How To Maximize Your Results With Paddletail Lures [The 2.0 Edition]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Lure Reviews, Retrieving Lures

This page will show you how to get the most fish catching with your 2.0 paddletails throughout all seasons with the least amount of equipment needed.
You can also see all of the documented species that have been caught on the Slam Shady lure (on our way to a world record) toward the bottom of this post.
The great thing about soft plastics is that they are so versatile and can be effectively used in so many different applications making them a lure type that can catch fish in pretty much all regions throughout the year.
But the bad thing about soft plastics is that they won’t work well at all if they aren’t rigged properly or if they aren’t paired with the right sized jig head or weighted hook.
So the videos below will walk you through the essential details to make sure that you know the specifics for the following:
- How To Rig Slam Shady 2.0
- How To Retrieve Paddletails
Just click on the respective videos below to see the details:
How To Rig Slam Shady 2.0
- Lure: The 2.0 Paddletail
- Weighted Hooks: Hoss Helix (3/0 hooks)
- Jigheads (Traditional): Hoss Round Eye (2/0 hooks)
- Jigheads (Weedless): Hoss Weedless Round Eye (3/0 hooks)
Click here to see the Rigging Guide that shows how to target specific depths.
How To Retrieve Paddletails
Equipment Links
- Lures: The 2.0 Paddletails
- Weighted Hooks: Hoss Helix (3/0 hooks)
- Jigheads: Hoss Round Eye (2/0 hooks)
Species Caught On Slam Shady Paddletails
Want to join us on our way to setting a world record for most species of fish caught on a single swimbait (of the same color)?
Below is the list of species that have been caught on this lure so leave a comment below and send us a picture at fish@saltstrong.com if you’ve caught a new species on the Slam Shady!
- Almaco Jack
- Barracuda
- Bar Jack
- Bigmouth Sleeper
- Black Acara
- Black Drum
- Black Sea Bass
- Blue Runner
- Bluefish
- Bonefish
- Bonito
- Bowfin
- Brown Trout
- Bullseyes Snakehead
- Bumper (Atlantic Bumper)
- Chain Pickerel
- Channel Cat (catfish)
- Cobia
- Coho Salmon
- Crappie
- Croaker
- Cubera Snapper
- Flounder
- Freshwater Catfish
- Freshwater Drum
- Gafftopsail Catfish
- Gag Grouper
- Gar
- Green Sunfish
- Grey Chub
- Halibut
- Herring
- Hybrid Striped Bass
- Jack Crevalle
- Kingfish
- Ladyfish
- Lake Trout (Canada)
- Lane Snapper
- Largemouth Bass
- Lizardfish
- Lookdown
- Mangrove Snapper
- Mahi Mahi
- Mayan Cichlid
- Musky Sucker
- Mullet
- Needlefish
- Northern Pike
- Northern Snakehead
- Orange-Spotted Trevally
- Oscar
- Ozark Bass
- Peacock Bass
- Pinfish
- Pleco
- Pufferfish
- Queenfish
- Rainbow Trout
- Red Grouper
- Red Snapper
- Redbreast Sunfish
- Redfish (Red Drum)
- Remora
- Ribbonfish
- Rock Bass
- Sawfish
- Sea Robin
- Sennit
- Schoolmaster Snapper
- Shad
- Shark (multiple species)
- Sheepshead
- Silver Sea Trout (Sand Trout)
- Smallmouth Bass
- Smallmouth Buffalo (Carp)
- Smoothback Puffer
- Snook (common)
- Spanish Mackerel
- Speckled Perch
- Speckled Trout
- Spotted Bay Bass
- Stargazer
- Strawberry Grouper
- Striped Bass
- Sturgeon
- Swordspine Snook
- Tarpon
- Tilapia
- Toadfish
- Tripletail
- Walleye
- Warmouth Bass
- Weakfish
- White Bass
- White Perch
- Whiting
- Yellow Jack
- Yellow Perch
- Yellowfin Croaker
Conclusion
These Slam Shady paddletails will enable you to catch quality fish across all seasons and water columns as long as they are paired with the proper jig head or weighted hook for the specific conditions you’ll be fishing.
To maximize your results, it’s very important to have the size selections listed above on hand because just that small amount of equipment will enable you to be ready to catch any species that feed on small baitfish anywhere in the water column from the surface all the way down to 7 ft…
And if you’ll be fishing deeper water, you’ll just need to get some heavier jig heads to enable the lures to dive down farther.
Your Feedback Is Appreciated!
Please leave a comment down below if you have any questions… I am here to help!
And if you have already begun using them, please use the Comment sections below let us know what size slam shady you like best along with the hook and jig head size.
P.S. If you want to get 20% off the Slam Shady paddletails, the weighted hooks, and the jig heads, plus discounts on tons of other gear, click here to join the Insider Club.
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Y’all are awesome
A couple of questions, Luke. Regarding round-eye vs. football hooks—do either work for a paddletail lure? Or are they both used in different situations?
Also, I noticed you’re using your trolling motor in this video. I know trolling motors can spook fish, so I’m a bit confused. I thought pin anchoring was the preferred method when fishing shallow rather than using the trolling motor?
Add another species to the list… I’ve caught 2 brown bullhead catfish on the 2.0
First trip with Slam Shady and it was a good one. Out fished live bait. 1 legal redfish, 3 legal trout, a short flounder and 3 short trout. Held up well, only used 3 Slam Shadys on the trip.
Wow, I just learned I’ve been rigging slam shady 2.0, on trout eye jig heads and traditional jigheads, exiting through the wrong side of the paddletail. I thought it went through the lure and exited through the slot on the lure, but the video suggests the hook comes out on the opposite side of the slot.
Since I’ve caught quite a few fish over the past few years with it rigged this way, it will be interesting to see if I get more hookups with it rigged the opposite way (with the slot on the opposite side of the hook point and barb)?
Thanks!
Both ways can work as long as it is streamlined so it swims straight (no helicoptering). The correct side will often allow for some more fish caught per lure since there will be some more plastic above the hook.
Thanks, that’s helpful, and definitely makes sense regarding more FPL (fish per lure)!
Thanks for the video. I just ordered some glow slam shades.
Can’t wait to get them.
Would be nice to have a link to a kit of these 3 exact jig heads.
been using plastics and now know ive been rigging it wrong for years……..great stuff love the skin hook trick
So glad to see that you enjoyed this lessons! Thanks for making time to post the nice comment.
I caught a 14″ flounder doing a straight retrieve on a 2/0 weedless 1/4 oz hook this morning in about 3 ft of water in a Charleston marsh
Will the slam shady lures work for surf fishing and in inlets? also what hooks should i use for it if i am surf fishing? we are going to sanibel beach and blind pass to go fishing soon