Ive always used mudminnows and if I am lucky finger mullet for flounder. But ive been hearing more and more about all these artificial baits that outfish live bait. Just wondering if theres any truth to it.
Not trying to be difficult, but it all depends on the day and what the fish want to eat. One day you can go to a certain spot and catch everything on artificials and nothing on live/cut bait and the next day go to the same spot at the same tide and they won’t touch an artificial for anything but will eat cut bait all day. i know this doesn’t help much but if you are just going out for a day of fun fishing then I would suggest having some of both on the boat because then you will probably have something to throw at them that they will be interested in.
The big advantage of artificial baits is that you can cover a lot more water. Once I find where the fish are I will switch between the two and use whatever is working best.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
What’s the best artificials? I’ve herd of jerk shad working well on flounder.
For Flounder - no, bait is king. Day in day out - bait. Give me a long, thin, clean/white fresh peice of cut squid, a bare hook and a conventional reel and I can wear the founder out. Add a mudminnow and its even better. Keep the beads, spinners, artifcials and other junk in the tackle box… As for real life testing - I worked on a flounder head boat for 7 years, inshore and off. I’ve seen every trick in the book - and outfished every trick day after day. The only lure/artificial I’ve seen work well on flounder - for big flounder in deep water, is a large white spro bucktail with a long white plastic trailer. But squid/minnows/spot/mullet are still king.
Reds or Rock, depends on the day. For rock (striped bass), they wont touch fake stuff below 55 deg water temps - all cut or live bait. Above that temp, sometimes its bait, sometimes lures. If they are schooled up - lures are the way to go.
I am still trying to figure out the reds.
I was never one to use artificials and still prefer a lively mud minnow however, forcing myself to use them has made me more confident with them and I must say I have grudgingly come to see their worth at certain times. Get a pack of Trout Tricks and some 1/8 oz jigheads or some gulp shrimp and give them a try. Of course with the lack of water clarity right now, live/cut bait may out fish artificials.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.