Here Are The Only 2 Lures You Need When Kayak Fishing
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
It’s kayak fishing time!
I’ve been getting a ton of questions about the best lures for kayak fishing.
And if I could only take two lures, what would they be and why?
So in this video, you’ll learn the best two lures for kayak fishing, how to use them, and how you should be rigging them for success.
Check it out below!
The Only 2 Lures You Need On A Kayak [VIDEO]
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Kayak fishing is a whole different ballgame when it comes to how much gear you can take.
There’s only so much room so you have to bring the tackle that you know is going to produce.
So, if I had to narrow it down, my go-to lures for kayak fishing are a topwater and a paddletail.
Kayak Fishing With A Topwater
Topwater lures are excellent for almost all species.
With a walk-the-dog style topwater lure, you can elicit a reaction strike from aggressively feeding fish.
Redfish, snook, trout, and even tarpon love to attack a darting topwater.
This is my go-to when kayak fishing early morning during the summer, spring, and fall.
But definitely still bring a topwater in the wintertime because you can use this later in the day as it warms up.
A topwater lure covers the top of the water column and helps draw those fish in when there are lower light conditions.
Here’s my favorite topwater lure:
Kayak Fishing With A Paddletail
Paddletails are so versatile.
They can be used in clean water, dirty water, hot conditions, cold conditions, on calm days, on windy days, and really anytime!
You’ll be able to fish in shallow or deep depths of water as well.
It all comes down to presentation with a paddletail and that’s why I have more weights and hooks on the kayak than I do lures.
Here’s my favorite paddletail lure:
Best Weights & Hooks For Kayak Fishing
Hooks and weights are what I have the most of in my tackle box.
It’s very important to be able to control the depth of the lure based on where you need your baits to be in the water column.
Jigheads allow you to get the lure down much quicker because of the placement of the weight.
It really lets the paddletail dive down and will get to the bottom faster.
Here are my favorite jig heads:
Weighted hooks can give you a slower presentation, sit higher or lower in the water column depending on the size of the weight, and allows you to fish weedless.
And here is my favorite weighted hook:
Conclusion
When kayak fishing with minimal tackle, both the paddletail and the topwater lure will produce year-round and cover all conditions.
But it’s also important to bring the right weights and hooks so you are presenting your lures appropriately.
What are your go-to kayak fishing lures?
Let me know in the comments below!
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I love my Buggs Lures.
Hi Tony- One of my go to lures is the Brazillian Prawn Jr. It is the best lure that I have
found for flounder as well as speckled trout. I will also use a lil John twitch bait and
the redfish actually like these. I will also take the Slam Shady with 1/8 oz. jig head.
Hey David! Great choices as well!
Honestly I use one bait. A couple of different jigheads. And thats been it the last year. SLAM SHADY!!! Only way I roll. Year around. Success rate has skyrocketed. So much thanks salt strong
Even better if you can dial it down to one bait!
Thank you, this has convinced me to organize better with hooks and weights.
My pleasure Vincent!
I’ve got what the wife calls, a whole tackle store of soft plastics from many different companies. But when on a 4 hour kayak fishing trip, I use 1 rod, and two colors of soft plastics, one dark and one light with 3/16oz. jigheads. That’s it.
Haha, I’ve got a whole bin full of stuff I don’t use.
Thanks Tony, I have started focusing on using paddle tails this year. the Slam Shady to be exact. I working on my presentation to learn how to fish it effectivly. I am stuck righ now with working it from the ends of the piers and from the banks in the surf. The videos and tips you guys share are helping. I am operating on the keep it simple rule.
You’re welcome Jefferson!
I like to use the Slam Shady Bomber from the piers and surf on a heavier jighead. Casts much further and can fish it deeper, especially if you’re fishing a pier around an inlet.
That is exactly the two lures I always have rigged on rods when I head out fishing. A Spook Jr. and a paddle tail. Lately I’ve been favoring the Texas eye jig heads over regular jigheads, but they both have there place.
Good stuff Mark! I used the Texas eye jig heads for a while but ended up going back to the twist lock hooks.
Enjoyed the presentation on 2 lures essential to kayak fishing! Well done!
Thank you for the great feedback John!
I also have a jerk shad with me as well.
On calm days in clear water the jerk shad can be deadly! It’s usually either or between the jerk shad or paddle tail. I started out only using jerk shads, but paddle tails can cover more water quickly if you’re on a time crunch and/or searching for the fish.
Do you have any help for folks that don’t have a boat but fish from the bank or bridge, etc.?
Hi Bill I will say I have applied alot of what Tony and the guys share to my bank and peir fishing. I may take up wading. But the use of there principles have helped me find better spots to fish. I have learned a ton about presentation. I have started fishing areas of the piers close to the bank with good sucess.
I’m from SE Texas, and the water is super muddy. So my personal style may differ from the Florida boys.I realize this is a “less is more” idea while kayak fishing, but when bank/pier fishing, bring the tackle box. I like to run a hi-low liter setup on a spinning reel, with two 4/0 circle hooks and a 3oz bank sinker. I throw on one gulp shrimp or gulp swimming mullet, and one fresh dead shrimp. I’ll also use blue crab, or mud minnows as bait too. I cast it out, and don’t touch it for about 5 solid minutes. Sometimes 10. I turn my drag all the way down, so if I get a bite, I hear the drag clicking as a warning. The circle hook does its job well so no need to set the hook. If they eat it, and the drag clicks… tighten the drag and reel them in… you got em. I do this same setup with 3 different spinning combos, and alternate reeling them in to check and replace baits. And my 4th pole, is usually a bait caster I work in between adding fresh baits. I use it with a 4” Zman Diesel Minnow on a 1/4oz Zman redfish eye jig head. I tried the slam shady color, and while it does work, the beer run color is similar, but with more flash. And it’s always in stock anywhere that carries tackle locally. I always add pro cure shrimp scent to the Zman packaging. You never know what you’ll catch, but if you do these things, you’ll almost never go home empty handed. Kayakers can move to fo find the fish. But if you are stuck on the bank/pier, you gotta give yourself every advantage possible. In my opinion, more hooks/baits equals more chances. Give it a try!
While kayaking… I just take a dozen live mud minnows, and the 4” diesel minnows on 1/4oz jig heads. And maybe a few EWG hooks for weedless rigging.