Lure size question?

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katt72
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Lure size question?

Post by katt72 »

In the last few weeks i've been surfing the forum (fishing reports, TKF facebook..etc). My question for you guys, who has been fishing the upper coast area(Houston/Galveston) most of the current year. Have you had better catch ratio using sm(2-3") med(3-4") or lg(4+") in size atries. I'm still a noob to the artie game? :?: :evil:
SWFinatic
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by SWFinatic »

I don't fish that area but it won't be any different than middle or lower Texas coast. Your answer is whatever size bait the fish are feeding on. Lately for reds I've been using something smaller that more resembles shad since that is what they are feeding on. If you're ever in doubt in most months you're safe going with a shrimp profile (more for reds) in the 3"-4" range. In general I would say the closer you can match what the fish are feeding on the better you'll be. Sometimes this is not determined until you get on the water.
mwatson71
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by mwatson71 »

I only fish artificials so hopefully some of this info may be useful. It is not an easy answer but here is a summary of my last month:
May 6 - 22" speck and 25" redfish on 3" Vudu shad (greenback)
May 16 - 17" speck on 2 1/2" glass minnow tandem (1/8 oz jig heads, both glow white)
May 26 - 16" and 18" specks on 3" Vudu shad (white - wouldn't touch the greenback)
June 2 - 24" redfish on 2 1/2" glass minnow tandem (wouldn't touch the Vudu shad)
June 4 - 4 specks to 22" on 2 1/2" Vudu shad (white) and glass minnow tandem (1/8 jig heads, glow yellow/glow white)
June 5 - 24" redfish (partially digested 7" shad in is belly) and 16" and 19" specks on 3" Vudu shad

Good luck to you.
Kayak Kid
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by Kayak Kid »

Best advice is in answer given by Sfinatic. However, many times that's easier said than done.

I pretty much fly fish these days, so "Match the Hatch" is my byword. But, the size of a fly is small and yet I catch some pretty big fish (every once in a while).

The point being, that while size matters, it is not the be all, end all. Presentation and the fish's hunger are paramount.

Back in the late 60's and early 70's we waded the Gulf Coast flats with a spinning rod, a canteen of water, and a pocket full of 1/4 0z Johnson gold weedless spoons. Red fish, specs, flounder, and drum of all sizes were pulled behind us on our return wade to the boat (unless we got skunked).
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katt72
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by katt72 »

mwatson71 wrote:I only fish artificials so hopefully some of this info may be useful. It is not an easy answer but here is a summary of my last month:
May 6 - 22" speck and 25" redfish on 3" Vudu shad (greenback)
May 16 - 17" speck on 2 1/2" glass minnow tandem (1/8 oz jig heads, both glow white)
May 26 - 16" and 18" specks on 3" Vudu shad (white - wouldn't touch the greenback)
June 2 - 24" redfish on 2 1/2" glass minnow tandem (wouldn't touch the Vudu shad)
June 4 - 4 specks to 22" on 2 1/2" Vudu shad (white) and glass minnow tandem (1/8 jig heads, glow yellow/glow white)
June 5 - 24" redfish (partially digested 7" shad in is belly) and 16" and 19" specks on 3" Vudu shad

Good luck to you.
MW, that's somewhat i've taken from the youtubers i been watching(MDLR, RXAngler, Redfishhunter..) This year of fishing has been a challenge for Arti users, from what i've taken from this info. I have a large selection of arti( plastics, spoons, topwaters..) that i was able to aquire from a previous TKFer, who no longer fish. I would say, that he has given me a headstart in the game. I'm just really starting to use them. Thanks for chiming in with your detailted info.
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katt72
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by katt72 »

SWFinatic wrote:I don't fish that area but it won't be any different than middle or lower Texas coast. Your answer is whatever size bait the fish are feeding on. Lately for reds I've been using something smaller that more resembles shad since that is what they are feeding on. If you're ever in doubt in most months you're safe going with a shrimp profile (more for reds) in the 3"-4" range. In general I would say the closer you can match what the fish are feeding on the better you'll be. Sometimes this is not determined until you get on the water.
there are alot of ppl speaking about the shad, I know this time of year shad are all over the bays. I have some lures that resemble shad but, havent tried to use them. I need to work on technique/presentation. I guess the more i use/learn the better i'll become at using this type of fishing tactics.
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katt72
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by katt72 »

Kayak Kid wrote:Best advice is in answer given by Sfinatic. However, many times that's easier said than done.

I pretty much fly fish these days, so "Match the Hatch" is my byword. But, the size of a fly is small and yet I catch some pretty big fish (every once in a while).

The point being, that while size matters, it is not the be all, end all. Presentation and the fish's hunger are paramount.

Back in the late 60's and early 70's we waded the Gulf Coast flats with a spinning rod, a canteen of water, and a pocket full of 1/4 0z Johnson gold weedless spoons. Red fish, specs, flounder, and drum of all sizes were pulled behind us on our return wade to the boat (unless we got skunked).
When the guy gave me all his tackle, i got home and organized it all, i found a fly reel in one of the tackle boxes. Never used a fly, but in the future may learn how to.
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by Kayak Kid »

Katt,

Be careful about advice given by some of us "mature" fishing enthusiasts. We tend to become mired in traditional methods and, as in the case of a number of fly fishermen and women, are quite proud and devoted to a 'purist' mentality'.

For example, flies should be made only of natural elements (feathers), and tied by the fisherman himself. Proper clothing and especially hats should be worn (fly fishermen don't wear baseball hats). Catching fish is all about style, surroundings, repetition, and looking the part is paramount. Catching fish is a very pleasant addendum to the rest.

That nonsensical bit aside (regardless of it's truth), I have only one piece of advice for you:
Hold onto that fly reel. Should the time come when you tempt a fish to your fly and successfully fight it to net, you will wonder why you haven't picked up a fly rod much sooner.

"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it's not the fish their after"
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by mwatson71 »

katt72 wrote:there are alot of ppl speaking about the shad, I know this time of year shad are all over the bays. I have some lures that resemble shad but, havent tried to use them. I need to work on technique/presentation. I guess the more i use/learn the better i'll become at using this type of fishing tactics.
So something I learned from the board that has been very effective for me is to make my cast, count 1 second for each foot that I want the lure to sink, and then work the lure as I would normally. Once I started doing this and figuring out where in the water column the fish are, I have put a lot more fish on the stringer. This will vary to some degree with the strength of the current, but is a good starting place.

Early this morning they were hitting 3" new penny shrimp tandems.
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karstopo
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by karstopo »

The smallest lures, flies, I regularly use in the saltwater might be little 1”-1.5” crab types, most like the Borski slider, shrimp patterns and redfish crack are a little over 2”, some of the baitfish patterns are quite a bit bigger, 3-4” or maybe more in rare cases. None of them have near the mass of a plastic and metal lure.

I once fished these huge plugs, like 7” plugs, that had trebles on them that could have held up to a great white shark. I had once read about big wintertime trout liking big forage which put me on the path of the big, big lure. I did once have some massive fish on for a while that I never saw that went for this plug. Big lures like that get hard to fish on normal inshore gear.

Most of the time With the baitcasting gear, I like the DSL, Saltwater Assassin, Queen Cocahoe types, what are those 3-4” or so? I like a variety of topwaters like the bigger skitterwalks or the Super spook Jr., most of those are about 4-5” Corky, catch 2000 suspend plugs are similar. I’ve seen a lot of fish caught on 2.5” spoons.

I have opened up a number of fish stomachs. Their might be massive 9” mullet or shad in one or tiny 1” shad or shrimp in another.

I do try to figure out what it is the fish are feeding on and then tie on something that is suggestive of the forage. Sometimes, it’s pretty obvious what it is they are eating, mullet scattering or shrimp fleeing a predator. Generally, you can do some pretty good damage on the fish with a paddle tail on a jig head.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by Ron Mc »

"matching the hatch" applies whether you're catching kings sipping 1" pilcher in jetty blackwater or specs munching 4" mullet in Baffin Bay (or size 22 midges in Guadalupe tailwater).
The fish queue into the bait that's available for them to eat, glass minnows, finger mullet, 1" January shrimp, etc.

Even if you don't buy bait, knowing what the bait shop is selling today is good intelligence.
(Last time I saw Billy Trimble, he was spying on the bait shop where we were both independently launching.)

They won't eat a 3" swim shad when they're sipping from balls of glass minnows, but might eat a 2", and will damn-sure eat a 1/16-oz Pins minnow.
From now into fall, those 3-4" lures, TSL Grasswalker, etc., are a good bet.
If you want to catch fish, your lure or fly should match the size bait the fish are eating.
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topwater trout
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Re: Lure size question?

Post by topwater trout »

Match the hatch
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