AS SEEN IN THE 2004 WINTER ISSUE

Perfectly mimicking a variety of local bait species, soft plastics have revolutionized saltwater fishing. To learn inside secrets about how, where and when to fish these deadly imitators, South Florida Sport Fishing Magazine conducted an in-depth interview with industry leader Captain Mark Nichols, creator of D.O.A. Lures.

Q: Capt. Mark, for starters how did D.O.A. originate?

A: As an avid inshore angler I spent countless days on the water. Dissatisfied with the available choices in imitation baits, I decided to venture off and produce my own. My father was a commercial shrimper which allowed me an opportunity to intimately study these little aquatic bugs‚. I was confident I could produce an imitation shrimp that was so realistic, snook, trout and redfish couldn’t tell it apart from the real thing.

 D.O.A.’s first bait, the quarter ounce shrimp, put our company on the map. The lifelike design, appeal and swimming action of the original shrimp led to the half ounce and one ounce size. Realizing that at certain times of the year local fish populations weren’t eating shrimp, they were gorging on mullet, my fanatic addiction led to the Bait Buster. The evolution of designs progressed into a full array of soft plastics, all of which are impregnated with farm grown shrimp for that little extra appeal.

 Q: What do you see as the most noticeable difference between today’s soft plastic baits as compared to yesteryears?

A: Most original soft baits were rubber and very basic in design, though some like the split-tail grub worked extremely well. In places like Louisiana and Texas where redfish and trout were extremely plentiful, all you needed to do was throw something out into an estuary and jerk it a bit. Today, techniques and the species we target are more sophisticated due to increased commercial and recreational fishing pressure. An increased level of finesse and realism is required to achieve the same results. That’s how and why the fishing industry has evolved, though on occasion a basic grub still works wonders, as long as it’s presented properly. Presentation is without question the most important factor when throwing any type of soft bait. 

 Q: Mark, in your opinion what’s the advantage of throwing soft baits over hard plastics or jigs?

A: Stick-baits and jigs definitely have their place, but when a fish grabs a soft bait, it’s tender and feels more natural. Soft baits aren’t rigid, so fish are more likely to hold on to and attempt to eat the bait. Soft baits collapse in the fish’s mouth, therefore hook exposure is increased. I should mention that we design all D.O.A. lures with only one hook. They’re more user and fish friendly than hard plugs outfitted with two or three trebles. Ideally, the hook should be in the fish’s mouth, not is somebody’s hand or stuck in someone’s shirt.

 Q: With the multitudes of artificial lures on the market today, why should an angler add soft baits to their arsenal?

A: Fished properly, a soft bait can produce equally as well as live bait, without the hassle of live bait. I especially can’t say enough about our shrimp. D.O.A. shrimp are the most life-like imitation shrimp on the market today. I can toss a quarter ounce shrimp under a dock and let it naturally flutter just like a real shrimp would. Eight out of ten times that’s when snook will slam it! When I entered this business there were several soft shrimp on the market, though none presented themselves correctly in the water. The imitations looked great in your hand but on the retrieve they wobbled and appeared unnatural. I really wanted a shrimp that looked and more importantly, swam like the real thing. 

 After perfecting the shrimp, I developed a baitfish imitator called the Bait Buster. Like most of my baits, the Bait Buster can hug the bottom without snagging. A single upright hook allows you to fish the bait right where the fish live and to keep it right in their faces, a critical aspect for enticing strikes.

 Another extremely effective soft bait is the TerrorEyez. Terroreyz imitate minnows and small pinfish, favorite forage of all inshore species. TerrorEyez have accounted for snook, trout, redfish, tarpon, flounder, pompano, ladyfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and more. TerrorEyez are the world’s first lure that actually make eye contact with fish. Special holographic eyes shoot out flashes of reflected light, enticing fish to attack. This small, soft bait was designed with a slot in the top, so even though it’s only rigged on a 2/0 hook you’ve got complete hook exposure when setting up, resulting in an extremely high hook up ratio and the ability to catch a very large fish on a relatively tiny bait.

 So to answer your question „why should an angler add soft baits to their arsenal‰, the answer is because they work!

Q: We know that soft baits are typically designed for  inshore species. Have you found anglers using soft baits in any offshore applications?

A: You’re right. The majority of soft baits are designed for inshore fishing: trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, snapper, bonefish, flounder, that sort of thing. Though many offshore anglers are finding success slow trolling Bait Busters for dolphin. I’ve also heard over and over again that schoolie dolphin jump all over rootbeer TerrorEyez when cast along weed-lines. That’s really no surprise since TerrorEyes perfectly mimic small rudderfish and many other juvenile species swimming amongst the Sargassum.

 The Swimming Mullet is another one of our baits that’s finding its way offshore. The Swimming Mullet has a hollow core. From what I understand guys are putting a chunk of fresh bait inside it and bouncing it along the bottom for snapper and grouper. So even though most soft plastic baits were initially designed for inshore species, they are in-fact effective in a number of offshore applications.

 Q: For an angler who may be new to the sport, what is the easiest soft bait in the D.O.A. lineup for a novice to use?

A: Our Deadly Combo has a float attached to the lure. All you’ve got to do is throw it out, jerk it and it will produce. Tripletail and trout jump all over it. It’s very user friendly and keeps the bait from dropping down into the grass. Equally important about the Deadly Combo is that many people tend to work soft baits too quickly when targeting trout, snook, or redfish. With the float, you jerk it a couple times and then stop so the bait remains in the same position. The commotion from the float attracts fish and then the soft bait acts as a sitting duck. Personally, I thought the idea was goofy at first, but after some refinement, I’ve seen how well the Deadly Combo works on a wide diversity of fish.

The D.O.A. Swimming Mullet, which is 6 inches long, is also extremely user friendly. You can chuck it a country mile and a steady retrieve is all that’s required for the lure to produce deadly results. It’s simple yet very effective!

 Q: What we all want to know is what difference does color make when selecting soft baits?

A: The reason we manufacture soft baits in over fifty colors is to please the fisherman, not necessarily the fish. I don’t care if an anglers‚ favorite color is purple with yellow stripes, if they throw that color with confidence they’re going to catch the most fish on it. From a scientific point of view, I tend to alternate between a light and a dark color. If I’m fishing at night, I go by the standard rule of throwing dark baits because they cast a more pronounced silhouette against the dark sky. On the other hand, I throw a glow shrimp at night quite a bit as well. The glow color provides a contrast that fish hone in on from great distances. Bioluminescent organisms are attracted to wounds on fish, which is like a waving flag. Fish instinctively attack baits that show obvious signs of injury. That’s one reason why red over white has always been such a popular color. The contrast is easy to see and makes the bait appear wounded. 

 Q: Mark, in your expert opinion, how should different colors be fished in different conditions?
A: If I’m attempting to imitate a mullet, sardine or any other type of baitfish, common sense tells me to throw something white with maybe a little bit of sparkle because it flashes and reflects like a real baitfish. If I’m bouncing the bottom with a TerrorEyes I prefer something nondescript in a neutral tone. Our rootbeer TerrorEyez is brown over brown, but it’s got just enough sparkle and flash that a fish can see it after it kicks up a puff of mud.

 A good rule is to alternate between a light color (glow), a dark color (rootbeer), and a bright color (chartreuse). When the water is cold, I’ve found pink can also be very productive. As far as shrimp go, I throw five basic colors: glow, rootbeer, dark green, chartreuse, and gold glitter. When I’m out fishing with a client and haven’t fished a particular area in a while, I’m going to throw a light color and he’s going to throw a dark color. When a preference is established then both of us fish that color. Simply put, if they’re not eating light then switch to a dark color, or visa-versa.
Regardless, one color that really stands out above the rest is gold glitter. Gold glitter has always been effective because of its flashy characteristics that quickly get a fish’s attention. Chartreuse in tannic water seems to really do the trick as well. I’m a firm believer that glow and chartreuse are very similar. In both clear and stained water chartreuse and glow emit almost the same color and both are easy targets for the fish.

 Q: Mark, it’s safe to assume that no one catches more inshore fish on soft plastics than you. Tell us your secrets on how soft plastic lures should be fished under varying conditions?

A: If we’re talking Spanish mackerel, jacks, ladyfish, or even pompano, then fish soft plastics erratically and quickly. Imagine that you’re the baitfish. If something’s hot on your tail that’s about to eat you, your not just going to stand there!

On the other hand if I’m targeting snook, redfish and trout around any type of cover, I’m going to fish soft baits methodically and much slower. How is that shrimp supposed to be acting? In the real world he’s crawling around in the grass and picking up little things and eating them. Whenever I’m throwing any type of lure, I’m always thinking about what a live shrimp or baitfish would really be doing and I impart action that imitates that.

The best advice I can give any angler when it comes to fishing soft plastics is to slow down. Take your time and always try and imitate what the real thing would be doing. Properly fishing soft plastic baits is all about presentation. If your imitation looks real, swims real and acts real, well then it must be real! The point is that baits do pretty simple stuff. Keep it that way.

Q: From your years of experience which soft baits are best suited for which particular species of fish?

A: The type of bait I throw is 100% relevant to what the fish are feeding on. For example, if I see a school of big jacks crashing finger mullet along a seawall then I’ll throw a Bait Buster or Swimming Mullet. If I notice pompano feeding on small grass shrimp, I’ll throw a quarter ounce shrimp and let it fall, which makes an easy target.

 In the fall, the outgoing tide pushes tons of crabs out the inlets with the full moon. Permit rise to the occasion and gorge on the crabs. In this particular case, I’ll throw a soft shell crab imitation. The near weightless crab has a very slow drop and in a moving tide, I can keep the bait fluttering helplessly near the surface, right where there permit like it. Again, selecting the proper bait for each species is all about matching-the-hatch and presentation. 

Q: What type and pound test of line do you recommend when fishing soft baits?

A: My personal preference is braided line because it has no memory, no stretch and it’s extremely sensitive, all making a huge difference in feeling strikes. The lack of stretch also allows a much better chance of a solid hook set. Because it’s so thin, braid offers much more line capacity so I have an excellent chance of landing even the biggest permit on a fairly light weight outfit. With braid, I can cast much farther than I could with equivalent monofilament. I can’t stress enough that it all boils down to stealth and presentation. By being able to cast at targets from greater distances, I can cover more ground and reduce the chance of spooking fish.

Q: Capt. Mark, what tip can you offer anglers on how to improve the overall performance of soft baits?

A: The thing I would tell the average angler is to think of fish as being really dumb instead of really smart. Assume a fish is willing to eat a piece of plastic if it’s sitting in front of his face. Most fishermen try to put way too much life in soft artificial baits. They work the baits much too fast. For years I’ve carefully studied various species of local baitfish. Shrimp don’t fanatically jump around all the time. The majority of the time they just nonchalantly twitch around. Mullet don’t race around all the time either. Often times they just pick algae off seawalls, totally oblivious to what’s happening around them.   

Q: Mark, if you had to leave our readers with just one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: The anglers that produce the best results with soft plastics are the ones that are having fun. Fishermen that have zero confidence in plastics get caught in a self-perpetuating problem. If they don’t believe they’re going to catch fish, they don’t. Most of the time it’s because they try a soft bait for five minutes and then put it away, opting for surefire live bait. Anytime anyone is using an artificial, confidence and presentation play the majority of the role. Knowing that you can catch fish with that particular bait and sticking to it is half the battle. I try and instill that confidence in people so they experiment with baits longer and therefore, catch more fish. I know I would rather catch one snook on an imitation shrimp than five on live shrimp. To me it’s all about the presentation, the strike and the total sense of accomplishment.

Captain Mark Nichols, on
behalf of the South Florida Sport Fishing Magazine Crew and all of our readers, thank you for your valuable time and intimate knowledge. Your hard-core dedication and overwhelming enthusiasm for the sport doesn’t go unrecognized. Keep making lures and we’ll keep catching fish on them!

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