With this in mind, let's explore a popular way to target some of the favourite species in our region, and that's with soft plastics. In this article, I'll run you through best techniques, how to rig them - and what eats them, too.

The soft plastic market has been burst wide open with the introduction of so many new brands, but how do you choose a winner? Well, it all comes down to a few variables including budget, target species and personal preference. Some plastics are cheap, but they're usually cheap for a reason - whether due to the durability or the action, which all can dictate the prices.

When choosing a soft plastic, it pays to consider:

If you can tick these boxes off with your choice, you'll be well on your way.

If your answer to question 1 was yes, try to stay clear of plastics that are harder in feel as the teeth will rip these apart and cost you money. Zman plastics and other brands that are made of the stretchy Elaz-tech material are a great option for this scenario. If you need a lot of action, some of these harder types of plastics won't give you that without being worked fast.

Regarding question 3, it will again vary for brands and sizes of plastics. Some come with 10 or more in a packet and others are singles, which are usually pre-rigged for a specific purpose. If you fish lots of snags and structure, chances are you'll need a few to get you through a session.

When it comes to question 4, well it all comes down to the next question of what bait the species eats. Sometimes, the smallest plastic will get the biggest fish for the day, so it's super important to get this right. Last, but most important in my opinion, is what does the target species usually eat? If you can match the hatch, as they say, you'll be halfway to cracking the pattern. Sometimes the natural lures work when nothing else will. Other times, colours that are whacky and look like nothing in the world will get the bites.

As well as the different types of plastics and colours, there's so many types of jig heads and ways to rig.

By far the most popular way to fish plastics is a simple lead head jig, threaded through the centre of the plastic. This is a great way to fish and will account for most situations you'll face in the south-west.

What happens if you're fishing heavy structure? This technique will result in many lost jig heads and plastics and will leave you frustrated and annoyed. If this is the case, try rigging your soft plastics weedless with either a weedless jig head or a standard jig head that can be made weedless. Decoy nail bombs are a great weedless option that allows your plastic to bounce through the snags and weed with less snag ups and lost tackle.

Choosing a weight for a plastic is something that we get asked a lot at the shop and there isn't a right or wrong answer due to personal preference and techniques used. As a rule of thumb, if you're fishing in 0-2.5m of water, then a 1/40th to a 1/12oz will get you through most situations.

If you want to chase snapper on plastics, anything from a 1/6oz right through to 1oz will be enough for most situations. In summer, a lot of bream and estuary perch fishermen target them unweighted on plastics, which is a fun way to target them.

The main species targeted in the south-west are bream, estuary perch, mulloway, snapper, trout, kingfish, redfin and Australian salmon.

If you've been targeted these fish with baits, maybe it's time to try soft plastics as it's an addictive style that will leave you wanting to go back time and time again.

With the weekend looking fishable for the inshore anglers, hopefully we see some great captures by all. Until next week, tight lines and best of luck.