How to Catch More Fish Using Soft Plastics

Many of the techniques that freshwater bass anglers lean on have made it over to the brine. This may be most evident in the world of soft plastics, with a variety of new baits designed for salty species. Courtesy Z-Man

Fish are constantly getting smarter, forcing anglers to cook up new ways to outsmart them. Take a look at the next generation of soft plastics. Super-stretchy material, photo-­printed patterns, airbrushed colors and versatile rigging allow soft plastics to go from ­tiny finesse baits for inshore fishing to heavy-duty jigs for offshore. This next generation of advanced soft plastics have spawned new tactics that allow anglers to stay one step ahead of the fish.

The fastest-growing trend in saltwater soft plastics is small lures for big fish. Inshore anglers are learning to finesse a 3-inch jig tail and 1/10-ounce jig head for sluggish predators. Robin Shiver, president of Saltwater Assassin lures, explains the appeal, saying, “The little lures cast a mile and can be worked slow.” For this year, Saltwater Assassin introduced the new 3.5-inch P&V series. “We named it after my granddaughter because she’s full of P&V,” Shiver laughs. “The key to developing a finesse bait is getting subtle action out of the little lure. It’s a combination of design and materials that achieves ideal action.”

Large soft-plastic swimbaits are another trend borrowed from the freshwater side of the sport. One of the most talked-­about new lures is Z-Man’s Mulletron LT. Product development director Jose Chavez says, “Not only does a large swimbait imitate a real fish, but it can be worked slow or fast without compromising the action.” The Mulletron LT is a mullet-shaped lure with a wedge tail. “The wedge tail moves a lot of water, giving the lure a natural swimming action,” Chavez says. A special feature helps hold on to tarpon, snook and other fish that jump. “When a fish takes the lure, the lure body breaks away from the hook and slides up the line,” Chavez explains. It’s always a gamble when big fish leap out of the water, but this feature keeps the lure from pulling the hook.

Recently, bluewater anglers are chasing tuna, dolphin and swordfish using soft-­plastic swimbaits. But tempting a bluefin tuna or double-marker swordfish requires a soft plastic on steroids. Capt. Jack Sprengel worked on developing the Z-Fin Big Game Series for Ron-Z. “Soft plastics are versatile. I can cast a jig at feeding fish, work it through suspended fish, or drop the jig to the bottom and dead-stick it.” The only way to catch a tuna on a soft plastic is with a beefy jig head. Ron-Z’s Big Game Series jig heads feature a swivel hook. “The joint between the hook and the lure head prevents a ­tuna from shaking the lure loose,” Sprengel says. 

Taking advantage of new technology, lure-makers are updating old favorites. Savage Gear updated its classic shrimp pattern with the new Manic Shrimp V2. Brand ­manager Adam Ott explains, “The original Manic Shrimp was 10 years old, and we wanted to offer the lure rigged and ready to fish with a weedless hook or internal weight.” Savage is known for ultra-realistic lures modeled from 3D images of  real baits. For the Manic Shrimp V2, Savage updated the shape with a higher-resolution 3D image capturing more detail. Then it used improved TPE material to give the shrimp a realistic look and action. “The material allowed us to rearrange the legs for a natural presentation,” Ott says. The updates pay off when targeting super-finicky fish in clear water.

To precisely control the soft plastic’s action, designers use bumps, slits and ridges to control how water flows over the lure. Berkley’s new PowerBait Saltwater CullShad uses a honeycomb texture to achieve more strength and increased movement. Soft-plastics product engineer Kyle Peterson explains, “The process for creating the mold allows us to add a precise texture that causes the CullShad’s tail to swim with an exaggerated wobble.” The engineers worked overtime to develop the precise depth and shape of the honeycomb texture, then refined the plastic formula to achieve the ideal balance of stiffness and stretch. “We were looking for horizontal tail wag without vertical movement,” Peterson says. The end product swims straight at a variety of speeds whether rigged weedless, on a jig head or beneath a skirt. 

Soft plastics allow anglers to match the colors and patterns fish are looking for. For years, picky anglers demanded hand-poured lures, a process that gives manufacturers precise control of colors and patterns. Pete Wolf, owner of Big Hammer Lures, says advancements in mold tech make it possible to achieve the same precision with a machine. The new 3.5-inch and 5.2-inch Big Hammer swimbaits use the new process to add up to three colors and maintain separation and consistency. While the machine process isn’t as precise as hand pouring, it does offer some advantages. “We can shoot the plastic at higher temperatures to prevent colors from fading or getting hazy.” And the machine-made lures are less expensive than hand-poured ones, with virtually the same results. 

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When it comes to patterns, nothing beats the real thing. In an effort to match the subtle scales, stripes and spots, companies are adhering images of actual bait species. The Savage Manic Shrimp V2 ­uses a photo of a real shrimp to get the little specks and flecks just right. And Z-Man combined photo elements of a real mullet with airbrushed color for a lifelike appearance. 

Fishing pressure has increased just about everywhere, and it’s definitively making fish more selective. Luckily for anglers, the manufacturers of soft plastics are using cutting-edge tech and good old-fashioned ­ingenuity to create baits that imitate a wide variety of natural forage in just about all salty conditions to get bit. 

Big Hammer 3.5-inch Hammer Courtesy Big Hammer Lures Big Hammer 3.5-inch Hammer

Big Hammer Lures makes its popular deep-belly swimbait even more versatile with the 3.5- and 5.2-inch Hammers. The lifelike swimbait is perfect for nose rigging, weedless hooks and drop shots. Or clip off the nose and the flat head fits behind a jig head.

Berkley Saltwater PowerBait CullShad Courtesy Berkley Berkley Saltwater PowerBait CullShad

Berkley brings two of its best freshwater innovations to the salt with the new Saltwater CullShad. Berkley’s PowerBait attractant is now formulated specifically for saltwater fish, and the CullShad uses Berkley’s new honeycomb texture to give the tail a wide, swinging action especially effective at low retrieve speeds.

Savage Manic Shrimp V2 Courtesy Savage Gear Savage Manic Shrimp V2

Savage Gear’s new Manic Shrimp V2 is modeled from a 3D image of a real shrimp. The super-responsive Duratech TPE material makes the legs and antennae move like the real thing, and it’s infused with Savage Gear’s proprietary scent package. Fish the shrimp on an exposed hook or use the weedless version tied straight to the leader or under a popping cork.

RonZ Z-Fin Big Game Series Courtesy RonZ RonZ Z-Fin Big Game Series

The Z-Fin can handle 300-pound bluefin. The beefy hook is attached to the aerodynamic jig head with a swivel joint to keep a big fish from using the weight to shake the hook free. Use it as a slow-pitch lure, cast it and work it through breaking fish, or drop the lure near the bottom and dead-stick it. 

Z-Man Mulletron LT Courtesy Z-Man Z-Man Mulletron LT 

Z-Man combined its stretchy, buoyant ElaZtech material with a revolutionary line-through design to create the Mulletron LT, costumed with a photo-printed, hand-painted pattern in a handful of colors. The wide wedge-shaped tail gives it a slow side-to-side roll.

Saltwater Assassin Lit’l P&V Courtesy Saltwater Assassin Saltwater Assassin Lit’l P&V

Taking inspiration from freshwater bass finesse-fishing soft plastics, Saltwater Assassin’s Lit’l P&V is designed to cast far, sink fast, and entice fish with a subtle action of its tube-shaped tail. Infused with shrimp scent and available in dozens of colors, the Lit’l P&V packs spunk and energy in a small package.

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