Slow-rolling Bait Junkie Soft Plastics for Bream

By Joshua Bland

Slow-rolling soft plastics for estuary species is about as simple as it gets. Yet these simple techniques are often overlooked by many anglers as the industry grows and perceptions over what works and what doesn’t change. Anyone who fishes for black bream will have been told to fish slowly and give their lures long pauses. I have been and still am a supporter of this advice as a general rule, however, over the last few years I have found myself challenging these preconceptions and finding some killer results.

Like all fishing techniques, slow-rolling plastics is just one of many techniques you should have at your disposal. It is a great starting point for lure fishing since you can buy a packet of jigheads and some baitjunkie plastics for the cost of one hardbody lure and you have a bait that can be fished in just about every scenario. It is also a brilliant technique for young anglers getting started as well as for use at a tournament level. I have fished a few tournaments now whereby employing this technique has been the difference between catching nothing and a winning bag.

When, where, how and why?

Slow-rolling is incredibly versatile and suitable for a range of conditions. It is very effective when the fish are spooky and hesitant to commit to other methods. It is best suited to open flats, or parallel to linear structures such as rock walls, banks, or concrete steps. It is less suited to scenarios where you need your bait in the strike zone for long periods or geometrically complex areas. For example, when fishing fallen timber or pylons, I would look for a different approach.

To do this technique properly, punch out a long cast and sink your bait to the bottom. Then turn the handle over as slowly as possible whilst keeping the bait just off the bottom. This is where slow gear ratio reels come in handy. Get into the rhythm. I listen to lo-fi music a lot of the time which has a nice, slow BPM for me to match that way I don’t crank too fast. The aim is to make that bait as oblivious-looking and predictable as possible.

Slow-rolling is the opposite of something like a 2.95” Flick technique which creates unpredictable, non-linear movements to trigger a response. Instead, we want to present the bait in a way that the bream can predict its movement and build confidence. This is why I believe it works well when bream are being spooked by more aggressive actions. 

Lure and colour selection

The 2.5” Bait Junkie Minnow and 2.5” Grub are the best choices for slow-rolling. I have a personal preference for the minnows, but I have had success with both. When choosing, think about what you are trying to imitate. The minnow mimics baitfish whereas the grub presents more like a worm or prawn. The baitjunkie minnows in my opinion are the best choice largely because of their wide paddle tail and narrow midsection. This allows you to get a wide wobble action at much slower speeds.

This leads to colour selection. Choose a colour that matches the forage in the system you fish, play around with a few and see what works. For my systems in South Australia, I separate the baitfish into two main groups. The primarily saltwater species like hardyheads and anchovies match well with bloodworm and red herring which I fish towards the bottom of the estuary. Whereas the diadromous and brackish water species like galaxias and gobies match well with motor oil and mud blood. That being said, there have been days where the bright orange of the yabby colour has been the only thing they will touch.

Picking the right jighead 

Jighead selection is the most important part of successful slow-rolling. Too light and you won't hold depth, too heavy and the bait will move too fast or get snagged. Most of the time I am fishing less than 1.5m and using a 1/30^th or 1/20^thjighead. In deep water around the 3-4m mark, I’ll usually be using a 1/8^th if the current allows. If you are fishing soft sediment bottom like silt or sand, dredging the bottom can be an effective way to encourage a reaction. To do this upsize the weight, like throwing a 1/12^th or 1/8^th in 1.5m and let it dig through the sediment.

The Bait Junkie jigheads are a necessity for slow-rolling. You often get a lot of short strikes where they pull the tail before committing. This is where it is critical to have the unique plastic keeper design of the Bait Junkies to keep the bait from fouling up.

The perfect setup

Any light, fast taper rod will work, however, if you are fishing land-based the benefits from more high-end gear become more pronounced. I use the 22 Infeet AGS LTD for its ultra-fast action and superior sensitivity. This rod is 7’4” in length and allows you to cover long distances whilst retaining exceptional feedback through the blank. Other rods that fit the bill are the 732LFS or 712LFS models in the Infeetrange, 722ULXS in the 22 TD Zeros or the Grub’n in the 23 TD Blacks.

Pair this with a 2000-2500 size reel and you are in action. The lower gear ratios make it more comfortable to maintain the slow speeds required. If you can, opt for a reel with finesse drag like the 24 TD Black MQ or the 25 Revelry MQ for greater control.

For line, there are two choices, braid or fluorocarbon. Most of the time a PE0.6 braid is the go such as the J-Braid Expedition or the new Saltiga 12 EX paired with a 4lb leader like X-Link FC. This is the set-up I run and from there I will change the length of the leader to suit the conditions. In calm, clear water scenarios I will run 3 rod lengths of 3lb Finesse Thread as leader but most of the time 2 rod lengths of 4lb X-Link is the way to go. I have also spoken to other successful bream anglers who will turn to 2lb straight through as an ultra-finesse approach. When doing this, use the fine gauge range of  Bait Junkie Jigheads for best penetration and results.

Wrap up

Slow-rolling plastics are a super effective way of catching regular, big black bream. One of the most versatile and simple techniques that every bream angler should have up their arsenal. It is my go-to when the bite gets tough, and it recently secured a tournament win and the angler of the year title at the Bream Master South Australia tournament series. Safe to say, black bream love it.