Studying finesse jigheads and softplastics at the School of Fish

Finesse style soft plastics has always intrigued me. Whenever there's a chance, I always check out Youtube videos from Australia about tiny soft plastics on jigheads. They use  tiny jigheads with 1-2-inch soft plastics to catch bream and flatheads. After getting myself a light tackle combo, I promised myself that I will try this on local bakoko and flatties. 

A  months ago, I collected a few jigheads. Some are pasalubong from friends and a few from local stores. They were Java sticks, Charley Brewer's slider, 1.5inch Powerbaits and other soft tails that I think were suited for the application. I didn't want to go overboard and start spending a lot on these plastics unless I have tested them. Anyhow, I got the gear and collected a few baits and the only thing remaining is to try them in our local waters. I know that juvenile groupers love them but I was hoping to try them on bakoko, flatties, buwan-buwan, and other fresh and brackish fishes.

I initially wanted to try this in Pampanga Delta but the area was ruined after the recent typhoons. The river delta has been heavily silted and the area is now so shallow and layered with thick mud. And if that wasn't bad enough, I broke one of my light rods before I could use it,

I got a replacement rod recently and to resume my plans, I headed to Irving's school of fish to learn to work these finesse jigheads and tiny plastics. On the first drop using a 3-gram jig and a 1.5 powerbait, one of the red tilapias gave first blood. Not bad. A tilapia was fooled by hopping the jig at the bottom.

I threw a Java stick and had a solid hookup. It ran for a few meters but the hook came off. My guess it that a dalag fancied the bait. I casted again on the same spot and got another hookup. I was right, it as a dalag.

I had a few more strikes but none connected. i figured they were small barras or tilapias that kept pulling the plastic from the hook. I switched to a green swimbait and used a heavier jig, casted in the middle and felt like my lure snagged after a few retrieves. I was trying to free the snag when something suddenly pulled drag. I thought it was a bigger barra. It turned out that it was a big mama tilapia. Almost a kilo.  I thought to myself that this finesse jig/plastic is turning out effective in SOF.

Just before 1pm, I got another solid hookup. It was a barra. I think it was more or less a kilo in weight. Just before I can land it, the hook unbuttoned. Casted again on the same spot got another barra. It's a bit smaller but fun on light tackle nonetheless.

After this  fun outing, I decided to look for more plastics to add in my arsenal.