# Redfish on artificials advice



## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

It occured to me that although I have caught a few reds on artificials the vast majority of the ones I've caught have been on live baits, pinfish and mullet mostly. So what's your go to redfish lures. I started a thread back in the spring about specks and I took the info from that thread and have been killing the specks all year, a lot of other people got some good info from that thread as well. So what advice would you give someone about catching reds with artificials?


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

buy some stuff you like the looks of and go fishing. I have caught redfish on spinnerbaits and crankbaits I used in Okla, Tx, Mo, and Ar for black bass. Started using gulp shrimp and spoons when I started reading about them on this forum. They work. Went and got some mirrolures -- the suspending and slow sinking ones. They work. I personally have not yet caught one on topwater but I have read numerous accounts of other people doing so. If they are around they are pretty accommodating about biting. I usually look for mullet jumping in the creeks around grass and find them there.
I guess my 'go to' lure right now is new penny gulp shrimp on a jig head with a 1/0 hook or thereabouts.


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## circlehook69 (Apr 23, 2010)

Mirrodine and jerk shads are my go to lures....pretty much all I use. The most important thing about fishing artificial baits is that YOU have to have confidence in what your throwing.


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## TheLongshanks88 (Jan 20, 2013)

Try these....


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## MrPhoShiz (Sep 22, 2010)

thats a Great list! to add to the growing collectiong, darters and spin/paddle tails. Depending on the conditions ill work gulps, doas, paddletails, and Mirrodine MRs through the water at varying speeds. Lots of people sight cast And Flyfish for reds so theres options there also. Nothing beats live bait other than the Mirrodine 17MR, its a killer of all species if used right. Spooks are hit or miss for me, i havent mastered walking the dog in a kayak. No. 7 is really great during the cold season when they hide in holes, if you have a depth finder look for holes and drop a live one down.


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## Bayfisher (Jun 7, 2013)

That list is on point. I suggest 3+5 in the morning when the sun comes up... killer


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## TheLongshanks88 (Jan 20, 2013)

MrPhoShiz said:


> thats a Great list! to add to the growing collectiong, darters and spin/paddle tails. Depending on the conditions ill work gulps, doas, paddletails, and Mirrodine MRs through the water at varying speeds. Lots of people sight cast And Flyfish for reds so theres options there also. Nothing beats live bait other than the Mirrodine 17MR, its a killer of all species if used right. Spooks are hit or miss for me, i havent mastered walking the dog in a kayak. No. 7 is really great during the cold season when they hide in holes, if you have a depth finder look for holes and drop a live one down.



Are these the darters youre talking about??


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## servo765 (May 25, 2013)

Spook Jrs are probably the most amusing artificial to catch redfish on, but I get a TON of missed strikes on them. I am pretty incapable of containing the excitement when I see a head wake going for my spook and I never pause to let them hit it.

I do real well with the 17MRs, (any of the dark over chrome colors), and Gulp 4" Swimming Mullet on a 1/4 oz jighead. The curly tail grubs are moronically easy to fish because the tail gives decent action regardless of whether its sitting in the current, cast/retrieve, or on the fall.

I've never been much of a live bait fisherman


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## parrothead (Oct 1, 2007)

When i can't find bait like finger mullet my go to lures are a 1/8oz gold spoon with weedless guard and a sting ray grub with a yellow 1/8oz jig head. hope this helps

Scott


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## Redalert08 (May 30, 2011)

You need 3 basic setups to be sucessful at catching more reds 1. DOA Cal Arkansas Glow Shad tail 2. Rapala Skitterwalker 3. Aqua Dream gold spoon. These baits will give you the best chance of catching more redfish on arti's!


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## markbxr400 (Jul 23, 2013)

Ive caught about 30-40 bull reds in the past month or so. My go to lures have been:
1. Before daylight to just after daylight - Mirrolure C17MR - blue top, yellow middle, white bottom - Walmart. This one is a suspending twitchbait that works from the top, down to about 2 feet. Even works in the middle of a menhaden frenzy when retrieved slowly.
After daybreak, I switch to a 
2a. Mirrorlure S52MR - brown top, gold middle, orange bottom - BassPro or Academy. This one is a sinking twitchbait and reliably pulls more reds after they stop hitting the 17MR. 
2b. Mirrorlure 18MR - black top, white-ish sides, orange spot near nose. Also sinking twitchbait.

While not critically necessary, I usually switch treble hooks on all of these to size 2 Eagle Lazer sharps. I've lost fish on the smaller stock hooks, and lose much fewer with the slightly larger, but much stronger hooks.

3. I've also caught reds later in the morning on larger Yo-Zuri shrimp, root beer color on overcast days, and white color on clearer days.

4. Also, later morning, Gulp New Penny shrimp both on a popping cork and straight off the bottom using a 3/8 oz jughead.

In other words, the big reds will seem to hit about anything I have thrown. I have no special jigging technique. I guess they are so thick and hungry over here in Alabama they will hit anything. I also don't worry about scaring off the big fish. When I see them surface after bait, I do my best to just hit them on the head and they bite. One thing I have experienced, is give them any slack and they will find a way to spit the lure out, so I keep tension on them until I get them in the net. From a yak, this routinely takes me 20-30 minutes of fighting them until I can get them to surface close enough to the yak to net them.

I use between 15-30 lb Super Slick braid, and a 30" 20lb flour leader. I use 7' medium action rods and 4000 series reels.

Hope this helps.


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

"Tourist Rig". A Cajun Thunder cork, 2' of leader and a Gulp either on a offset hook or a 1/8 ounce jig head. Work it pretty hard, especially in dirty water. Make it splash pretty hard (simulating another fish on a surface strike), reel in the slack, let it sit a few seconds, then repeat...

Guides started using it for non-fisherman, then found out it can really produce fish.

Jim


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## FLSalomon (Oct 3, 2007)

Gold Spoon.


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

Thanks guys, as soon as I get a break Im gonna hit the water!


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## jeguy6 (Feb 13, 2008)

*Try vudu shrimp*

Here lately I've been using VuDu shrimp from egret baits. Love them. I fish them with and without a popping cork.


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## MikeHarp (Jan 12, 2012)

A killer redfish/trout artificial is taking a gulp ripple mullet, and instead of using a jighead, running a 3/0 circle hook through its nose. You need the right rod and reel setup to get a good cast, but the action on it is ridiculous, and more lifelike than a jighead.


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

jeguy6 said:


> Here lately I've been using VuDu shrimp


I heard good things about them but when I went by BPS yesterday to buy some, they said that they don't sell them. where do you get them?

My #1 is a rattle-trap, I use it to find the fish before we throw out the corks and dead shrimp. like mentioned earlier, gotta have faith in what you throw.


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## markbxr400 (Jul 23, 2013)

Over in Baldwin County I've picked them up at J&M Tackle, Bluewater Ships Store and Discount Bait and Tackle on Hw98 near Pelican Point.


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