This Is How To Use A Paddletail When Sight Fishing For Redfish
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
It’s sight fishing time!
Sight casting to tailing redfish and getting them to strike might be one of the most fun things you can experience as an angler.
And in this video, we’re breaking down the little nuances you need to know when sight fishing with paddletails.
You’ll learn:
- Where to cast your lure so you don’t spook the fish off, but still get them to strike
- When to use paddletails when sight fishing (and when NOT to use them)
- Why having the right equipment is important when sight fishing
- And much more
Check it out below!
Sight Casting For Redfish With Paddletails [VIDEO]
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Here is my set-up for sight casting for redfish:
- Slam Shady 2.0
- 3/0 Owner Twistlock Hook, 1/8 oz.
- Reel: Daiwa Procyon AL 2500D-XH
- Rod: 7’6 Century Weapon Jr. (Medium/Fast)
- Line: 10# Power Pro
- Leader: 20# Berkley Vanish
How To Sight Cast For Redfish With A Paddletail
When you are sight fishing, you want to place your lure just past the fish.
Cast it far enough so that you don’t spook them when the lure lands, but close enough so that you’ll be able to get it in front of them.
While you are retrieving, slowly reel the paddletail by the fish and keep your rod tip up.
This will prevent your line from dragging over the fish and scaring the redfish away.
Pro tip: Use a reel with a high gear ratio. If the fish starts swimming directly towards you, you may not get a good hook-set if you can’t reel fast enough. A faster reel, like the Daiwa Procyon, will help you pick up line quickly to avoid this.
When To Use A Paddletail For Sight Casting
When the water is not super clean but not super dirty, a paddletail is perfect.
That little extra vibration can help fish dial in on your bait.
If the water is really dirty, I’ll switch up to a larger profile paddletail (like the Slam Shady BOMBER) that will create more movement through the water.
But if the water is really clean, I recommend using a jerk shad (like the Alabama Leprechaun) because they don’t put off a ton of commotion and won’t spook the fish.
Conclusion
While this was specific to sight casting for redfish, these tactics can be used for most inshore species as well.
And the Slam Shady paddletail catches just about everything!
Do you have any questions about using a paddletail to sight fish?
Let me know in the comments below!
If you know someone who loves to sight cast for redfish, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Related articles:
- HOW TO SEE (AND CATCH!) MORE FISH WHEN SIGHT FISHING
- HOW TO SET THE HOOK WHEN FISHING WITH BIG PADDLETAILS
- PADDLETAILS VS SPLIT TAILS (BEST COLORS, SIZES, RIGGING, & MORE)
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in south Carolina where the water is dirtier, you can’t really tell where the redfish are moving once they go back underwater. will they most likely be going with the tide? so should I always assume that they are doing that? Thanks
As a general rule of thumb fish will move up with the tide and move out with it, but they won’t be far from where they were holding. For example, if you have a very small feeder creek that holds redfish on a high tide, they may push out to the mouth of that creek or down into a deeper pocket within it when the tide goes out. With redfish they can be just fine in just inches of water so don’t expect them to completely push out and down into deeper water on a low tide.
Super great short instructional video!
Thank you for the great feedback Rex!
This why I became a full time member to Salt Strong! Great presentation, and the break down description was spot on for what I was looking for. I am visually impaired and blind in one eye, so It really helped me to know what I was looking for! Thanks guys!!! Love your club!!! Sherman
Thank you for the awesome feedback and support Sherman!
Tony,
Great video! How about a review of that 7’6 Century Weapon Jr.?? I have tried the Century Demon but would like to hear your thoughts on the Weapon.
Thanks
Kevin
Here ya go Kevin!
https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/black-pelican-custom-fishing-rod-review/
Tony, I noticed the gloves you wear. Can you talk about benefits (even without fingers) and who makes them if you don’t carry them. Thanks
Hey Larry!
I use gloves to keep the sun and bugs off my hands. The hands are usually the first thing to burn when that sun is beating down, and bugs biting the hands in the morning can be super distracting (I don’t like using bug spray or sun block). I prefer the fingerless design so I can feel my line, tie knots, rig, etc. without a problem.
You can find them here:
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/cordova-consumer-products-half-finger-guide-gloves?gmc_feed=t&campid=71700000049898162&adgroupid=58700006358271436&device=c&keyword=92700057344670317&Channel=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnueFBhChARIsAPu3YkTmjqU-2Q_pDui46ungDdc5k4dsPNbgzelRpRx3yE_tp_8xZiwEqKYaAkfsEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Tony, What size of those gloves do you wear, medium or large?
I use the Large
Good points about keeping the rod tip up to keep line from touching the fish’s back and about using a jerk bait for murky water Tony.
Thank you for the great feedback Mel!
thanks Tony. I didn’t know you were into $450 rods!
My pleasure RIchard!
Haha yes I have 3 now, and they’re pretty much all I use. If you’re going to invest money, it should be on the rod. Especially if you can have them custom made. Many people don’t realize that a rod should be made for the reel that you use with it. That is much more achievable by having it custom made to the reel you are using.
So, what 3 do you have and why?
I have the following:
With that being said, I can still use all 3 of these rods inshore with artificial lures with no problem, but yeah can also have its own specific application. I went the custom route because it helps with getting a rod built to fit the reel you are using, and also have the feel you want.
Once you fish one of these BP’s you’ll know immediately why Tony has 3…
Hey Tony, great info as usual. Just one question, What type of retrieve do you recommend?
In the video, it looks like it was pretty flat calm. Sometimes in the summer when it’s really hot and the water is shallow, I try to really slow down my retrieve. What do you think?????
Thanks Gary!
For sight fishing it’s a pretty slow drag/bounce as the lure gets closer to the fish. If I am blind casting I maintain a pretty steady slow reel with a few bounces mixed in with a paddle tail. In the summer in the shallows a slow steady reel tends to be the ticket for reds.
Excellent video Tony. Really good. I recently tried the Slam Shady for the first time. My fishing partner (my daughter) was using Gulp Shrimp on a popping cork. We both caught fish, but the Slam Shady out-fished the Gulp. Next day, I went out with my son — same thing — I put him with the Gulp and popping cork and the Slam Shady out-fished it. I’m sold. Lots of trout and a couple of nice 24″ King Mackeral on the SS in 4′ of crystal clear water. Your suggestion about the jerkshad in clear water was helpful, thank you.
Thank you for the awesome feedback Al!
The nice thing about the paddle tail is that you can cover more water more quickly than with a popping cork. That may be why it out fished the popping cork setup.
Thanks Tony …great tip as usual. Surprised you could cast so close without spooking the fish.
My pleasure Thomas!
The cast was about 4ft from the fish, but they were more focused on nosing around in the grass and mud. When they’re tailing you can usually cast much closer to them without spooking them. Also with tailing fish, they are nosing around trying to spook up food. If they see or feel something swimming away from them they will go after it thinking they spooked it up out of the grass. When i’m sight casting to a cruising fish, I will usually cast further away from it since they are more aware of whats going on around them. Every fish can be different though. I can drop a lure right on top of one fish’s head and get a strike, and others will spook off before the lure even lands in the water.