09-05-2006, 08:43 PM
Out of all the stuff in the above pic, below is what I actually use 90% of the time. I use these to target snapper and flathead in the bay (in shallow water <10m), but have also caught snook, longfinned pike, dory, barracouta, squid, octopus and red mullet using these.
Top left is a spool of 8 pound fluorocarbon - I use a 1 metre leader of this because (1) it acts as a shock absorber to overcome the low stretch of the fireline I use as mainline and (2) it is almost invisible in the water. Next to the spool are a few packs of jigheads - TT jigheads in 1/8, 1/12 and 1/16 ounce weights, hook sizes 1 and 1/0. The green pack of jigheads are Gamakatsu darters, 1/8 ounce, hook size 2/0 - the action of these heads are great for snapper and especially good for use with larger plastics (eg/ 4 inch minnows), but they're ok for 3 inch minnows too.
The plastics are all Berkley Power minnows in 3 inch and 4 inch sizes.
Left column (top to bottom): 3 inch Smelt/scales, 4 inch Smelt/scales, 3 inch Pumpkinseed/scales.
Right column (top to bottom): 3 inch Pearl/Watermelon/Shad/Scales, 4 inch Pearl/Watermelon/Shad/Scales, 3 inch Bloodworm/Scales.
With the snapper I have found that it's good to have some greenish-coloured plastics as well as some brown or reddish coloured ones - on a few trips changing from green to red or vice versa has made all the difference. The flathead don't really care what colour you use.
At the very top of the page is the actual SP/jighead combo that I used to catch my PB snapper on soft plastics (48cm, but mates have caught them to 65cm on plastics) - it's a Gamaktsu 1/8 ounce 2/0 jighead with a 3 inch Bloodworm/scales minnow.
If I were you, I'd grab a few packs of 3 inch minnows in pearl/watermelon and smelt, and some 1/8 ounce jigheads in size 1 or 1/0.
Top left is a spool of 8 pound fluorocarbon - I use a 1 metre leader of this because (1) it acts as a shock absorber to overcome the low stretch of the fireline I use as mainline and (2) it is almost invisible in the water. Next to the spool are a few packs of jigheads - TT jigheads in 1/8, 1/12 and 1/16 ounce weights, hook sizes 1 and 1/0. The green pack of jigheads are Gamakatsu darters, 1/8 ounce, hook size 2/0 - the action of these heads are great for snapper and especially good for use with larger plastics (eg/ 4 inch minnows), but they're ok for 3 inch minnows too.
The plastics are all Berkley Power minnows in 3 inch and 4 inch sizes.
Left column (top to bottom): 3 inch Smelt/scales, 4 inch Smelt/scales, 3 inch Pumpkinseed/scales.
Right column (top to bottom): 3 inch Pearl/Watermelon/Shad/Scales, 4 inch Pearl/Watermelon/Shad/Scales, 3 inch Bloodworm/Scales.
With the snapper I have found that it's good to have some greenish-coloured plastics as well as some brown or reddish coloured ones - on a few trips changing from green to red or vice versa has made all the difference. The flathead don't really care what colour you use.
At the very top of the page is the actual SP/jighead combo that I used to catch my PB snapper on soft plastics (48cm, but mates have caught them to 65cm on plastics) - it's a Gamaktsu 1/8 ounce 2/0 jighead with a 3 inch Bloodworm/scales minnow.
If I were you, I'd grab a few packs of 3 inch minnows in pearl/watermelon and smelt, and some 1/8 ounce jigheads in size 1 or 1/0.