Tsurinoya T-88 T-Tail Shad Soft Plastic – 88mm | 3.6g | 12pc | Flathead & Estuary

Tsurinoya T-88 T-Tail Shad Soft Plastic – 88mm | 3.6g | 12 per Pack

The Tsurinoya T-88 is an 88mm, 3.6g T-tail shad-profile soft plastic sold in packs of 12, designed for medium-weight jig head presentations targeting flathead, trevally, bream, whiting, and estuary perch in AU estuary and light inshore environments. The T-88 uses a baitfish body profile — a tapered, laterally compressed shad shape — combined with an ultra-thin T-tail that produces a tight, stable wobble on the sink and retrieve, imitating the profile and movement of the small baitfish (mullet fry, herring, and glass prawns) that flathead and trevally ambush in shallow estuary channels and drop-offs. At 88mm and 3.6g the T-88 is well-matched to jig heads from 1g to 5g, covering presentations from very slow, near-horizontal sink angles on light 1–2g heads through to faster, more direct descents on 3–5g heads for deeper water or current-affected estuary fishing. The double hook groove design — with moulded grooves on both the belly and back of the body — allows the T-88 to be rigged on either a standard exposed jig head or a weedless/Texas-rigged hook without distorting the body, maintaining the action profile of the shad shape regardless of hook placement.

• T-tail shad profile – baitfish imitation for predatory species — the T-88 body is moulded in a shad (baitfish) profile rather than the worm or grub shapes used in finesse estuary presentations; the shad profile — a laterally compressed, tapered body with a defined head, mid-section, and tapered tail section — imitates the silhouette of small baitfish in the water column and triggers a predatory strike response in flathead, trevally, and larger bream that ambush baitfish rather than feeding on invertebrates; the body profile, combined with the T-tail action, produces a presentation that reads as a small, injured or disoriented baitfish to the predator, which is the most effective stimulus for provoking an instinctive strike from a non-feeding fish; flathead in particular respond aggressively to a slowly sinking or bottom-hopped shad presentation, as the profile and movement match the small mullet fry and herring that flathead ambush from the bottom of estuary channels
• Ultra-thin T-tail – stable, consistent wobble at all retrieve speeds — the T-88 tail section tapers to an ultra-thin cross-section at the T-paddle, reducing the resistance and inertia that a thicker paddle would generate during the action cycle; the reduced inertia allows the tail to begin moving at very slow lure speeds — including the near-stationary sink of a 1–2g jig head — and to maintain a stable, consistent wobble frequency across the retrieve speed range without stalling or over-rotating; a tail that stalls or spins irregularly breaks the baitfish imitation and reduces strike conversion; the ultra-thin tail profile of the T-88 maintains its action throughout the lure’s descent and retrieve, giving the fish a consistent target across the full presentation
• Double hook groove – belly and back rigging options for all environments — the T-88 is moulded with hook grooves on both the belly and back of the body; the belly groove accepts the hook point in a standard jig head configuration where the hook shank runs along the underside of the body and the point exits upward through the belly, producing maximum hook-up rate in open-water and sandy-bottom presentations where snags are not a concern; the back groove accepts the hook point in a weedless or Texas-rig configuration where the point is buried in the body and protected from snag contact, allowing the T-88 to be worked through weed, rock, timber, and oyster-covered structure where a standard jig head would snag constantly; the dual groove design gives the angler the flexibility to adapt the same lure to different environments without changing lure profiles
• Fishy flavour attractant – scent attraction and hold-time extension — the T-88 body is infused with a fishy flavour attractant that disperses a scent trail into the water column during the presentation; the scent attractant serves the same function as in the FLEX 38 — attracting fish from beyond visual range in turbid or discoloured water and causing the fish to hold the lure in its mouth for longer on the initial bite; for flathead in particular, which frequently take the lure head-first and hold briefly before swallowing, the extended hold-time produced by the scent additive is the difference between a detected, converted bite and a missed or bumped take; the fishy scent also complements the baitfish body profile by adding an olfactory dimension to the baitfish imitation that reinforces the predatory strike response
• 12 per pack – colour rotation across a session — the T-88 is sold in packs of 12 at $15.95, providing sufficient quantity for a full session with colour changes and replacement of plastics damaged during the session; at 88mm the T-88 is more durable per fish than smaller finesse plastics, but flathead in particular can damage the tail section on the initial take, requiring plastic replacement; the 12-per-pack quantity supports 2–4 sessions of fishing depending on catch rate and tail damage; the 12 colour variants across the range allow anglers to carry multiple colours for different light and water clarity conditions

Rigging Guide

• Standard jig head (1–5g, size 1–1/0 hook) – belly groove — the primary rig for most AU estuary and light inshore presentations; thread the jig head hook through the nose and exit the point through the belly groove; 1–2g suits slow, horizontal presentations in shallow estuary (0.5–2m); 3–5g suits deeper water (2–4m), current, or presentations requiring faster descent to reach bottom-holding flathead; size 1 to 1/0 hook suits the 88mm body without over-gapping
• Weedless/Texas rig (1/0–2/0 offset hook) – back groove — use an offset worm hook with the point buried in the back groove for fishing over weed, rock, and structure; Texas-rigged with a bullet sinker above the hook for extra weight in current or deeper water; suits rock platforms, weed flats, and estuary structure where an exposed hook would constantly snag
• Swimbait hook (1/0–2/0 weighted swimbait hook) — a weighted swimbait hook through the back or belly provides a self-contained rig with built-in weight and a hook keeper that maintains the body position on the hook; suits slower, horizontal presentations with the T-88 swimming naturally without the forward-angle head-down position that a standard jig head produces

Specifications

• Brand: Tsurinoya
• Model: T-88
• Type: T-Tail Shad Soft Plastic
• Length: 88mm
• Weight: 3.6g
• Pack Quantity: 12 pieces per pack
• Hook Grooves: Belly and back (dual groove)
• Scent: Fishy flavour attractant
• Colours: 12 variants (A–L)
• Recommended Jig Head: 1–5g, size 1 to 1/0
• Target Species: Flathead, Trevally, Bream, Whiting, Estuary Perch
• Use: Freshwater & Saltwater

Note: Soft plastics may stain surfaces and other soft plastics. Store separately. Colour variants vary in pattern and finish — select from the dropdown.