Soft Bait Fishing: Selecting The Right Hooks For Success!
Soft baits and jig heads - it’s a highly effective method of fishing in New Zealand waters. Many of the fish we find in our coastal waters will readily take a soft bait, and the cost of entry is low, making it a great option for those at the start of their fishing journey.
But you’ve got to start somewhere, and there’s a wide variety of jig heads, baits, weights, and sizes out there to choose from. Understandably this can be overwhelming for the beginner angler, so our goal today is to break things down for those of you who aren’t too sure where to start.
In this article, we will mainly be diving into how to choose jig head weights and sizes, and what to look for to give yourself the best chances of a successful soft baiting mission.
Part 1. How to Select a Size
Selecting the right hook For The Job
Soft bait jig heads come in a wide range of sizes, but for they all share a similar design. The key to selecting a size really depends on one single thing: target species.
Knowing your target species will plonk you into a size range suitable for that fish. From there, you can start looking at weights, etc, but we’ll get into that shortly.
FRESHWATER
If you’re targeting freshwater species, you’ll be wanting what’s called ‘micro jig heads’ - you’ll likely find these in the freshwater section of your local tackle store. Micro jig heads for freshwater use will range anywhere from size #8 - #1 and are designed to be used with a soft bait around 2.5-inches in length. Freshwater jig heads are built using lighter gauge wire to match the environments you’ll be fishing in.
It’s worth mentioning that some jig heads designed for freshwater use can also be used to target light saltwater species such as Kahawai and smaller Snapper. Targeting salt-water species on ultra-light setups like this might not be the place to start as a beginner, but keep it in mind for the future, because it can be a heap of fun.
INSHORE
For in-shore salt water use (targeting Kingfish, Kahawai, Snapper, Trevally, etc), you’ll be looking for something in the size range of 1/0 - 6/0. The most common size soft baits here range from 4-inch to 6-inch in length. These jig heads should be constructed from a medium-gauge wire and come in a range of weights, so you can better adapt to match the changing conditions and environments found in the ocean.
The larger sizes can be used for targeting Kingfish in off-shore environments too, so keep in mind that these sizes have a bit of crossover at either end.
OFFSHORE
As with everything offshore, this is where things get more serious!
You’ll find jig heads designed for offshore species range in size from 6/0 - 9/0+, and are constructed using much stronger wire. Some (including our BKK Harpax Offshore range) will feature a front attachment point, making them much more suitable for long casts and fast retrieves. These hook sizes are much more suited to fish that hit hard and fight with aggression.
Larger off-shore jig heads are suitable for use with 9-inch to 12-inch soft baits. Game fish such as Marlin and Tuna are all viable targets with these heavy offshore jig heads, so make sure the rest of your gear is up to the task.
You can use offshore jig heads for inshore fishing too, sometimes that extra weight and power can be great for getting down deep when the current is humming or there are massive species around.
Part 2. Selecting a Weight
How To Choose The Right Weight
Something that is unique to jig heads and soft baiting is the sheer amount of different weights available. For the beginner, it can be hard to know what weight is needed in which fishing scenario.
The good news is that there is some simple logic behind the different weights. Once you’ve got your head around that, you can start fine-tuning how you fish them all.
What is your soft baiting rod capable of?
Assuming you’ve already bought or own the rod that is most suitable to where you’ll be fishing the most, you should already have an idea of what weight jig heads you can use.
For the sake of example, from now on we’ll pretend your soft bait rod is rated to a casting weight of 7g - 28g (that's 1/4oz to 1oz for all you imperial folks), so you’ll mainly be restricted to these weights of jig head. Easy stuff.
But when do I use 7g, and when do I use 28g?!
As with anything fishing, the lines are blurred and there is no one right or wrong size to use. But as a general rule of thumb, use the following as a starting point:
Light Weight
Fishing shallow water, fishing the wash, or the fish are feeding closer to the surface. Use a lighter weight when you don’t need the jig head to sink quickly to reach the fish, or sheer casting distance isn’t as important.
These lighter weights are great for wash fishing because they will move more naturally through the water, and keep you off the bottom and away from rocks and snags.
Medium Weight
Use when fishing mid-water, need some solid casting distance, there’s a bit of wind or current, or you’re just prospecting a new spot.
The good thing with medium weight is that you can leave it to sink to the bottom and retrieve it again to find what depth the fish are feeding at.
Medium weight is also good for fishing off the boat when the fish aren’t too far out from you as they offer good casting distance and sink rate.
Heavy Weight
Fishing in strong currents, getting deep quickly, and casting long distances.
Heavy jig heads are also handy when fishing directly below you on the boat, allowing a vertical jigging technique to be utilised.
Part 3. Selection time
With the above in mind, that wall of jig heads in your local tackle store might be starting to look a little less intimidating!
Here are some scenarios that might help you get the idea:
Scenario A: You’ve got a land-based trip planned with some mates. You will need to cast out a bit to reach the deeper water, and this spot is known to produce some good size Snapper. You’ve got a soft baiting rod rated to 50g. What jig head are you choosing?
Answer: There will be some snags around, and you need casting distance, but there is also the opportunity to fish the wash. With this in mind, we’d probably choose a jig head in the 14-gram to 21-gram (1/2oz - 3/4oz) weight range. And something around 5/0 in size. This weight won’t sink too fast, will offer good casting distance, and is big enough to handle a mega Snapper if one comes along.
Scenario B: You’re taking the boat out to a reef in 30m of water. The current is notoriously strong through here, and the fish tend to sit closer to the bottom, hiding behind the structure as the tide changes.
Answer: Go as heavy as you can with the rod you’ve got. You’ll need the weight to punch through the current and get to where the fish are holding. There could be large kingfish here… best go with a size 6/0 jig head and make sure you’re ready.
Keep in mind that this is all relative to where you’re fishing and what you’re fishing for, so if you’re mainly soft baiting in freshwater lakes and you need to get down deep, you won’t be using a 42g jig head, it will be too heavy for your freshwater spin set.
But you will want to use a weight at the upper end of what your rod allows.
And if you want the challenge of a massive offshore Kingfish on a soft bait, you’ll probably be using something like a 2oz jig head because that’s what heavy casting rods are built to handle.
Your local tackle store should have all of these sizes available and be able to offer any advice based on your location and local fishery.
Be sure to check out BKK’s range of jig heads for everything from freshwater to heavy offshore fishing while you’re here!
