The Ultimate Buying Guide for Soft Baits

If you are just entering into the world of soft baiting or maybe you are an experienced soft bait angler, it’s essential that you are hooking up the right soft baits for the occasion. Not only should your tackle bag have a soft bait to cover every scenario but you must have the ability to match the hatch on any given day. To help, we have pulled together the ultimate guide to help simplify your soft bait game & ensure you have the right bait for the right situation. 

 

Here is the full list of what we will be covering within this soft bait buying guide:

 

 

Before we get started it’s important to point out that for the team here at Land & Sea soft bait fishing is an obsession for many of us. When it comes to knowledge in and around the art of casting a bait, our team know their stuff. So sit back & soak up everything you need to know about soft baits here in NZ. 

 

Many of you would have heard the timeless classic of Z-Man vs Gulp. This old argument is not just a brand discussion but a choice of material & design, both with their advantages. Firstly, let’s run through the exact difference between the two materials used & we can draw a few conclusions around performance within this. 

Water Based Polymer is an oil-based PVC plastic that is fully biodegradable. Now there are several advantages to an oil-based PCV including the ability to embed a wider variety of scents which is deadly when it comes to attracting fish. This is not just a matter of the bait holding the scent, in fact, it’s somewhat the opposite. Gulp have created a water-based scent that the oil-based bait expels during use. Think about it this way, oil-based PVC  & water-based scent don’t mix therefore the scent disperses when fishing, attracting the bite from a predatory fish. Add to the fact that fish can smell water-soluble scents & liquids resulting in the success of Gulp products all over the world. 

 

It’s not uncommon to hear people refer to Gulp as ‘bait like’ & it’s for good reason. From our experience water based polymer is the king of attracting the bite when the bite is slow. The downside to an oil-based PVC is ironically how subtle the bait becomes once scented. This results in the ability for fish to chomp away at the material and reduces the durability of the bait. You can expect to churn through a few more Gulp baits than their elastomax / Elaztech equivalents.  

When it comes to plastic baits there has historically been a clear leader in the US giant Z-Man Fishing. More recent times have seen the impressive introduction of BaitJunkie plastics built by the team at Daiwa & driven by the Australian & NZ product teams. Building a plastic bait is no mean feat requiring the development of an entirely new formula of plastic. The two leading designs go to the Z-Man patented material ElaZtech & Elastomax from team Daiwa. The overarching goal, create a subtle bait with realistic action while maintaining durability & the ability to absorb scent. 

 

It's well known that you will not beat the durability of a plastic bait. Rumour has it that the world record stands at 255 fish caught on a single Z-Man TRD TricklerZ bait. A fair reflection on how you can fish one bait for an entire session without needing to change bait, saving a fair bit of money in the process. Another key benefit to a plastic bait is the buoyancy. We believe this to be a crucial aspect of plastic baits when fished in the shallows, increasing sink time & as a result an increased bite time on the drop. Fishing the drop brings the best bites from predatory fish & therefore plastic baits are a must for shallow-water anglers. 

 

Due to the increased durability of plastic baits, manufacturers can apply more creative designs without compromising their longevity. A great example of this is the unique hinge-like design of the Daiwa Bait Junkie which increases the action of a typical 5 & 7 inch bait. The PaddlerZ from Z-Man is another great example where the slit design makes for attractive dining to feeding fish. 

 

Unlike traditional oil-based PVC where the water-based scent is absorbed, plastic baits are impregnated with scent allowing them to be stored outside of a scented tub. Naturally, this aids the benefit of transportation for the angler. The real-world fishing benefit is that the fish hold onto the bait for longer once they get a taste & hook-up rates increase. 

 

It’s been a Z-Man vs Gulp affair until recent years when Daiwa Bait Junkie has injected new energy into the soft bait space. In 2020 Daiwa released a full range of soft plastics specifically designed for the NZ & Australian markets creating a trifecta of quality soft bait manufacturers for us to pick the eyes out of. Let’s run through the history of each brand to better understand what makes them the world leaders in soft baits. 

Born in the iconic town of Charleston, South Carolina, Z-Man has built an impressive 30-year-plus heritage as a global leader in soft plastics. The brand is naturally inspired by the freshwater lakes & rivers of South Carolina has continued to innovate & challenge the world of lure fishing. Tagged the developers of superplastics Z-Man evolved the lure fishing scene with the development of ElaZtech technology in 2005. 

 

Born in 2002 Gulp has been the leader in soft baits for decades, Soft bait fishing kicked off in NZ during the early 2000’s and Gulp has been there from the start. The world leader in oil-based PVC baits, Gulp still to this day command a high percentage of the NZ market. Often referred to as ‘bait like’ their extensive selection of baits entices the bite from NZ fish species better than most. It’s hard to point NZ customers in the direction of a more trusted soft bait brand, so we won’t try. 

As mentioned above Gulp developed a clever recipe bringing together oil-based PVC and merging it with a water-based scent creating the ultimate fish-attracting bait. It’s in the blood of the Berkley product development team to maintain innovation with thousands of bait designs & scents. As a result, we ensure a full offering of Gulp products which keep dominating snapper fishing all over the country. 

The Bait Junkie project was assigned to the masters of lure fishing in the Southern Hemisphere, Tom Slater & Scott Malcom from Daiwa Australia & Daiwa NZ Respectfully. A task spanning nearly a decade; end result is a range of Elastomax baits specifically designed for the NZ & Australia markets. 

The release of Bait Junkie in 2020 invigorated the soft bait scene and raised the eyebrows of soft bait enthusiasts all over NZ. Since its entrance into the NZ market, Bait Junkie has become a trusted addition to any tackle box. Recently Daiwa NZ have released exclusive colours to the NZ market in ‘Smashed Kina’ & ‘Killer Kutai’ proving deadly to NZ Snapper. Expect Daiwa to keep delivering new designs, new models & of course new colours to keep the fish guessing.

 

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Our Top 5 Soft Bait Picks

1) Bait Junkie 7 Inch Jerk Shad – Grey Nomad Glow

A bait that has been specifically designed for the NZ market the Grey Nomad Glow has produced some cracking fish all over the country. A big advocate of this specific bait is Tony Wood from Moocher Hunters proving time and time again that Grey Nomad Glow is deadly to big moocher snapper. 

 

2) Berkley Gulp 5 Inch Jerk Shad – New Penny

New Penny has been a crowd favourite for many years within the NZ soft baiting community. A natural bait fish colour, this bait is a proven performer from the shallows to the wash areas offshore. 

 

3) Z-Man 7 Inch Jerk Shad – Bruised Banana

If any one colour has been a proven performer & trusted by thousands of anglers is the famous Bruised Banana by Z-Man. If you have had the privilege of listening to one of NZ’s best lure fishermen, Paul Senior, this is the bait that tops them all…. Apparently. 

 

4) Bait Junkie 5 Inch Jerk Shad – Smashed Kina

Since it’s introduction in 2023, Smashed Kina has become a must have in any anglers tackle box. Naturally inspired by one of NZ’s favourite sea eggs the Kina, it’s a tasty treat for anglers & hungry snapper. Available in both 5 & 7 inch Jerk Shad, although we have had incredible success with the 5 inch model. 

 

5) Berkley Gulp 5 Inch Crazy Legs Jerk Shad – Nuclear Chicken

This is our go-to bait when the bite slows & we need that little bit of extra support from our soft bait. The famous crazy legs design is exactly that, two legs split which create an erratic action and antagonises the bite of a hungry snapper. For many, this was the soft bait that they experienced their first taste of success with.

 

When it comes to which soft bait to grab from your stash there are a few things to consider. Target species, location, terrain & most importantly what your target species are feeding on. The old adage of ‘Big Bait, Big Fish’ has merit & should not be ignored however those who micro bait will be first to argue. 

The most important thing to consider is what the fish are feeding on. If fishing in open waters or around offshore structures, we recommend casting a 6-inch bait or larger. Consider a jerk shad or paddle tail style bait to match bait fish such as Pilchards & Mackerel. Another larger option not to be underestimated is a large 6-inch grub. This is a crowd favourite and many of our team have caught trophy snapper on this very bait.

 

If the bite is a little slow then drop down to a 4 or 5 inch bait to provide less of a mouthful. This is a great time to grab a bait such as a Gulp Crazy Legs. Action is king & sometimes antagonising the bite can mean the difference between a solid hook-up or not. Another one of our favourite baits when looking to downsize is the Z-Man PaddlerZ range. The slit tail design provides an increase in action, particularly on the drop. Hard to go past the New Penny colour although all the Z-Man favourites prove deadly. 

 

If your heading in-shore, this gets a little groovy & fun. Shallow water soft baiting on in-shore shoals has proven to be incredibly productive & for us has resulted in big snapper in only meters of water. Trout or freshwater baits have become snapper lures in only a few years. Don’t forget to downscale your gear for ultra-light soft baiting or micro baiting to improve the enjoyment of the sport. The go to bait for this style of fishing has to be a 2.5 or 3.2 inch minnow which replicates the action of a schooling anchovy. Take note on when the anchovies run however February generally signals a great time of year. 

Of course, there is always the aspect of personal preference. Nobody will judge which bait to cast better than the person with experience fishing home waters. Seek out local knowledge and if you're away from home, don’t fish bait too long without success. Mix it up & stay true to course once the bite fires up. 

 

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The best jig heads for soft bait fishing – Let’s run you through it. 

• TT Lures Jig Heads
• BKK
• Berkley 
• Ocean Angler Light Bulbs
• Z-Man

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Other gear you should consider when you are soft bait fishing

• The Ultimate guide to buying a fishing rod in NZ
• The full guide to the best fishing reels in NZ
• An epic guide to the best fishing rods

The best reels for soft baiting

1. Daiwa 24 Certate 3000 ARK Spinning Reel
2. Shimano 23 Stradic Spinning Reel
3. Penn Slammer 3500 Spinning Reel 

 

The best rods for soft baiting

1. Daiwa TD Commander 7102MHFS Spin Rod
2. Shimano Shadow X 7ft 6 Soft bait Rod
3. Ocean Angler Microwave Soft Bait Rod v2

 

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Summary