# how to retrieve a doa shrimp



## JBrady555

hey guys today was my first time using plastic baits. I went with a brown doa shrimp(the one that comes with the hook already in it). It didn't go to well, I only caught one trout. I don't think that I am retrieving the bait right. I tried slow reeling with a twitch every now and then. I also tried fishing the shrimp about 15" under a weighted cork just how I would with a live shrimp, twitching every so often. My cork method produced the one fish that I did catch. How should I be fishing this bait?

I also tried a redfish magic spinnerbait with no luck. How should I be retrieving this bait?

By the way I wade fish the grass flats in Panama City if that makes a difference in how to fish the bait..

Thanks for any info guys.


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## NoMoSurf

Good question! I found a BUNCH of DOA shrimp on clearance for $0.33 each. I bought ALL of them and have caught nothing on any of them. Like you, I tried the slow retrieve/twitch, the sink/twitch, and under a cork. Nothing. I've used about half of them so much that they became waterlogged and turned milky. Still no fish... Same problem with Gulp. I'm starting to think DOA shrimp and Gulp are something they tell non-locals to use, so they can snicker about it all day after you leave... :whistling:



Refish magic on the other hand works WELL for me. :thumbsup: You can sight fish for reds with it. Just get it near em and reel! BOOM!!! Blind fishing, you can also run it parellel to reeds. Or find dropoffs and channels where the reds cruise. Pull it from shallow over the drop and slow retrieve an little to let it sink into the deeper water a little. Sometimes they like it flopping aout of the water a little on a fast retrieve. You just have to play with it a little.


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## Kayakbob

Last fall I used DOA shrimp about three feet below a poping cork. Caught many specks and reds doing this. The cork was one I really like made in Mobile by Gates its called no slack tackle.com


I ordered some of his corks and they are tops also ordered a hook callled bobcat named after bobby A. fishing guide.

This work well with Gulp Three inch shrimp.

I pretty much use gulp three inch srhimp and also a white two inch gulp shrimp on a small jig hook light weithed. Last year I trolled in Fish River with a two inch on the right and a three inch on the left on the bottom drifiting with the wind and they hit the two inch all the time that afternoon. Go figure that one out.

Normally I just hop or fluke the three inch off the bottom slowly and they hit it. Hope this helps.


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## Flatspro

Wirelessly posted

Actually both lures doa shrimp and gulp work great. I use both on almost all of my charters. In panama city you need to throw a clear gold glitter doa. The root beer colored shrimp is a little to dark for those clear waters. As far as working the lure I like working the lure extremely slow. Let it just settle on top of the grass and twitch it up kinda hard then let it just flutter back down. The lure will do all the work. If the wind is blowing over 10mph I would not use that lure go to a jig head and a doa shad tail or gulp. Good luck I hope this helps. Caution using gulp this time of year will get expensive due to all the pinfish! Just FYI.


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## JBrady555

thanks for the great info guys


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## kanaka

If there's trout around they'll eat it the way you're using it. 
No trout around, no bites.


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## matlatcha

Seems like I've had my best luck bumping the DOA shrimp off the bottom/grass using a popping cork. I usually use the clear DOA with gold glitter. What are some of the other preferred colors? Somebody gave me a milky/clear/tan combo with a bright orange tail and I haven't tried it yet,


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## Tobiwan

I usually tie a green with silver glitter DOA on with a 1/4 split shot about 20 inches up the line and I pull the line up real slow and reel in the slack on the way down then let it sit for a bit then pull up real slow and reel in the slack and repeat


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## JBrady555

thanks guys, lots of good info here


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## sandyshoes

*DOA Shrimp Adjustment*

I was once shown to cut the Artifical legs off and take something sharp and split the joints on the tail. I have found that it works better for me.


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## baldona523

On a cork you want to cast it out and work it back to the boat. Not like a topwater lure, but not letting it sit there either. Pop it and let the jig fall, sit there for a second, and repeat. 

If you don't catch any trout doing this then they are not there. You have to move. I am no genius, but I have 3 or 4 lures that will catch trout if they are there and believe me one day they can be there and the next they'll be gone. Sometimes they'll be there and not want to bite. This is the only downside about wade fishing is you can't hit multiple spots. Most of the time a good grass bed will have fish there year after year.

There are plenty of days when I'll fish a spot and not catch fish, move to the next spot and catch plenty.


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## baldona523

I was once told by a wise fisherman to match the color of shellfish bait to the bottom. When you think about it, a shrimp and crap will change color depending on the bottom. The other day I had a pure white DOA working great over dark green grass flats, so you never know. But as a general rule I try to use a color that is as close to the bottom as possible just like a real shrimp would be.


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## jackstraw

26" under a popping cork, popped and paused frequently works good. without the cork, don't use a jig head. use the 1/4 shrimp, and work it slow. this might be helpful:
http://capt-tim.blogspot.com/2012/01/wintertime-trout-tacticsdoa-shrimp.html

you should be able to drift the flats with the wind at your back, hitting all potholes and barely twitching it. the bite will be just a tap or tick...set the hook sharply and immediately. good luck!


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## matlatcha

jackstraw said:


> this might be helpful:
> http://capt-tim.blogspot.com/2012/01/wintertime-trout-tacticsdoa-shrimp.html
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> That's a great link jackstraw.


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