Use THIS Shallow Water Lure Retrieve To Catch More Fish
- By: Matt Lanier
- on May 26, 2022

Is there a secret shallow water lure retrieve to target BIG fish in less than 3 feet of water?
Is there ONE universal retrieve that I can use to catch more fish and apply it to any lure I want to use?
Yup.
Check this out!!
Shallow Water Lure Retrieve [VIDEO]
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The lure used in the video above is our Alabama Leprechaun Jerk Bait but this lure retrieve trick can be applied to any small profile soft plastic lure.
A common mistake anglers often make when retrieving jerk shad style lures is they pop their fishing rod straight up and down to create action on the lure.
In shallow water, that straight-up motion will just bring your lure up closer to the surface and can even sometimes skim the surface of the water.
If you are fishing in shallow water with a jerk bait, you want to angle your rod down more and use more of a twitch-twitch-pause approach but to your side rather than up and down.
Your rod should only pop straight up if you are aiming to set the hook in a fish.
Additionally, as you twitch the lure across the bottom, you simultaneously want to reel in any slack in the line.
This will let your lure naturally fall in and out of the grass line without appearing out of place.
If you leave any slack in the line before twitching your rod, the lure can shoot straight out of the grass or sand and scare fish off.
Best Times To Use The Alabama Leprechaun
The ideal day for the Alabama Leprechaun is flat calm, with no wind, and a shining sun.
Any time you are fishing in clear water on a sunny day, you should have Alabama Leprechaun Jerk Baits with you.
This lure will even work well in murky water because of its flash and profile.
Moreover, it is best to pair your soft plastic jerk baits with weedless weighted hooks.
Owner Weighted Twistlock Hooks or Hoss Helix Hooks are the best options available.
A 1/8 oz., weedless presentation is the perfect plan of attack for water depths of 1-3 feet.
To enhance your lure presentation, we always recommend using some Dr. Juice Scent.
Before you toss your lure out, simply put a few drops of Dr. Juice on and make sure the entire lure is covered.
Conclusion
The Alabama Leprechaun is one of our go-to lure presentations for any shallow water fishing situations in clean water over seagrass.
Although you may have the lure, the next step is perfecting the retrieve!
Be sure to remember these tips next time you go out targeting fish in shallow water!
Click here to get a pack of Alabama Leprechaun Jerk Baits
Click here to get Owner Weighted Twistlock Hooks
Do you have any more questions about retrieving lures in less than 3 feet of water?
Let me know down below!!
And if you know someone who wants to learn more about retrieving lures, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Thank you for the tips; great post. Can you tell us who makes the paddle holder on your kayak? My son and I could sure use one to hold our paddles and stake anchors in one place. Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Hey James!
That’s John Thomas over at YakGadget.
That’s the rod stager, but I use it for the paddle and anchor pin as you see.
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you, Sir.
Great tip Matt. Thanks. I do have a question. Tell me about the boots that you are wearing. I am in need of a new pair and those look pretty intriguing. Do they provide some type of stingray protection?
Hey Chris! They are neosport boots. They are waterproof from the outside, but they will fill up with water if it goes over the top.
And they do not offer any stingray protection as they are just neoprene like material.
Matt. that was a stud trout and what a hit right at the yak.
No kidding! It was a stud! Thanks for watching Lorenzo!
Great tips Matt. Keep them coming. The awesome fish are your proof that they work. Thanks
Glad that you are finding them helpful! 💪Thanks for watching Terry!
What’s the difference between a lure’s action by adding a split shot to the leader line or using a weighted hook?
Adding a split shot like that can completely alter the action. I probably wouldn’t try that in shallow water any less than 3 feet.
So the same content as in the Insiders only post? A little confusing…
Hey Jonathan, I did mention a few things, like the discounts, that were specific to only insiders in the other video. The insider version doesn’t get posted to YouTube, so we try to tailor the content to each platform. Similar to the tip I did recently on the Secret To Throwing Topwater.
We appreciate you watching!