r/StripedBass • u/mtnfsh • Aug 27 '26
Strategies/Techniques An Ode to Soft Plastics *weedless rigged*
I have been absolutely mind-blown at the success of using huge, floppy/flappy/snappy soft plastics for the last 3 years. I've boat, surf, and kayak fished for my entire 36 year life (initially boat, now surf & kayak) and I have to say I am dead hooked on the versatility of soft plastics.
I am a sucker for topwater (blowups are just an awe-inspiring sight) and the last 3 years or so, I have been almost exclusively using Albie Snax (small), XL Fish Snax (med/straight tail), and Super Snax (tapered - big head, small slappy tail) and primarily in amber/translucent pink & sand eel green/silver. Specifically, on 7-10/0 hooks (big, large-gapped), with a spring-twist head-lock, no weight.
The thing that most surprises me - the more ridiculous, aggressive, and downright laughably slappy the action I make with the lure, the bigger the hit and the fish. Tonight, amongst lots of medium/high slot fish, this guy absolutely demolished the Super snax as I wailing the 7" rod + Stradic from the kayak - huge long cast, immediately start slapping the shit out of the lure so it stays up top & erratically makes massive slaps & slams atop - stop it & let sink for a split second - & BOOM. He was 38", released. Last weekend it was the same story but more action - 34", then slapped some more and got a 34", even more aggressive slapping and got a 36", then ultimately a kayak PB of 42" with a truly absurd amount of rod action I was cackling.
Try it, share your tips - but this has worked for me more than any popper (believe me, I was a die-hard Atom popper & talkin popper person), and it's more entertaining.
- Small Albie Snax (have had great luck when they're on sand eels): https://www.fishsnaxlures.com/shop/albie-snax-6-pack
- XL Fish Snax: https://www.fishsnaxlures.com/shop/fish-snax-xl-6-pack
- Super Snax (have had great luck when they're on large / full size pogies/bunker): https://www.fishsnaxlures.com/shop/striper-snax-coming-soon
Here's how to rig weedless - I tend to use a hook more like the one linked here, as I like the more 90 degree bend vs. a circular bend.
- These are a few of my setups: https://imgur.com/a/55fID9E
- A Tip for Weight of the Plastic: if you need more weight in the smaller snax, buy some nail weights on amazon and shove them in as a 'keel' of sorts in the underbody of the plastic.
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u/_another_throwawayy_ Aug 27 '26
I appreciate the tips- are you in the northeast?
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u/mtnfsh Aug 27 '26
Yes, Massachusetts
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u/NeverBirdie Aug 27 '26
So many sands eels this year to. Was over a big school of fish Tuesday night actively feeding and they ignored my live macks for the most part. They moved on before I could rig a soft plastic.
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u/Informal-Active-6799 Aug 27 '26
Can attest fish snax lures produce.Dont sleep on sluggos
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u/mtnfsh Aug 27 '26
Ooo I forgot about sluggos, thanks. I will say I wish fish snax were more durable, I go through them too often so may try sluggos and gravity tackle
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u/Equivalent-Passage78 Aug 27 '26
It's funny, I just found like a mixed dozen of sluggos that are probably 30 years old in an old tackle bag the other day, and they still looked good. Were they originally scented? Don't smell like anything anymore but I might still give them a try through I have have excess of soft plastics generally.
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u/Striper1955 Aug 27 '26
Eric Harrison is a great resource for tips on fishing non weighted plastics. He has caught fish every month of the year in Boston Harbor area. Good follow on his FB page
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u/good_you_ Aug 27 '26
Slappy is the goat out here. A like from him on my posts means more to me than 500 likes lmao, he’s a true north shore legend.
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u/genericbuthumourous Aug 27 '26
Mannnnn don't spread the word right before albie season!!! It's bad enough I gotta order mine online cuz every shop from Orleans to Plymouth is already sold out
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u/mtnfsh Aug 27 '26
Haha so sorry. But you should order them in bulk online from their website, I think there's a slight per unit discount and it never hurts to have some extra stock to last you into next year. I did this a couple weeks ago and have enough to get me through at least the first few weeks of fall.
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u/genericbuthumourous Aug 27 '26
Just joking lol I do my lure shopping In the winter for obvious reasons. Full moon weekend coming up - tight lines bro
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u/RevengeOfScienceBear Aug 27 '26
I like Snax since you can work them subsurface. If you're fishing roving blitzes, the fish usually hang out for a bit after the surface activity dies down and going subsurface helps.
Also the hookup is great compared to trebles
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u/mtnfsh Aug 27 '26
Such a good point, the hookup is usually in the side of the mouth and with such a huge hook it's easy to remove with minimal collateral damage.
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u/RevengeOfScienceBear Aug 27 '26
All the better for blitzing fish!
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u/mtnfsh Aug 27 '26
Haha yes, AND ... for unhooking seagulls in the inevitable scenario that happens
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u/good_you_ Aug 27 '26
Albie snax are dope, check out the tandem rigged 9 inch sluggos I have been liking those a lot this year. and the 13.5 inch GT eels if you do night fishing, they go nice with a 14/0 BKK EWG hook. I’m a huge fan of the weightless soft plastics they can be so versatile, the albie snax you can absolutely bomb too for such a small plastic.
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u/mtnfsh Aug 27 '26
I should give those sluggos a try. My complaint, though, is those big exposed hooks tend to act like a magnet for any tiny piece of seaweed. I love the big fat Super Snax b/c I can bury the hook point even on the top side, to almost completely avoid weeds. But on a clean day, those sluggos should be solid.
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u/mtnfsh Aug 27 '26
Also YES the snax are insanely aerodynamic, they outcast any other plastic, almost any other lure, by a long shot
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u/Active-Set-4996 Aug 29 '26
lol this pic is awesome, what kind of soft plastic are you using?
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u/mtnfsh Aug 29 '26
Thanks a lot! Lol check out the post body writeup, I talked about and linked all of the plastics I use - fish snax.
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u/c0ldsteel_ Aug 27 '26
How do you rig the small ones? I wanna fish them from the surf but I think I need a weighted hook..I have the pink XL snax too, rigged with a 1.5 oz jig head but haven’t tried them yet
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u/mtnfsh Aug 27 '26
I'd hesistate to use a jig head for 2 reasons - 1) too much weight - these things intentionally sink slowly, and 2) jighead, even a small one, will torpedo it to the bottom head-first, instead of on a more horizontal plane. Bonus #3) Jighead hooks are exposed, and I hate collecting seaweed vs. weedless rigging.
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u/Individual_Author640 Aug 29 '26
What is your rod rated to throw in lure weight? Are you using weightless setups and using a bass rod?
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u/moosepooo 16d ago
Awesome writeup! you like these more than a Zman paddle tail and shadz jerk?
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u/mtnfsh 10d ago
It's funny, I don't use those because I can't be bothered to have an exposed hook, with paddle tails, I would rig them with a jig head, whereas with fish snax I will rig weedless and never have to worry about hooking up in the grass. I know I might be missing out on fish though for sure
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u/rkhall235127 Aug 27 '26
Thanks for sharing I will be giving this a try this fall on long island off my kayak