Soft Plastics Fishing has been set up to share what I’ve learnt from almost 35 years of fishing soft plastics (soft baits) — the wins, the mistakes, the weird little patterns, and the simple systems that consistently put fish on the bank.
I first picked up a rod when I was four, and like a lot of anglers I spent years fishing bait and the usual lures. But in my early teenage years I fell hard for soft plastics. They just made sense: they’re versatile, you can fish them fast or slow, shallow or deep, and they let you adjust your approach without changing your whole setup. One cast you’re hopping bottom, the next you’re slow-rolling mid-water — and you can do it all with the same basic lure style and a handful of jigheads.
I’m based in Sydney, Australia and I fish around the city, the Northern Beaches, and up and down coastal NSW whenever I can. My typical sessions are the same places most people fish: beaches, bays, estuaries, rock walls, pontoons, wharves, flats, drop-offs, and anywhere current funnels bait. I’m not trying to “influence” anyone or pretend every session is a miracle. I’m here to talk about what actually happens when you’re out there after work, on a weekend, or sneaking a quick session before the wind swings.
Soft plastics fishing in Sydney, NSW (and the USA)
I’m also lucky enough to have family in the USA, which means I’ve spent a lot of time fishing in the Pacific Northwest, and I’ve done trips through places like Alaska and Montana. The species and water can be completely different, but what’s interesting is how often the same principles translate: finding structure, understanding current, choosing the right jighead weight, and working a plastic with enough pause to let it do its job. From time to time I’ll share what I’ve learnt from those US trips as well — especially the lessons that carry back to Aussie waters.
What this site is (and isn’t)
This site is a practical guide to soft plastics fishing, written by a real person who’s spent a lot of time learning the hard way.
- It is about repeatable methods: how to rig, how to retrieve, where to cast, how to adjust for tides, clarity, wind and depth.
- It is about honest troubleshooting: why you’re not getting bites, why you’re missing fish, why your plastic is spinning, why you keep snagging.
- It isn’t a catalogue of “perfect” sessions. If a technique fails, I’ll say so and explain what I changed.
- It isn’t written to impress anyone — it’s written so you can take one idea, go fishing, and catch more fish.
How I approach soft plastics
I’m a big believer in keeping things simple. Most anglers don’t need fifty lure styles and a tackle bag that weighs as much as a small outboard.
My approach is basically:
- Pick a proven lure type (paddle tail, jerkshad, grub, prawn/worm profile).
- Match jighead weight to conditions (the lightest you can use while still maintaining contact).
- Fish structure and edges (drop-offs, weed lines, current seams).
- Work the pause (a lot of bites happen on the sink).
- Adjust quickly (color, size, weight, retrieve, angle).
The guides on this site are built around those fundamentals, broken down into bite-sized how-tos you can actually use.
What you’ll find here
You’ll see guides grouped into categories like:
- Basics (start here)
- Lure Types
- Rigging
- Jigheads & Terminal Tackle
- Retrieves & Techniques
- Finding Fish / Locations & Structure
- Conditions
- Species
- Gear
- Troubleshooting
Over time, I’ll also publish a downloadable guide that pulls the best lessons together in one place. For now, the goal is simple: build the best free resource on the internet for learning soft plastics fishing — especially for Aussie waters — and keep improving it as I learn more.