The Paddletail Mistake That Cost Me Years

If you’re struggling to catch fish on paddletails, there’s a good chance you’re making the same mistake I made when I first started fishing artificials inshore.

For years, I thought success came down to lure color, jighead selection, or some secret retrieve.

It turns out the biggest mistake I was making was much simpler than that.

In this video, I’ll show you the one adjustment that dramatically improved my catch rates, plus another common mistake that keeps anglers from consistently catching fish on paddletails.

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Featured Gear:

• Lure: The 2.0 – Slam Shady

Why Am I Not Catching Fish On Paddletails?

The biggest mistake I see anglers make is fishing their lure too high in the water column.

That’s exactly what I was doing.

I’d cast out and immediately start reeling, which meant my lure never really spent much time in the strike zone.

What eventually changed everything for me was realizing that I needed to keep my lure near the bottom.

That’s where many redfish, trout, snook, and flounder are feeding.

And if your lure isn’t getting down there, you’re missing a lot of opportunities.

Should A Paddletail Be On The Bottom?

Most of the time, yes.

There are certainly situations where fish will eat a faster-moving lure higher in the water column, but if you’re looking for the most consistent way to catch fish on a Paddletail, I recommend keeping it near the bottom.

One of the easiest ways to do that is by simply allowing your lure to sink after the cast.

Instead of immediately engaging the reel and starting your retrieve, give the lure a second or two to fall.

Even in shallow water, that small adjustment can make a huge difference.

How Do You Know If Your Paddletail Is Reaching The Bottom?

This is one of the most common questions I get from newer anglers.

Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to tell.

Your lure is likely reaching the bottom if:

• Your rod tip occasionally deflects during the retrieve
• You feel the lure ticking grass, shell, or structure
• Your line settles when you stop reeling
• The lure slowly sinks when you pause your retrieve

If you’re ever unsure, stop reeling and let the lure fall again.

Once it reaches bottom, resume your retrieve.

It’s a simple trick, but it helps you stay in the strike zone much longer.

What’s The Best Paddletail Retrieve For Beginners?

One of the biggest misconceptions in fishing is that you need a complicated retrieve to catch fish.

You don’t.

In fact, if you’re just getting started with artificials, I recommend keeping things as simple as possible.

My advice is to use a slow, steady retrieve while maintaining bottom contact.

That’s it.

As your confidence grows, you can experiment with other retrieves and presentations, but this simple approach catches fish year-round and works in a wide variety of situations.

Where Should You Cast A Paddletail?

Another mistake I see all the time is anglers casting away from structure.

Fish are attracted to areas that are different from their surroundings.

Instead of blindly casting into open water, focus on areas like:

• Oyster bars
• Mangrove points
• Dock pilings
• Grass potholes
• Shell beds
• Shoreline points

Any area that creates an ambush point or provides a change in habitat can hold fish.

The more accurately you can present your lure around those areas, the better your chances of getting bit.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, I spent way too much time overcomplicating Paddletail fishing.

The biggest breakthrough came when I started focusing on keeping my lure near the bottom and fishing around structure.

If you’re struggling with paddletails, start there.

Those two simple adjustments can help you stay in the strike zone longer, put your lure around more fish, and ultimately catch more redfish, trout, snook, and flounder.

Have any questions? Let me know in the comments below.