New to fishing soft plastics

[DN3]

I have never really fished soft plastics before, at least not often enough to know much - but would love to learn this year as soon as it warms up - what are some of the simpler rigs/setups/baits that you guys like? Hoping to gain some confidence and make soft plastics a more regular part of my fishing!

[scaleface]

I like them all and go through stages of my favorites . This past season I really got into Texas rigged Yum Dingers with a 5/16th ounce weight  . Bama Bug was a color I kept running out of . 

[DaubsNU1]

Love 'em. Texas rigged worms were my favorite for a long, LONG time. 

 

Recently got in to Senkos and NED rigs. 

[Mobasser]

Have been fishing soft plastics for a long time. Worms, Craws, and others. T rig is my favourite method. My advice: fish them slowly.

[Mike L]

1 minute ago, Mobasser said:

Have been fishing soft plastics for a long time. Worms, Craws, and others. T rig is my favourite method. My advice: fish them slowly.

Ditto

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Dogface]

Nothing can be simpler than soft plastics especially rigs like the wacky rig and the Ned rig.

 

Rather than having someone try to explain how to use them you would be better off going over to You Tube and watching the many videos posted there. An hour on You Tube will provide a lot of info. 

 

Good Luck!

[DN3]

54 minutes ago, Dogface said:

Nothing can be simpler than soft plastics especially rigs like the wacky rig and the Ned rig.

 

Rather than having someone try to explain how to use them you would be better off going over to You Tube and watching the many videos posted there. An hour on You Tube will provide a lot of info. 

 

Good Luck!

 

Thats the plan over the next few days!!

[roadwarrior]

 

[BrianMDTX]

Wacky rig: so simple that anyone can fish it. Cast in likely spots holding bass. Watch the line as it falls. If it stops before hitting bottom, or the line starts running, fish on! Several stick baits work well, but I would suggest 5” Senkos to start. 

 

Weightless Texas rig: also simple. It’s you and the worm. Goes through cover easy and you don’t feel the weight. Work it slow. Feel that tap-tap-tap and set the hook. Zoom Trick worms are a great choice. 5” Senkos work well, too. 

[DitchPanda]

I think you get yourself some 5" stickbaits (dinger,senko, gambler ace), some zoom trick worms, some 6" curl tail worms(Mr twister is a favorite of mine), some Ned rig worms like zman trds and heads, some super flukes and worm hooks between 2\0 and 4\0 plus bullet weights between 1/8oz up to 1\4oz. You can do alot in multiple conditions and situations with those basic baits. My buddy had me build him a soft plastics starter kit last year..minus the Ned rig stuff because he already had that. I think I spent like $40 and got him a nice mix of basics that catch fish plus the terminal tackle to cover it.

[Bankbeater]

When I fish in the vegetation I like a weightless plastic worm, or a plastic worm on a split shot rig.

[WRB]

I would 1st watch Glenn’s video’s on Texas rig, Drop Shot rig, Wacky rig and several on soft plastic presentations including how to detect a strike.

What Tackle do you have? 

Tom

[DN3]

44 minutes ago, WRB said:

I would 1st watch Glenn’s video’s on Texas rig, Drop Shot rig, Wacky rig and several on soft plastic presentations including how to detect a strike.

What Tackle do you have? 

Tom

 

Dont have a ton of gear but as far as rod and reels go:

Spinning:

   - Shimano Stradic (older model) with an older BPS Carbonlite 7ft MH/F

   - Shimano Stradic Fj or FK cant remember on a 7'1" M/F Fx Custom rod (forget series)

Casting:

   - Shimano Bantam MGL on a custom rod I had made - 7'1" MH/F

   - Shimano Metanium MGL on a Dobyns Champion Extreme HP 7'1" H/F

 

Still working on putting together an assortment of soft plastic baits...have plenty of hardbaits/wire baits for me needs though

 

[WRB]

You are set up for nearly every soft plastic presentation.

I go to soft plastics when I feel the bass are less active and may respond to a slower presentation.

Finesse worms using drop shot or slip shot rigs (finesse C-rig), weedless, nose and wacky hooked and wacky Senko (stick worms)  using your M/F spinning combo.

Texas worms and creatures using weedless, sliding bullet weight with glass bead (brass n glass) on your MH/ casting combo.

 Shaky head jigs w/ plastic worms, on your BPS spinning combo.

This should keep you busy this year.

I would check what size and color soft plastics are working locally where you fish. Texas rig sliding weight 3/16 oz, size 3/0 hook with 6” to 7” worms. Drop shot 6” finesse worms with size 1 wacky or 2/0 weedless. 5” Senko with size 1 wacky hook /wacky rigged.

It’s easy to go overboard with soft plastics, try to stay with known brands like Roboworms finesse, Yamamoto and Zoom etc.

Tom

 

[Dash Riprock]

I like weightless Texas rigs, mostly with trick worm styles but I've had decent luck with the GrandeBass ribbed styles also. I'm mainly a bank fisherman and the ponds and creeks I fish are usually full of muck so I have to keep things off the bottom. 

 

I try to work in some wacky rigs but I haven't had enough success with them to justify the boredom. 

 

I kinda got seduced by baitcasters a couple of years ago but I'm starting to drift back to spinning reels because it's hard (for me) to throw weightless rigs consistently on a baitcaster. 

[Wprich]

Can't go wrong with a Texas rigged worm, craw, creature etc that's the way I got started fishing plastics.  This year I been working on Neko and Ned rigs both have produced but man that Neko rig has really been killing it for me last few trips.

[gim]

Finesse fishing with soft plastics was the last strategy I picked up and learned how to use. It’s definitely a different type of fishing when you compare it to “chuck and wind” with a moving lure. Sensitivity and bite detection is tougher too.

[T-Billy]

I'd definitely recommend starting with the Texas rig. Simple, and effective year round. A beaver type bait, and a trick worm will get it done on bottom, and a fluke and a senko will catch 'em up in the water column. Keep it simple to start, and expand from there as you wish.

[Spankey]

23 hours ago, Mobasser said:

Have been fishing soft plastics for a long time. Worms, Craws, and others. T rig is my favourite method. My advice: fish them slowly.

 

15 hours ago, gimruis said:

Finesse fishing with soft plastics was the last strategy I picked up and learned how to use. It’s definitely a different type of fishing when you compare it to “chuck and wind” with a moving lure. Sensitivity and bite detection is tougher too.

 

22 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

Wacky rig: so simple that anyone can fish it. Cast in likely spots holding bass. Watch the line as it falls. If it stops before hitting bottom, or the line starts running, fish on! Several stick baits work well, but I would suggest 5” Senkos to start. 

 

Weightless Texas rig: also simple. It’s you and the worm. Goes through cover easy and you don’t feel the weight. Work it slow. Feel that tap-tap-tap and set the hook. Zoom Trick worms are a great choice. 5” Senkos work well, too. 

Pretty good advise right here. OP I know that you are going to think I’m crazy but I’m not. Not really sure how long you have been fishing. But if the bass are there they will take those soft plastics. Has a lot of your bass fishing taken place with live bait versions? Nothing wrong with that. But you are going to have to leave that at home.  Take a few variety of plastics out. Take a few things out that you like the looks of and take out a few that area experienced guys find to be productive. Go fish, fish slow, try to become one with the bait your are fishing, try to put real life to what you are fishing. You will get bit. Those bass will take it. 
 

But leave that live bait at home. Don’t let it be a crutch for you to fall back to because you are not getting the amount of hits and bits you expected. Seriously just stick with it. Fish 100% soft plastics for a few outings, nail a few fish and your confidence level will be right there. 
 

And just when you think you are fishing those soft plastics slow enough, probably still fishing them too fast. Leave the live bait and your other stuff at home for a little while and put your mind to it that those plastics will and are gonna work. I believe this will work for you. 

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

 

 

Pretty good advise right here. OP I know that you are going to think I’m crazy but I’m not. Not really sure how long you have been fishing. But if the bass are there they will take those soft plastics. Has a lot of your bass fishing taken place with live bait versions? Nothing wrong with that. But you are going to have to leave that at home.  Take a few variety of plastics out. Take a few things out that you like the looks of and take out a few that area experienced guys find to be productive. Go fish, fish slow, try to become one with the bait your are fishing, try to put real life to what you are fishing. You will get bit. Those bass will take it. 
 

But leave that live bait at home. Don’t let it be a crutch for you to fall back to because you are not getting the amount of hits and bits you expected. Seriously just stick with it. Fish 100% soft plastics for a few outings, nail a few fish and your confidence level will be right there. 
 

And just when you think you are fishing those soft plastics slow enough, probably still fishing them too fast. Leave the live bait and your other stuff at home for a little while and put your mind to it that those plastics will and are gonna work. I believe this will work for you. 

I SO agree with the “leave the live bait at home” mantra! It’s so easy to fish an hour or two with no strikes and just slip back into live bait. But those hours are learning experiences. Learning different presentations. Feeling the bottom and structure (it’s hitting limbs/weeds/rocks-it’s not a bass!). If bass are present, they will eventually take your soft plastic. 
 

FYI- this is not an anti-live bait post! Many anglers proficient with lures will still fish at times with live bait for bass. It’s for those learning how to catch bass with artificial baits I’m addressing. You have to take the time and accept that fish won’t simply scent or see your artificial bait and eat it. You are learning how to present the bait to entice a strike. And when it happens, it’s a blast! 

[TOXIC]

You have been given some very good advice to get you started.  I will have to say that you can’t go wrong with a Texas rigged or wacky rigged Senko to get you some early success with plastics.  

[Jmilburn76]

I love a jig with a trailer, works well for me most of the time.

[snake95]

I was in this boat too when I started on Bassresource.  I threw crankbaits and topwaters for most of my first couple of years, now it is hard to imagine not using soft plastics.

 

Like everything in fishing it can be as simple or sophisticated as possible. 

 

Logically, simple is a good place to start.

 

In my experience if you rig weightless, weedless (T-rigged) worms, flukes, and maybe toads you will be off to a huge start.

 

There is so much to be learned from just throwing and working these versatile options.

 

I preferred T-rigged for starting out with many applications where others use wacky because of the benefits for being nearly snag proof.  Agree wacky is effective and simple.

 

As far as moving beyond the basic T-rigging phase goes, I think the ned rig is an obvious next choice for a beginner, because of the incredible simplicity and effectiveness. 

 

From there you can go to actual T-rigging with a bullet weight, then move on to try zillions of other kinds of rigs.  I think it can be overwhelming at first, but found it was helpful to start basic then get into all the others.  

 

 

[Catt]

Search on YouTube for Larry Nixon fishing, watch his videos on fishing plastics regardless of how old...WATCH EM!

 

You're welcome! ?

[AmmoGuy]

Just an anecdote... 

 

With T-rigged soft plastics, don't get stuck in one mode of retrieve. I see guys all the time that no matter what, that rod tip is going to bounce exactly the same every time they fish a T-rigged plastic. 

 

Example, I had a pretty good afternoon yesterday on a 3/16 T-rigged senko, but I was basically slowly swimming it back with some random bounces/stops along the way. When I slowed down to a "normal" retrieve they weren't interested.