This BIG Fish Surprised Me While Wading A Shallow Flat
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
I made a trip over to Tampa Bay to get a quick wade fishing trip in before attending a shoreline restoration even with the Salt Strong Alliance nonprofit.
Mark Dunnam joined me at sunrise to explore a good looking spot on a nearby flat that the Smart Fishing Spots system was showing should hold some fish.
We only had a couple hours before the meet-up, so the pressure was on to find some fish fast… here’s how it went:
Equipment Used:
Spot Finding Software: Smart Fishing Spots
Jack Setup
- Rod: Slot Machine Rod – Medium
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Mainline: J-Braid 8 Grand – 10 lb
- Leader: 15 lb mono with 30 lb mono bite tippet
- Lure: Wake Mullet – Mullet HD
Trout Setup
- Rod: Slam Stick
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Mainline: J-Braid 8 Grand – 10 lb
- Leader: 20 lb mono
- Lure: Mulligan – Mullet Color, rigged on Hoss Helix Hook
👉 Shop all gear at Fish Strong!
Final Thoughts
From a surprise jack explosion in skinny water to dialing in a retrieve that had trout chewing… this short session proved again that adapting quickly makes all the difference.
And wrapping it up with our Salt Strong Alliance oyster mat project was the perfect reminder that it’s not just about catching fish—it’s about giving back.
If you haven’t yet entered the raffle for a free boat valued at over $80,000, make sure to do it because the proceeds go toward protecting our beloved waterways while you have a shot at winning an awesome boat.
Note: This is the boat that I’ll be getting later this year… it’s the coolest boats I’ve even been on for shallow water fishing.
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).
really like
Prosperous short trip
Thanks Paul!
That was a nice Jack!
Thanks Steven!
Great tip
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Charles!
That was fun to watch, Luke. I’ve got to get some of the new mullet color in the water.
We’re glad to see that you enjoyed this video!
Crazy Fun Guys !
Thanks Gerard!
Great idea on the oyster matt Luke😀👍 but as far as wade fishing here in northeast fl the jacksonville fl and icw thats attached to the st johns river the most of it is very lucky with mud bottoms not very wade fishing accessible only on a very few areas can one do it and only for a very limited range I know I have fished and consistently fish both the st johns river and the attaching icw and have for going on 23 years now and have visually seen as well as used the saltstrong app to find wading access but they are very few and a couple I do fish on occasion and this year being very weird for me because unlike recent years past I have yet to catch a jack and or really any good sized reds alot of nice flounder but few legal reds at least for me that is anyways thats fishing for you it changes like the weather here in Florida never the same thing twice thanks for the interesting video and conservation intel and keep up the great work in all you do for this great club you have created 😉👍
I have to imagine that bigger reds will be showing up for you soon as the mullet run approaches.
Wow, that was awesome! Thanks for sharing, Luke!
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Ruben.
I see we’re doing a bunch of new colors. Primarily mullet colored lures, do you favor those over the traditional white now? I primarily fish the Port Charlotte area, canals, Harbor, and Placita area during the winter months, thanks.
It’s tough to not feel confident with lures that look exactly like a mullet when fishing in clear water. I’ll be doing some head to head tests between mullet and slam shady to see exactly when each one is at its best.
Nice Jack !!!!!
Thanks! Sure was a fun fight.