Softbaits

Soft lures at Charlie's Fishing: softbaits, shads, V-tails, curl tails, craws and worms for every predator

Soft lures are the most versatile lures in predator fishing. One softbait can be jigged along the bottom, fished on a drop shot, rigged weedless over the weed or cast at pike suspended in open water, and you change the presentation simply by changing the head, hook or rig. This page brings together all our softbaits: paddle tail shads, V-tails and pintails, curl tails and twisters, craws and creature baits, Ned baits and worms, soft swimbaits and glidebaits, and the soft tails for bucktails and mouse lures. It is for anyone fishing for pike, zander, perch or sea bass, from the bank, a boat or a float tube. Below we explain which type of soft lure does what, with the sizes, weights and rigs that matter, from brands such as Rapala, Savage Gear, Frapp, Illex, Nays, Toppies, DSTYLE and Fiiish.

Paddle tail shads: the all-round softbait

A paddle tail shad sends out a kicking tail and a rolling body on a steady retrieve and on the drop, which makes it the first soft lure most anglers reach for. For zander and perch, the Rapala CrushCity The Kickman has a salted belly and a subtle tail that works at the slowest retrieve, in 7.5 cm (3 g), 10 cm (6.5 g) and 12.5 cm (14 g), on a jig head, a drop shot or weedless. The Nays PRDTR 50 2.0 (12.7 cm, 16.9 g) has a broad body with a restrained rolling action and garlic scent, made for pressured water and cold conditions. The Illex Dexter Shad 150 (13.5 cm, 19 g) has a strong rolling action and Nitro Booster shellfish attractant, and catches pike, zander, perch and sea bass. The Greenfin Samba Paddle 12 cm is a bulky shad for big zander and pike, made from a plastic-free, biodegradable protein blend. Want to fish straight from the pack? The Savage Gear Cannibal Shad Clear Water Mix Pre-Rigged comes as four pre-rigged shads. For big pike, the ULM Lures Gigabite V2 21 cm weighs 96 g, casts far and pushes a heavy vibration; rig it on a 1/0 stinger. The handpoured U-bait U-Shad from Sweden comes in 14 cm (35 g), 17 cm (50 g) and 22 cm (110 g), with a wide body and a big rolling action. Read Rapala CrushCity Softbaits: which one to fish and when, and see all Paddle Tails and the brands Rapala, Nays and Illex.

V-tails and pintails: subtle softbaits for pressured fish and pelagic fishing

A V-tail or pintail moves less than a paddle tail, and that subtle action is often what cautious fish want. The Rapala CrushCity The Stingman (7.5, 10 and 12.5 cm) is a salted pintail for drop shot, a jig head, a Carolina rig or weightless on an offset hook. The Toppies Pintius 9 cm is made of a floating material without PVC or plasticizers, so on a Carolina or Texas rig it rises off the bottom, and according to Toppies it lasts much longer on a drop shot than ordinary pintails. The hollow DSTYLE Virola 4" (10.2 cm, 4.1 g) is a V-tail for mid-strolling, a Ned or neko rig and an offset hook of 2/0 to 3/0. For pelagic pike and zander, fish bigger: the Frapp Placoid 7" (18 cm) (20 g) has movable fins and an asymmetrical V-tail and sits well on a jig head or a screw-in head with stinger, the Frapp Dotty Dart 7.5" (19 cm) darts from side to side when you fish it weightless on a large offset hook with sharp jerks, and the Fishimpact Virus 19 cm (30 g) is handmade in Belgium with side flaps you can trim for a more aggressive action. Read Frapp Dotty Dart: four rigs for the V-tail softbait, and see V-Tails & Pintails, Pelagic and the brands Frapp, Toppies and DSTYLE.

Curl tails and twisters: action at the slowest speed

A curl tail keeps waving at a speed where a paddle tail stops working, which makes it a strong choice on tough days and over shallow weed. The Rapala CrushCity The Curl (7.5, 10 and 12.5 cm) has a salted, scented belly and a tail that flutters even at very low speed, on a jig head, a drop shot, a Texas or a Carolina rig; read Rapala CrushCity The Curl: the curl tail that saves tough days. For pike, the Frapp Funky Grub 8" (20 cm, 56 g) rolls and waves on a slow retrieve and fits the VMC Mustache Shallow. The Nays TWN 80 (20.3 cm, 74 g) has two big twister tails and is made for a shallow rig fished very slowly over weed. The U-Bait U-Curl 30 cm (80 g) swims ultra shallow on an unweighted stinger system, or deeper with a clip-on weight. See all Curl Tails & Twister Tails and U-BAiT.

Craws and creature baits for perch and zander

On the bottom, around stones and along harbour walls, a craw often beats a swimming bait, especially for big perch. The Rapala CrushCity Cleanup Craw (8.8 cm) has two large claws with a tight kicking action and works on a Ned, Cheburashka, Texas or Carolina rig. The BIM Tackle Lethal Tusk Craw 7.6 cm is made of buoyant TPE with floating claws that send out subtle vibrations on a Ned or neko rig; store it apart from other softbaits. The handmade Westside Fishing Larry The Lobster from West-Friesland has fluttering tentacles and kicking legs for big perch on a Carolina, Texas, Cheburashka or Ned rig, and our own Charlie's Tube (10 cm) is a hollow cross between a tube and a craw for big perch and zander. More in Craws & Creature Baits and from Westside Fishing, BIM Tackle and Charlie's Fishing.

Ned baits and worms for finesse fishing

When fish are inactive, in clear water or on hard-fished stretches, a small bait that hardly moves gets bites a shad cannot. The Rapala CrushCity Ned BLT is made of durable TPE that stands upright on the bottom on a Ned jig head. The PXS Kagashi Worm 4" 10 cm is a pin-tail worm for drop shot, round jig heads, Texas and Carolina rigs, and also a trailer behind the PXS Copper Head Blade. The Toppies Wormius (9.5 cm) is a floating worm for drop shot, Carolina, free and wacky rigs, with a channel for a nail sinker. More in Ned's & Worms and PXS Pitch and Strike.

Soft swimbaits and glidebaits for big pike

A swimbait or glidebait shows a big pike one large meal instead of a small snack. The handmade Hispano Lures Polaris 147 (14.7 cm, 37 g) is a floating soft swimbait with a paddle tail and a leader-through system, so you choose where the treble sits and add weight at the front to go deeper; read our Hispano Lures Polaris guide. The Savage Gear 3D Glide Roach 17 cm (78 g) is a ready-to-fish line-through glidebait that glides from side to side on short twitches and sinks slowly on the pause, at 0.1 to 0.7 m. The Savage Gear 3D Line Thru Whitefish 22 cm (101 g) is the bigger, moderate sinking version for deeper water. See all Soft Swimbaits and Glidebaits, Hispano Lures and Savage Gear Lures.

Soft tails for bucktails and mouse lures

Bucktails and mouse lures get their movement from the soft tail, and a fresh or different tail changes the whole lure. The CWC Double Tail (17 cm, 49 g) is the original twin tail of the Miuras Mouse and fits the VMC Mustache Shallow and the VMC Pike Chain Rig. Charlie's Mustache Tails are 20 cm replacement tails for the VMC Mustache Rig, two per pack. The Savage Gear Mutant Rat Soft Loose Body 24 cm (42 g, slow sinking) can be rigged weedless on a big EWG hook and crawled through lily pads and along reed beds. Read VMC Mustache Rig: four steps to rig this pike bucktail, and see Mouse & Bucktail Lures and Catch With Care.

Soft lures for sea bass

Along rocks, harbours and beaches, a weedless softbait lets you fish where sea bass hunt without losing lures. The Fiiish Black Minnow 120 N3 Combo Shore 12g (12 cm) comes fully rigged with the hook hidden in the body (PH2S system) and a spare body, and the same set works for zander and perch. The Kickman, Stingman and Dexter Shad above also catch sea bass. Read Fiiish Black Minnow: the complete guide, and see Seabass Softbaits and Fiiish.

Jig heads, stingers and rigs for softbaits

How a softbait swims depends on what you put it on. As a rule, choose the lightest jig head that still lets you feel the bottom, and a hook size that matches the length of the bait. Big pike shads get a screw-in head or a stinger, finesse baits go on a drop shot, Ned head or offset hook, and weedless rigs keep you fishing in weed and snags. See Jigheads, Hooks and Rigs and Rigs & Stingers.

Which soft lure for which situation

• Searching for active zander and perch on a jig head: a paddle tail of 7.5 to 13 cm such as the Kickman, PRDTR 50 2.0 or Dexter Shad 150.
• Cautious fish, clear or cold water: a pintail or V-tail such as the Stingman, Pintius 9 cm or Virola 4" on a drop shot or light jig head.
• Perch on the bottom, around stones and harbour walls: Cleanup Craw, Lethal Tusk Craw, Larry The Lobster or a Ned BLT on a Ned head.
• Pelagic pike and zander in open water: Placoid 7", Dotty Dart 7.5" or Virus 19 cm.
• Big pike, coloured water: Gigabite V2 21 cm, U-Shad or a shallow rig with the Nays TWN 80.
• Slow retrieves over shallow weed: Funky Grub 8", U-Curl 30 cm or a weedless Mutant Rat body.
• Following pike that will not commit: a glidebait such as the 3D Glide Roach 17 cm, with long pauses.
• Sea bass along rocks and harbours: the weedless Fiiish Black Minnow 120.
See the softbaits per species in Pike Softbaits, Zander and Perch Softbaits and Seabass Softbaits, and all lures for Pike, Zander, Perch and Seabass.

Why buy soft lures at Charlie's Fishing

We pick our softbaits from brands such as Rapala, Savage Gear Lures, Frapp, Illex, Nays, Toppies, DSTYLE, Fiiish, ULM Lures, Capt'n Greenfin and FishImpact, from mass-produced classics to handmade baits from Sweden, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Everything ships from our stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to help you choose the right softbait, size and jig head for your water.

What is the best softbait for predator fishing?

There is no single best softbait. A paddle tail shad on a jig head is the most versatile and catches pike, zander, perch and sea bass. A pintail or V-tail is better for cautious fish and pelagic fishing, and a craw or Ned bait works best on the bottom for perch.

What size softbait for pike, zander and perch?

For perch, 5 to 10 cm is the usual range. Most zander anglers fish 7.5 to 13 cm. For pike, 15 to 25 cm is common, with bigger baits in autumn and smaller ones in cold or clear water.

Which jig head weight should I use with a softbait?

The lightest weight that still lets you feel the bottom. Shallow canals and still water need little weight, deep water, current and wind need more. For pelagic fishing, use a light head or a screw-in head so the softbait sinks slowly.