Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Pro-Lure-Fishing-Tips » How to Fish Soft Vibes

How to Fish Soft Vibes

By Bo Sawyer

The TT Quake Soft Vibes have accounted for a variety of species in the fresh and salt, including PBs and trophy captures around the country. In this article Bo Sawyer runs through how, where and when he fishes soft vibes, the gear he uses to fish them, and plenty of tips to get you hooked up. Fish on!

Soft vibes are my favourite lure when targeting big fish in estuaries. Their effectiveness in deeper water is hard to beat and they put off a vibration that drives fish crazy. This same vibration makes them a top choice when fishing in dirty water and low/no light conditions. The hits you’ll encounter are often likened to someone hitting your lure with a baseball bat, so if you haven’t made the plunge into vibe fishing then now’s the time because you’re missing out!

Species

The number of species you can catch on these lures is staggering. Big jewfish (mulloway), flathead, threadfin salmon, snapper, bream, barramundi, mangrove jack, trevally, and cod, are all willing candidates to snaffle up a properly worked vibe. So, what’s the best way to work the vibe to get this popular selection of sportfish to bite?

Technique

The first and most important tip that I would give you is to let the lure do its job. Fished vertically, I see so many people ripping their rod tip as high and fast as they can because they think a big thundering vibration will get more fish. In reality, using slow lifts of between 10 and 50cm will out fish any of those anglers that resemble someone trying to start a lawn mower.

I’ll quite often make small changes to the speed and height of my lift, to see what the fish are preferring on the day. In low visibility I’m hopping my vibes in tiny 10-20cm increments, so that I can put out vibration more constantly, assisting the fish to find my lure. In brighter daylight and clean water conditions there’s more chance of a visual bite, so a nice slow lift of between 30 and 50cm, followed by a slow drop, works wonders.

From experience 99% of your hits are going to happen on the drop. If you get a big WHACK and your line goes slack, wind as fast as you can because you may still have a fish on! Fish will quite often hit from the bottom, moving up so with the lure as they strike, so you need to be ready to act fast.

You can spot lock with your electric motor when locating schooling fish, utilising the cast and retrieve method to target the school. However, my favourite way of working these lures is the ‘tea bagging’ method (fishing vertically). Tea bagging will help reduce snags, cover more ground, and make your lure look far more natural as it’ll be travelling the same speed as the current.

Where?

I prefer fishing vibes in depths of 4-10m in my local system. I’m looking for areas that have constant bait flying through, sharp ledges, drop offs and structure. Structure is generally in the form of tree stumps and branches but can include an array of objects that are going to provide cover for fish. Having a good sounder will certainly aid in your pursuit and I’m constantly looking at mine while working my vibe. Keeping an eye on side scan has plenty of benefits as well because it gives me an indication if I’m working the correct line or not. If I keep seeing fish out to the sides, then I can adjust my drift.

Gearing Up

My two preferred combos when using vibes are the Okuma Komodo baitcast rod and reel, and the TT Black Mamba Spin Rods 7’0”, 4-8kg rod paired with an Okuma Cedros 4000 reel. I often prefer the baitcast combo as it just feels nicer in my hands, with the added benefit that I can let out more line when I hit deeper water, while keeping my free hand on the electric motor remote. This is just a personal preference of course but I think using gear that helps you fish the way you want to fish is paramount.

In the line department I like using 20-30lb braid when chasing larger species, paired with a 30lb fluorocarbon leader.

Top 5 Vibing Tips

1. Scan for bait and fish activity and work these areas.
2. Slow lifts of the vibe put out a more natural vibration.
3. Stay in contact with your lure. Don’t allow loose line as you’ll miss more hits, and you won’t feel the lure hit the bottom.
4. If the structure you’re fishing allows it, don’t go too hard on the drag when fighting a fish. My personal preference is to go softer on a fish when using trebles, over single point lures such as plastics, to avoid pulling hooks.
5. Colours can still make a big difference, despite the vibration attracting most bites. Fish colours suited to the water clarity and the light conditions on the day.

Well, there you have it, my tips to get you started fishing with soft vibes. I’ve had some mind-blowing sessions using these lures and when my system is fishing well, I’ve had days catching twenty flathead around the 60cm mark, with a few big threadies and jewfish (mulloway) thrown in as well. It’s great fun and super effective.

Cheers, Bo