Rock Fishing, Big Catch with Soft Plastic Lures

Along most coastlines of the world, rock fishing is very popular. These rocky outcrops are perfect places to relax and fish, without the hassle of venturing out on a boat. Species caught might be small compare to fishing further offshore on a boat. But with light tackle it can be real fun.

At the right tide and seasons these rocky outcrops would attract a wide diversity of species. With the right bait and rigs, groupers, bluefish, snappers, mangrove jacks, barramundi, mullets and many coastal species can be caught.

Rock fishing can be great fun but beware of the danger of these rocks. They can be very slippery when wet and the edges are sharp. Wear slip-resistant footwear. Do not go and fish alone in these secluded spots. Bring along a fishing buddy or two. If anything will to happen, you still have someone around to call upon to help you.

Travel light and bring only what is needed. You might need to climb or hop these rocks. The best solution is to carry a backpack that can accommodate whatever you have and leave both your hands free. Don’t forget to bring some food and water to avoid dehydration, but no alcohol or beer. Children are advisable not to tag along because it’s too dangerous.

Limit your tackle to only 1 or 2 rods. Tackle might vary from one location to another. Normally, an outfit of 8-12 lbs. will able to do the job well. If you feel that there are larger specimens around it might call for a heavier outfit of 15-25 lbs. You must be well prepared to lose some terminal tackle because snagging is common with rock fishing. It can be real tricky bringing out fish in these rocky areas.

Majority of rock anglers prefer to use dead or cut-bait over live-bait, because live-bait is troublesome to manage or to carry along. Although it will be great if you are able to gather some live-bait on the spot.

My favorite is using artificial bait and I find soft plastic lures very effective for this situation. There’re quite a number of these good lures available in the market. Of which in particular are Storm from Rapala, Berkley and the Duel Salty Rubber Jig from Japan. In fact, the latter is created mainly for use to target bottom dwellers in shallow seas.

Soft plastic lures are less prone to snag because they’ve only one single hook instead of two treble hooks on most hard body lures. Furthermore, they’re not expensive losing a few which is normal for this kind of fishing due to the snags is still not so bad.

Most rock fishing’s anglers release most of the catch that they caught. For this situation it’s preferable to use barbless hooks for quick and easy release of the fish. Tight lines, buddies!

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