Tackle Tactics » Rigging-Guides » Soft-Plastics-101 » 10. Paddle Tail Plastics
10. Paddle Tail Plastics
Paddle tails get their name from a tail that moves from side to side - 'paddles' - as the soft plastic is retrieved. This paddle tail profile represents baitfish, with a variety of sizes and profiles available to match the hatch, including smaller profiles like the ZMan 2.5" and 3" Slim SwimZ, 3" MinnowZ and 4" DieZel MinnowZ, and larger baitfish profiles designed to mimic mullet, like the ZMan 5" Grass KickerZ, 6" SwimmerZ and 8" Mag SwimZ.
Paddle tails are less popular when targeting fish in deeper water and faster currents offshore as the tail action slows down the sink rate of the plastic. Bream love a 2.5" Slim SwimZ, flathead, bass and trevally, to name a few, respond well to the 3" MinnowZ, mulloway, mangrove jack and barramundi find it hard to resist a 4" DieZel MinnowZ, while larger paddle tails are also ideal for mulloway, barramundi, Murray cod and other larger predators.