Winter fishing means changing techniques to catch fish. Going out wide and then teasing those tentative fish to bite can be difficult. I like to use softbaits at this time of year and try to match the hatch (softbaits that look like the prey the predators are chasing). Yesterday was a perfect day for softbaiting in the deep with no wind and a slow drift. We fished 45mtrs west of Channel Island and while the jigs were catching fish during the bite time, when it went quiet the softbaits came into their own.
We caught John Dory, Snapper and a 60cm Trevally on softbait while the jigs of all colours and style were left untouched. This was during the lull between bite time and during slack tide.
So get out there and make sure you mix it up and don’t just rely on your favourite jig to do the damage.
Cheers Captn Nik (Snap)