It seems that everyone I run into at the Remely’s launch has the same advice, “you should be using live bait.” While I understand live bait may be a little easier, I’m not convinced that plastics can’t have the same results.
What do you typically use while fishing inshore and why? What techniques do you use? Are you shallow or in deeper water when using (insert whatever you’re using)?
Also, if you’re willing to be specific on the type of lures or swim baits, it would be appreciated.
J/K, seems a lot of folks are cyber scouting these days right before a big tournament. I have my best luck with Gulp baits even when live bait is the most popular choice.
I catch a lot of flounder on a jig with gulp real slow on the bottom around rakes and pilings.
If I’m moving with the trolling motor, I’m using plastics, spoons, or spinner baits (or a plug for the early/late top water bite).
Live bait is what I use for more passive fishing. What I mean by passive fishing is anchoring up and fishing in a staging area or area that I think fish will be passing through at a certain stage of the tide.
Live bait works much better in the colder months when fish are not as aggressive. I’ve run different types and colors of plastics past fish that wouldn’t even look at them, then put a live mullet or mud minnow in their face and watched them swallow it. Seems like if they know what it is, they’re more likely to grab it.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
I guess my question came at the wrong time, forgot about the tournament… and no, I’m not in it.
Thanks for both of the responses, I’ll keep playing around with what I have and see what comes up. I would rather not use live bait if I don’t have to but sometimes those skunked days just get a little upsetting.
Nothing ever works as well as live bait. The whole idea of a lure is that you are trying to trick a fish into thinking it’s a live bait… Lure fishing can be a lot more rewarding though.
I feel a little different than Hoof:sunglasses: Even moving with a trolling motor I’m going to be pitching some shrimp and minnows right now.
This time of year there is a LOT of bait in the water and the fish generally prefer live bait over artificial, although not always. I’ve seen many times where artificials never get a hit while a live shrimp catches a fish every cast. I’ve seen other times where the opposite is true. But in late summer live bait usually prevails. In colder months artificials work better for me. I carry both.
As skineej said though, artificials can be more rewarding. I’ve seen people happily work all day to catch a couple on a fly, while I caught 50 on live shrimp and fish. I’d rather catch fish than chunk and wind plastic and feathers all day, but to each their own
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I fish lures most of the time. It is just how I prefer to fish. However, August is the exception. Given the abundance of bait in the creeks, the fish key in on eating the real thing. Lures still work, but the catch rate typically does not compare to using live bait.
As the days get shorter, lures can equal or exceed live bait catch rates.
I prefer lures because they are just much more user friendly. No need to carry a bait bucket, swap it out when the bait gets tired, etc.
But this year has sucked so bad that I think live bait is the best game in town.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
I prefer lures because they are just much more user friendly. No need to carry a bait bucket, swap it out when the bait gets tired, etc.
But this year has sucked so bad that I think live bait is the best game in town.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
Sounds like I’m not the only one having a hard time.
Live bait better the more bait presence in the water, and the darker. Live bait gives off all the right factors when attracting fish, lures only try to mimic. Thats why lures thrive in the clear wuntertime water, when theres not much else to choose from.
Trout tricks are a great standby lure to have during the warmer months. Zman are my preffered artificial frankly because i can catch 20 reds on one zmam versus max 2 reds on a gulp
I wrote this in 2011 and thought I would pass it on:
?Lures will outfish bait 95% of the time?! You should see the looks I get from clients, when I make this statement. Think about it. When you cast out a bait, be it a live shrimp under a cork, cut bait on a Carolina rig or any number of techniques using bait, you?re fishing a small strike zone. When you throw out a lure, you?re covering a ton of water and if it?s a sinking lure, you?re covering the whole water column. This in itself is a distinct advantage.
However the larger reason for fishing lures is that fish don?t feed most of the time. How many times have you been fishing and not gotten a bite? When fish aren?t biting you can make them bite by employing the reaction bite technique. The easiest way to explain this is with a spinnerbait. When fish are actively biting, you can cast and reel a spinnerbait straight back in and catch fish. Not so when they aren?t biting. But you can reel a spinnerbait a few feet and then ?kill it?, which means to stop reeling and let it helicopter down. Inactive fish will be triggered into striking a seemingly easy meal. Really inactive fish will hit with their mouth closed and at times you will fowl hook them.
On my charters, we use Trout Tricks, a plastic worm type lure, on a 1/8th ounce jighead. We cast out, let the lure sink to the bottom, jerk it up a couple of times, and let in fall straight down on a semi slack line. The bite always occurs on the fall or they pick the bait up off the bottom. This is also a reaction bite. The rate of fall, about one foot per second, is so critical, that when we fish Flukes, a bulkier lure, we have to use a 1/4 once jighead to achieve the same rate of fall.
So the next time you go fishing, leave the cast net at home, and try the above.
Bob Sanders www.trouttrick.com www.fishingwithbob.com www.southcarolinalandonline.com bob@fishingwithbob.com
803-300-2780
Being a Better Fisherman (Person)
March 14th, 2011
From the ?Science of the Mind?:
Our searches for Truth will be much like those of the mythic knights searching for the Holy Grail. No one may follow the path of another, for it rolls up behind the searcher and disappears. In other words, one?s individual search will always
belong uniquely to that person. We may share insights and try to
speak of experiences, but we may not lend these to another. They
cannot be captured by anyone but the seeker. Best we should enjoy
the road, experience the rises and falls of an expanding consciousness,
and become resolute in knowing that we shall never know a
final resolution.
?The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.?
Joseph Campbell
Right now, I think it would be silly to say that lures will beat live bait. Live shrimp are everywhere at low tide…10mins all the shrimp you need. I caught fish the other day on a doa after running out of shrimp,but not as aggressive as with live bait. Bob makes a good point about covering more water with lures, but in the summertime a shrimp/cork combo in a moving tide will cover some water as well. The good thing about live shrimp is that everything will eat it…that’s also the bad thing about it…lol. But, if decent fish are around they’ll get to it before the pinfish will. Anyone having a hard time catching fish right now…tie on a poppin cork combo with a live shrimp,drift along a grassline/oyster bed/eddy…and you’ll get some action. Come fall time, artificials all the way.
I did well on Saturday on the DOA and Cork combo. Trout wise anyway. Never seem to catch any reds on them though. One thing I have noticed is that the trout miss them way more than a live shrinp. Many people do, just not me. Funny thing is, my largest flounder and red both came on Doa shrimp with a paradise popper cigar shape cork.
Good luck!
