Simple Trick To Attract More Redfish Strikes With Paddletails
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
Note: This very popular post on how to catch more redfish on paddletails was originally published on March 11, 2020. But since then, we’ve had TONS of very helpful info added to the comments, so be sure to read the comments section too. Enjoy!
Same boat…
Same lure…
Even the same rig…
But somehow Luke was outfishing me 3-0!
Has that ever happened to you?
I was getting frustrated that he was beating me so I checked out what he was doing…
There was one tiny little thing that he was doing that I wasn’t and when I tried it—Pa-POW!
Fish on!
Want to see what that little difference was?
Check out the video below.
How To Catch More Redfish On Paddletails [VIDEO]
Do you want to know EXACTLY where you should fish this weekend? CLICK HERE
Click here to claim your FREE pack of Slam Shady paddletails (the lure I caught this redfish on)
The small difference between how Luke and I were fishing was how we were retrieving our lures.
Luke was retrieving his a little slower than I was, and at times even completely stopped reeling.
On the other hand, I was reeling consistently faster than he was.
So I slowed down my retrieve and added in some pauses, and that’s when the redfish hit.
Here’s Why It Worked:
It’s late winter, almost spring, so the water is cold and the fish are lazy.
They don’t want to be chasing fast-moving baitfish.
Also, they were holding tight to the bottom.
By reeling fast, my lure was higher in the water column.
But by reeling slower, and sometimes completely pausing it, it was able to get lower in the water column and bounce off of the bottom.
Here’s What Not To Do:
The difference was in how we were retrieving the lures, not the lures themselves.
If you’re not catching fish, don’t try to change the color of your lure, or change to a new lure altogether.
Instead, try changing your retrieve.
Slow it down, speed it up, or add in some twitches or pauses.
This will help you catch more fish.
Conclusion
If the fish aren’t biting, try to switch up your retrieve.
In this case, the water was relatively cold, so I slowed down my retrieve and added in some pauses, which helped me catch that nice red.
By doing this, instead of changing lures, you’re able to dial in on how the fish are feeding and spend more time with a bait in the water.
Have any questions about catching redfish with paddletails?
Let me know in the comments below!
And if you know someone who wants to catch more redfish on paddletails, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
P.S. Want a FREE pack of Slam Shady paddletails (the same ones I was using in this video)? Click here to claim your free pack.
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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).
Thanks Luke! Nice tip on the retrieve. I have caught myself multiple times retrieving too fast, especially in the later part of the day. I will make a note to change up my retrieve and maintain the correct depth.
Salt Strong! Thomas
What is your set up Luke?
Looks really good
Thanks
I was using a 7’6″ TFO Pro Medium power rod with a Daiwa Fuego 2500 reel spooled with 10 lb power pro braid.
Glad to see Joe catching fish this time, LOL!
Haha! Funny how he edited out the ones I caught before he finally switched up his retrieve:)
How is the 2.0 slam shady different then the 4” size or the 3.5 scented????
The 2.0 slam shady is easier to rig and has a faster sink rate compared to the originals (3″, 4″, & 5″). Plus, it has a unique scent compared to the others.
What setup wher you guys using with the slam shady
We most often use 10lb braid for the mainline, 20 to 30 lb mono for the leader, and a 7’6″ MH spinning rod with a 2000 to 3000 sized reel.
That’s what I’m talkin’
I applied for my free pack of paddle tail lures several weeks ago. Got a not that they were being shipped bit I never got them.
Are they lost. Can you see if they were shipped? Lloyd Doerflinger, Naples, FL
I just sent your message to our customer service team to track it down (fish@saltstrong.com). They will get back with you tomorrow.
Carol is always so graciously helpful. What a support team!
What depth water are you in where you stop the retrieve and start again? Does it matter at all? Thanks,
All depths… the drop will get a lot of strikes regardless of the depth.
What size hook are you using with paddle tale lure?
My favorite for this 3.5″ paddletail is the 3/0 weighted hook (1/16th oz) from Owner for covering the shallows. Otherwise, I rig them on jig heads. Details here: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/how-to-use-rig-retrieve-slam-shady-paddletails/
Salt Strong,
I just read your article on changing up the retrieval methods. Some days we just won’t know what went wrong. Wish you boys could have been with me. I fished Hard (5+ hrs) this past Monday and Tuesday. (Mon was a full moon and 8.2 points on the Smart Fishing Tides calendar.) Bad news is that I was skunked! You had been very generous in sending out your new paddle tails and I was excited about trying them out. “Thank you”, BTW. It was a generous offer and I wanted badly to send in some pics showing a fish or two. However, the water temp was between 49 and 54 degrees. Fished in several creeks, channels, around oyster beds, around and under lots of private docks, moving current, rising tides, high tide, and for several hrs on the falling tide. Tried every retrieval I knew except the popping cork. Nothing! Talked with several other boats and nobody had even had a strike. Now don’t get me wrong, I had a wonderful time just being out on the water. Spent a lot of time talking with the Lord. (My Father knows a lot about hunting and fishing!) 😉 But other than getting sun burned, I only brought back memories.
I guess we all have our days and esp in the winter. But again let me say Thank You for all you do. You are a real inspiration and encouragement to the sport of ‘enjoying nature’.
Love you guys,
Jim
Here’s what I think about the tough bite. I too was out on Monday and Tuesday. Same here,, halfway across the panhandle. Every single night of that big moon was crystal clear all night long. I feel, they fed long and hard all night in that bright moonlight. I did manage 3 trout,,, couple of ladyfish Monday daytime. Then cut ladyfish late afternoon till dark for 3 longnose gar,,,, some hardheads & several big sailcats,,, Tuesday, 2 nice trout, 3 rat reds and one largemouth bass. All the trout and 2 of the reds came from the outer edges of oyster bars.
Glad to hear you had some good activity. In fact, if we averaged the ‘total catch’, we both had a nice haul? LOL. I’ll be back on the NC waters soon and hopefully can share some pics then.
Tight lines to all,
Jim
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment Jim! Sounds like you were out on a couple days where the bite was very tough. On days like that, I’ll focus on smaller trout to at least get some action and confidence back… the outer edges of the flats with some structure (as described in the latest Game Plan lesson) will often produce some action even on the days when nothing else is working.