One Year, One Paddletail Lure, HUNDREDS Of Snook & Redfish!!

http://big%20snook%20on%20paddletail

One of the hacks to quickly becoming a good inshore saltwater angler is this: becoming a specialist with just one or two lures.

But rarely anybody does it!

It’s hard.

We all love to buy and try shiny new lures, and when we don’t catch fish in a fishy spot, we think it’s the lure’s fault, so we change it up.

Sound familiar?

Well, this angler decided that he would take our advice.

He’s been strictly using a paddletail rigged on a jig head for the last few years or so and quickly went from an inconsistent angler that wasted time and money on different live baits and lures, to a confident angler who hasn’t been skunked in years.

And not only is he extremely consistent, but he also catches big fish!

snook on paddletail in kayak

In this video, he’s sharing:

  • What advice he would give to himself when he was a beginner
  • How he rigs the Slam Shady (and why he only uses one type of hook)
  • His thoughts on the paddletail vs. spit tail debate (the rest of the Salt Strong team chimes in here, too)
  • What truly matters if you want to catch more fish
  • How to find the best spots full of big, hungry fish
  • And much more

You can watch the video version of this podcast below (which I highly recommend), listen to the audio version by clicking the play button underneath it, or listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify.

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!

One Year Paddletail Experiment [VIDEO]

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One Year Paddletail Experiment [PODCAST]

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You can get the 4″ Slam Shady (Eric’s favorite size) from our shop here.

And here’s a timestamped table of contents from our conversation with Eric about using paddletails:

0:16 – An introduction to Eric Lhopitault, an Insider and our special guest on this episode

3:52 – Eric’s journey to mastering one lure (and what caused him to start this journey)

6:32 – How Eric rigs the Slam Shady

8:49 – Tony and Wyatt’s thoughts on paddletails vs. jerk shads

12:07 – The type of spots Eric fishes

  • 3 Bs (birds, bait, boil)
  • Structure
  • Moving water

14:42 – Trolling in your kayak

18:51 – Eric’s advice to inconsistent anglers

20:53 – Whether or not Tony, Wyatt, and Luke could use one lure all year long…

24:55 – Eric’s future plans for using paddletails

27:10 – More on how to rig the Slam Shady

29:45 – What depth Eric fishes

32:21 – What kind of kayak he uses

34:07 – Eric’s epic goal for this summer

Conclusion

kayak fishing snook

I’m amazed that Eric went from being an inconsistent angler to having not been skunked in three years so fast!

He’s a great example of what can happen when you focus and get really good at using just one lure.

You can get the Slam Shady and Trout Eye jig head from our shop here:

Are you going to narrow your focus when it comes to fishing?

Have any questions about using paddletails?

Let me know down in the comments!

And if you know someone who wants to become a better angler, please TAG or SHARE this with them!

P.S. Want access to our best fishing spots and tips, plus discounts to our online tackle store? Click here to join us and Eric in the Insider Club!

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Richard Fiorentino
3 years ago

Could you post a short video on how he glues the Slam Shady to the jig head? Thanks

Richard Fiorentino
3 years ago

Is anyone out there still using Gulps?

Lee Chaney
3 years ago

Luke, any of the super glues will work. I’ve used most of them and found the application container is the difference. Loctite works the best for me. Application on the shaft works better tan the head of the jig.

Jon Johansson
3 years ago

I’m curious about his tackle preferences. Great podcast.

Eric Lhopitault
3 years ago
Reply to  Jon Johansson

Hey Jon, I use a St Croix Mojo inshore 7’6” medium heavy and a daiwa fuego Lt 4000, 10lb braid and 30lbs fluorocarbon

Alan Peltzer
3 years ago

I like to try different lures for fun, but I fish with paddle tails probably 75% of the time. If it is slow I try other lures to see if I can trigger strikes with different presentations. I have several main colors of paddle tails and some days one color works better than another or even one color works better at certain times of the same day. I may fish a slam shady for awhile until the bite slows and I switch to another color and can catch a few more fish in same spot. I have a couple of rods rigged with different colors and cycle through them until I find what the fish want. Some days color does not matter but on other days it can make a big difference.

John Long
3 years ago

HIS glory is upon this Salt Strong Nation!

Tom Widman
3 years ago

Really enjoyed the video. I know I am too impatient and switch lures too quickly. I have used a number of paddle tails with little success despite so many people praising them. When the weather changes, I am going to give the paddle tails a good try and leave everything else at home. Thanks again, Tom

Shawn Rae
3 years ago

I have moved to fishing almost all Paddletails, throw the 5″ Shady and have great success with Trout, Redfish, and Snook. Have moved to 4″ – 3″ in colder months.
Anyone else throwing primarily 5″, fished a lot of east coast of Florida, now on West coast, the old bigger bait, bigger fish still in my brain. Plus I like the design, action of 5″

Al Janousek
3 years ago

I have been fishing shallow water on the backside of Sanibel Island the last two months with predominantly the 3” Slam Shady on a 3/16 ounce trout eye jig head. I have never been skunked, and have caught numerous slams, mostly fishing mangrove shorelines. This setup is now my confidence lure for fishing shallow water, and worked well last summer and fall in Virginia tidal rivers for stripers and trout, although with heavier jig weights and larger paddle tails when fishing deeper water around docks. I now have tackle boxes full of spoons, hard baits, and other soft plastics that are collecting dust.

John Dollar
3 years ago

. Makes you realize basics. Just put a shady tail on a leprechaun jerk shad, very interesting$!$!$!

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