the clips.

[myself62]

Hi Parkertr, i am hopeing to go to the scarborough reef on sunday also, maybe saturday is the winds look to be calmer then. do you have experiance witrh the reef? i have only been there once and that was years ago, any tips wpuld be apreciated.

[parkertr]

I actually only went there for the first time last Sunday so I'm only a little better off than you

We just sat in around the reef for a while - I got a decent (50cm) flathead and we got a heap of little reef fish.

We hooked onto some really big stuff near the big green beacon out from the reef but kept getting busted off.

This is the first time I've been fishing anywhere in the Brisbane area so it's all new to me.

I think the reef must be pretty good as there were up to 15 boats around us at one time but no-one seemed to catch anything decent on the day...

[bootyinblue]

I too was looking for a knot that produced a loop allowing for the natural movement of the soft plastic (as if that is going to help me!)

Found this website, which has helped me no end, atleast as far as the knots are concerned. Now I just need to catch something.

www.animatedknots.com

[chubbstar]

Hey guys, why not come to Wellington Point on sunday and meet some AFO people? Cast net training day Starts 7am be good to see you there. Have a bit of breakie and then hit the reefs.

[Angus]

Nice one chubbstar.

I reckon during cast net training more than some people would be happy to exchange some knotting tips.

For my plastics (im far from an expert) i just use either a blood or a loop knot. That may not be the best way, but its never failed me. If a knot fails me its the leader. Rarely, but once is to much when its to a fish!!!! I use a blood to blood leader, fine with the smaller fish like bream. flatties etc. But i want to improve that for chasing bigger squire/snapper etc.

Angus

[xerubus]

Hi guys,

I like to fish as light as possible. I use the same outfit for fishing estuaries as I do for fishing snapper.

6lb fireline (6lb mono backing), and 8lb fleurocarbon leader. I also use a nice light 2-4kg berkley dropshot rod. Lots of fun catching snapper on the lighter gear, and just as fun through the estuaries.

I use a uni-to-uni for tying lines together, and use a coastlock snap (very light) for attaching my plastics. Used to use the perfection loop, but the coastlocks have been really paying off for me and make plastic/lure changes very efficient while on the yak. I use a locked bloodknot to attach the coastlock to the leader.

hope it helps.

cheers

-Mark