The Lure Strategy That Turned Misses Into Hookups [Case Study]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
Have you ever faced lodging issues to the point where you had to miss out on a fun fishing trip?
That nearly happened on this trip. My dad was staying at a condo with no room for a boat, which meant figuring out a workaround.
So I bought a cheap tent that was small enough to pitch on my new boat so that I could turn the into a makeshift houseboat allowing me to fish both the evening and the next morning with my dad (with an added bonus of camping out in one of my favorite fishing spots).
And the trip turned out to be an absolute blast as you’ll see below.
For the evening stint, we got into a fun bite of trout and even caught 2 reds in 1 cast as shown here:
After a quick evening fishing excursion, we enjoyed a nice dinner at a waterfront restaurant before I dropped him off at the condo and motored out to turn my new Micro Draft Skiff into a houseboat.
The video below shows the next morning during which we caught some very nice fish caught after we made some strategic lure changes as explained in the report:
Featured Rod/Reel/Line
- Rod: Slot Machine (Medium Power)
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Mainline: 10 lb J-Braid
- Leader: 20 lb Mono
Lures Used
- Topwater Plug: Moonwalker (Mullet HD)
- Diving Plug: Skinny Lipper (Slam Shady & Mullet HD)
- Dark Twitch: PC Tweaker (Terd Ferguson) rigged on 3/0 Weightless Helix hook
- Light Twitch: PC Tweaker (Slam Shady) rigged on 3/0 Weightless Helix hook
- Shrimp Lure: Prawn USA Jr rigged on 3/16th oz jighead
- Scent: Pro-Cure Inshore Saltwater
Tandem Rig Used
The Sidekick Rig is being used in this experiment because it allows both lures to be in the same area at the same time with the same retrieve (the most fair way we can think of to conduct a color test).
Note: Please use the Comments section below if you have any ideas on how this test could be improved.
Conclusion
This trip opened my eyes to the ability to do overnight trips wherever I want since the tent camping worked out so well on the skiff.
Also, it was yet another example of how lure color doesn’t matter nearly as much as finding some good spots where fish are holding along with selecting the right type of lure based on conditions.
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions about this trip or the lure selecting strategies explained in this video.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
The 2 core benefits we promise to Insider Club members is to be able to find and catch fish easier than ever before while saving money on fishing equipment.
So I am including links to the quickest ways to achieve each :
1) Finding Fish System
2) Insider Club’s Group Discounts
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).
Great vid Luke… thanks. I’m definitely looking forward to more information about the tent. Like how you secured it to the deck. I’m hoping you didn’t use tent pegs. 🙂
Haha! I definitely wasn’t able to use tent pegs on that camping trip… tied it down in the 4 corners by tying to 2 cleats (back 2 corners), trolling motor (front left), and a gopro camera mount that was clipped on the front right corning of the boat.
Great info Luke! Like the tent set-up noting like water to yourself. Having the time with your Dad is the best no matter if you catch fish or not it’s the memories my friend! Good job!
Thanks Scott
Great Dad-time, congrats.
Thanks Paul!
Great video showing the great selection of lures that performed for you and your father. I believe that the darker colors work better when it’s mostly clear sky and/or clear water. The darker colors work in the opposite conditions.
Thanks Leo. The color belief you have is spot on with what I’ve seen so far when doing the color contests in clear water environments. I don’t yet have enough data for murky water zones, but it’s safe to assume the same will be true for murky water too.
HAPPY NEW YEAR was the trolling motor in use. Good demo on the retrieving technique.
Thanks Angel! Yes, I was using the trolling motor to help move around this trip (mostly using it along with the wind to be as quiet as possible)
Always love these videos! The sleeping on the boat looks sort of like a fun way to get some more fishing time. I don’t think my back would tolerate it well though, haha. – Wes
Thanks Wes. An air mattress turns a hard deck into a surprisingly comfortable bed.
I liked that tent. Can you do a video on that?
Will do. I hope to be able to do another boat camping trip in the next couple weeks.
I have been looking for a tent for my bow. Can you give specifics on tent/brand?
Looks like a great trip. I like your tent on the skiff setup.
Thanks William!
I noticed that the plugs and lures were just about falling out of the fish’s mouths after you landed them. I wondered if you squeeze your barbs down, so that you are effectively fishing barbless. Kudos if that is the case. It sure is easier on the fish if you are releasing them.
The single inline hooks that come on those lures have barbs that are just big enough to make sure most fish stay buttoned, but small enough to make sure that the hooks are easy to take out after the catch.
Being able to go fish with your Dad is priceless. Outstanding video.
Thanks James! I’ll be fishing with him again this weekend and can’t wait… it’s so much fun to now be taking him out on my boat after he was taking me out fishing on his boat for so many years.