This Is How To Use A Paddletail Lure To Catch Fish Under Mangroves
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
What are the best ways to target fish that are hiding underneath overhanging trees and mangroves?
How do you get your lure into those holes the fish are sitting in along the edges?
All it takes is finding those strike areas and skipping that lure right into the mangroves!
Check out more below!!
This Is How To Use A Paddletail Lure To Catch Fish Under Mangroves [VIDEO]
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The Slam Shady Bomber is the ideal lure for skipping into the mangroves and targeting fish sitting in those holes beneath the overhanging trees.
You want to stay at least 30-40 feet away from the mangroves you are targeting so as not to spook any fish.
The idea is to “punch” your lure at the mangroves and get it as close to them as possible.
Keep your paddletail low and try to skip the lure into any little nook or cranny you spot along the edges of the treeline.
It is also important to make sure you are using a weedless hook on your paddletail lure.
This way, you won’t get stuck in the mangroves and you can really get the lure far underneath the mangroves.
Just dig the hook point slightly into the soft plastic lure to prevent getting snagged on anything.
You can get aggressive with your casts and punch that lure right into the gaps you find in the mangroves.
The fish are most likely going to be right underneath the trees so you want to get as close as possible.
Especially in the fall, points on the shoreline are going to be a great target spot as well.
Fish will sit along either side of a point creating a strike zone in the holes around them.
Look for a little cove with points around it and nooks and spaces in the mangroves.
Keep the lure low and punch it through the mangroves.
The lure can skip along the surface of the water and get into those nooks and crannies you wouldn’t normally be able to reach.
Aim to be aggressive and accurate with your casting.
You will catch some fish by working the outside of the mangroves a few feet off of them.
But the quantity of fish you catch will go up if you punch your lure into the nooks and crannies of the mangroves.
Another Mangrove Fishing Tactic
Another tactic is to throw the lure in front of a point right along the edge and swim it down current along the mangrove line.
If you have wind blowing in your favor, it will help push the line right into the strike zones along the treeline.
Your lure will swim right through the strike territory in front of the mangroves.
Equipment Used On This Trip:
- Rod: Salt Strong Custom Prototype Rod
- Reel: Salt Strong Custom Prototype Reel
- Mainline: Daiwa J-Braid 8 Grand – 10 lb test
- Leaders: Ande Mono – 20 lb & Ande Mono – 30 lb
- Lures: Slam Shady Bomber rigged on a 4/0 Owner TwistLock 1/8th oz
- Scent: Dr. Juice Inshore Slam Scent
Conclusion
The key to fishing the mangroves is to be aggressive and accurate with your casts to present your lure in the strike zones.
Using a Slam Shady Bomber on a weedless hook is the best bet for skipping a lure into the mangroves.
Be sure to cast into every nook and cranny to maximize your time in the strike territory!!
Get the Slam Shady Bomber Paddletail here
If you have any further questions about catching snook and redfish under mangroves, please leave a comment down below!
And if you know someone who wants to catch more fish underneath mangroves, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Thanks love to see how you cast underneath mangrove. And get a hit.
Good information, I’m working on the skip casting technique as well (but more for casting under docks in the intercoastal for snook)…still need practice!
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment!
Are you using a super short leader or casting the knot through the guides?
I generally use a ~20 inch leader for this type of fishing, and I rarely cast the knot through the guides.
Good instruction and video for fishing mangroves Luke. Also I personally like the short 4 to 6 minute videos much better than ones that go for 10-15 minutes or longer. This video was very effective.
Thanks Mel!
Great Video Luke! Didn’t you do a video on “Skipping”? I REALLY need to watch that again as my Bomber hits once w/o skipping & sinks short of the Nook! ;(
Thanks Bob! Here’s a link to the skipping video: https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/articles/skip-lures-under-mangroves/
Two things have helped me. First, as I noticed Luke did, a short leader – 6″ max. Second, I have a shorter rod with a shorter butt that I use in such circumstances. I’m just more accurate when I can cast with one hand and a snap of the wrist. I definitely loose some range, but for working an edge, it is great.
Thanks for sharing the tips Dennis!
Hey Luke, not everyone is as accurate as you with their casts. Have you considered doing a video on how to easily get your lure out of the mangroves after a bad cast? I was with a guide out of Plantation Key and we were fishing the mangroves. When I got stuck up in a tree, he showed us how to get up close, literally reel the tip of the rod right up to the lure, then simply push and lift the lure out of the tree. Worked like a charm.
Here’s a tip on how to get lures like the one shown in this lesson out of mangroves without having to go up to the trees: https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/articles/fishing-mangroves-secret/
Great tutorial Luke! Please tell me what make and model rod are you using? seems mine are a bit stiff. TIA
This rod is a prototype of our upcoming Salt Strong inshore rod… we are expecting to have them available to Insider members early next year.
Great great info. Question – When you do hang up on the
groves…. and your rip that lure back out of the bushes, is that spot done for now? do the fish hiding under there spook from that activity in the bushes? Thanks Buzz
Great question Buzz! When I overcast into the trees, I first twitch it out slowly which will most often have the lure fall down right at the edge of the trees into the water… have caught many fish doing this. When the twitch method doesn’t work, I’ll then do the rip method and that generally will spook fish.
Outstanding video and advice. Those mangroves love to eat my lures, this should help. I love to watch you cast, incredible accuracy.
Thanks Chris!