Still Using Live Bait Only For Inshore Fish? Watch This.
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
If you’ve always relied on live bait, switching to artificial lures can feel like a gamble.
Why mess with something that already catches fish?
One Salt Strong Insider felt the exact same way.
He’d watched our videos, heard what we had to say, and still wasn’t convinced artificial lures could compete with live bait.
Then one fishing trip gave him the perfect chance to finally put it to the test.
And what happened completely changed the way he looks at fishing.
By the end of this video, you’ll know a simple way to test artificial lures for yourself and gain confidence fishing without relying on live bait.
Featured Gear
- Lure 1: Slam Shady 2.0
- Lure 2: Prawn Jr.
- Bundle and Save: Inshore Slammer Bundle
Start Somewhere You KNOW Has Fish
This angler wasn’t struggling to catch fish.
Quite the opposite.
He had spent around $100 on live bait for the day, and once they got to one of his spots, the fish were feeding like crazy.
But they were burning through shrimp almost as quickly as they could put them in the water.
Eventually, he looked down and saw a pack of Slam Shady 2.0 paddletails he had never used.
So he rigged one up and gave it a shot.
That’s what makes this such a good way to start experimenting with artificial lures.
You don’t have to completely change the way you fish.
Go somewhere you already have confidence.
Let the live bait prove the fish are there.
Then pick up an artificial lure and give it an honest shot.
Artificial Lures Help You Cover More Water
This was the big aha moment.
Once he started throwing the paddletail, he could cast farther, retrieve faster, and work more water around the boat.
And instead of constantly replacing stolen shrimp, he could just keep fishing.
Before long, he was actually catching more trout than the anglers still using live bait.
That ability to cover water is one of the biggest advantages of artificial lures.
Luke learned the same lesson years ago.
He used to spend huge chunks of fishing trips searching for live bait before he would even start fishing.
Once he was forced to use artificial lures from a kayak, he quickly realized how much more water he could cover and how much faster he could learn where the fish were actually holding.
That’s the bigger lesson here.
Artificial lures aren’t just about replacing live bait.
They can help you become better at finding fish.
You DON’T Need A Tackle Box Full Of Lures
This is where a lot of anglers make things harder than they need to.
If you’re just getting started with artificial lures, keep it VERY simple.
Start with:
A 3.5-inch paddletail
and
A 3.5-inch shrimp imitation
That’s it.
If you’re seeing baitfish, a paddletail is an easy choice.
If shrimp seem to be the main forage, such as when you’re seeing wading birds feeding on them, go with the shrimp imitation.
And if you just want one lure that can handle a huge variety of situations, the Slam Shady 2.0 is a great place to start.
You can always get more specialized later.
First, build confidence with a couple of proven lures.
Final Thoughts
The coolest part of this story wasn’t simply that an artificial lure caught fish.
It was what happened afterward.
This angler no longer felt like he HAD to find live bait before he could go fishing.
No worrying about the marina selling out of shrimp.
No spending the morning throwing a cast net.
No livewell required.
He knew he could grab a couple of lures, hit the water, and still have confidence that he could catch fish.
That’s a pretty big change.
And if you’ve been hesitant to try artificial lures yourself, you don’t have to quit live bait overnight.
Bring a paddletail or shrimp lure to a spot where you KNOW fish are feeding…
And see what happens.
Do you still primarily fish with live bait, or have you already made the switch to artificial lures? Let me know in the comments!
FAQ
Are artificial lures better than live bait for inshore fishing?
Not necessarily in every situation. One major advantage of artificial lures is that they allow you to cast repeatedly, cover more water, and search for actively feeding fish without constantly replacing bait.
What artificial lure should a beginner start with?
Keep it simple with a 3.5-inch paddletail and a 3.5-inch shrimp imitation. Those two lure styles can cover a huge range of inshore fishing situations.
When should I throw a paddletail instead of a shrimp lure?
If you’re seeing baitfish, start with the paddletail. If shrimp appear to be the primary forage, a shrimp imitation is an easy choice.
Do these lures only work in Florida?
No. These same lure styles have been successfully used for inshore species throughout the Southeast, including Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia.
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Joe and Luke I have another suggestion for the Meetup section………
As we all know the cost of gasoline has gone through the roof. Can you put together a section for charter boat captains to list open spots on their charter for particular days that they may need 1,2, or 3 people to fill a day? You can charge them 10 dollars for a posting so it does not become a spam thing. I have posted on the Meetup section stating that I would be willing to pitch in for gas money if someone with a boat wanted to go out but did not want to pay the total cost of gasoline for a day out. Salt Strong would obviously put together language absolving themselves of liability of something wrong occurs or if that individual stiffs the guy by not showing up. If the person bails out then the boat owner can comment and hit a button so that person can not use the service again.
AND artificial works year round.
Just a heads up…… it cracks me up EVERY SINGLE TIME when Joe has to add “Like Diamonds” after Luke introduces himself 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
DO NOT STOP THIS INTRO !!!! 🤣🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I went through a similar experience. Had a few soft plastics, a few hard plastics, and spoons, but would always use live bait as I was not at all confident to switch. Then, on a trip I realized that the fish were there so why not try, and that’s when I caught my first fish on an artificial shrimp lure. Some time ago, maybe close to a year, a member posted that he wasn’t catching anything with artificials, and often used shrimp. I told him to have a prawn ready and throw it after he caught his first fish or two with the shrimp, and just remember to twitch to imitate a live shrimp. Hopefully it worked for him.
Great points in my experience in fishing i have found that using lures i seem to better able to find the fish because with using bait it is more of a waiting game then finding because your always waiting for the fish to come to you versus you trying to find them even good bait like cut blue crabs or cut mullet are not going to do a darn thing unless one places it in areas that have fish versus lures that can eliminate unproductive water much faster and letting an angler cover water more effectively plus in my view I hate the hassels of either keeping bait alive or the stink that comes with cutting it up and preparing it for fishing not to mention the cost and or the wasted time one spends on gathering there own bait like I said for me way to many hassels to deal with versus fishing with lures but thats me and I ONLY speak for myself how others fish is there buissness and everyone fishes differently then others great intel Luke and thanks for what you do🤔😉👍
Spot on. I start 95% of my marsh sessions around Jax with three combos in my 11′ kayak; one with a 2.0 paddletail, and another with a Prawn Junior. Both can be fished “wrong” and still catch a few fish (as long as you get it down near the bottom). But with the wealth of tutorial videos the Salt Strong coaches have posted, you can learn things that move you along the learning curve.
Good stuff,guys.🤗🎣🙏💯
Great video
Thanks guy this video sounds like me!
I have lived in Florida on and off since 1979. I moved to the West Coast in the mid 90’s, and began fishing in the skinny water. I met a native Floridian guide with a friend, and began my saltwater experience. He was the kind of guide who was a lure fisherman only, and said “if you need live bait to catch fish you are not a true fisherman:)” Except for bobber fishing for mangrove snapper with my Dad when he visited, I have been a lure fisherman ever since…and catch fish 99.9% of the time. Yesterday I caught 31 fish and a 25-inch trout. Thanks for clarifying the advantages lures…and tight lines to all of our Salt Strong friends.