Thread: Little Lagoon , Mobile Bay, Fort Morgan .....Infomation needed.....

Originally Posted by eym_sirius

In a kayak in October, I am SO fishing lighted docks at night for speckled trout, redfish, and flounder with a paddletail plastic bait. They're not hitting at the top, then, so you'll want to fish the middle or bottom 1/3 of the water column. with a nice steady retrieve. You know how during the summer you'll catch a couple and the bite will slow down and you'll need to move to another dock? It's less that way in October, where you can catch several fish in a row. I think at one time I had 10 on 10 consecutive casts (specks)! And they weren't pecking at it - They were inhaling it! 3" size bait was working well for me. If you're interested in JUST flounder, you'll want to utilize the search feature and find techniques specific to that one fish AND consult the fishing professionals at J & M Tackle for rigging and bait tips.

I like the paddletail bait for two main reasons: First, it's durable. I've used twister-tail grubs in the past and done really well with them, but fish are real bad to bite the tails off without getting the hook. I don't have nearly as many bite-offs with paddletails. The other reason is that they catch game fish that I like to catch and keep - specs, slot reds, and flounder and I'm fine catching any of these.

EM. How do you fish these? I picked up some at a local shop to use next week. Assuming I can use them with my 7' rod set up in the surf? Do I tie a loop knot directly to lure or use a snap? How about retrieve, speed, best depth and best conditions? Sorry for all the questions.

Originally Posted by mforbesiii

EM. How do you fish these? I picked up some at a local shop to use next week. Assuming I can use them with my 7' rod set up in the surf? Do I tie a loop knot directly to lure or use a snap? How about retrieve, speed, best depth and best conditions? Sorry for all the questions.

If I'm starting out THIS time of year (summer months) and targeting speckled trout in water that's not too dingy, I'm going with a retrieve that runs just a foot or two deep for most of the retrieve. That means that I start cranking right as it hits the water. No hits means that I vary the retrieve. I NEVER use a snap! Snaps rarely stand up to a big fish unless they're really big snaps, in which case the big fish won't hit the lure because it's got a big snap on it!

I tie a double-uni from my main line to fluorocarbon leader and use a uni-knot to tie on the lure. I don't use a loop because the action for the paddletail bait is in the -- paddletail -- and because I want the knot to be as inconspicuous as possible. Sometimes, well, most of the time, speckled trout are wary and line-shy. If you're not comfortable with the whole fluorocarbon leader uni-to-uni thing, just tie directly to the the lure. (again, I use a uni-knot). If you do go the uni-to-uni route, make sure that you TEST the knot for strength (really important!)

I really like fishing lighted docks at night. If that's an option for you, give that a try. If it's not, wade fishing (Little Lagoon) is a great way to fish paddletail baits! If you see skipping finger mullet, it's a good indication that a trout or redfish is nearby. Regarding depth and speed of retreive -- you just have to see what they want. I start with a retrieve that keeps the bait at a foot deep or so and slow it down if I don't get a hit.

FYI - there are some good tutorials on youtube regarding fishing paddletail baits.

Originally Posted by eym_sirius

If I'm starting out THIS time of year (summer months) and targeting speckled trout in water that's not too dingy, I'm going with a retrieve that runs just a foot or two deep for most of the retrieve. That means that I start cranking right as it hits the water. No hits means that I vary the retrieve. I NEVER use a snap! Snaps rarely stand up to a big fish unless they're really big snaps, in which case the big fish won't hit the lure because it's got a big snap on it!

I tie a double-uni from my main line to fluorocarbon leader and use a uni-knot to tie on the lure. I don't use a loop because the action for the paddletail bait is in the -- paddletail -- and because I want the knot to be as inconspicuous as possible. Sometimes, well, most of the time, speckled trout are wary and line-shy. If you're not comfortable with the whole fluorocarbon leader uni-to-uni thing, just tie directly to the the lure. (again, I use a uni-knot). If you do go the uni-to-uni route, make sure that you TEST the knot for strength (really important!)

I really like fishing lighted docks at night. If that's an option for you, give that a try. If it's not, wade fishing (Little Lagoon) is a great way to fish paddletail baits! If you see skipping finger mullet, it's a good indication that a trout or redfish is nearby. Regarding depth and speed of retreive -- you just have to see what they want. I start with a retrieve that keeps the bait at a foot deep or so and slow it down if I don't get a hit.

FYI - there are some good tutorials on youtube regarding fishing paddletail baits.

Thanks. Very helpful. If fishing off Fort Morgan beach, where the first bar is more of a slowly sloping grade, will the specs and reds be there, or are they really more out in that first trough, which can be tough to reach with the 7' set up?