By Capt. Mike Smith, Fish Your Ass Off Charters
So many anglers have a “go-to” color lure that they swear by. What they do not understand is that the color of your lure barely makes the top three most important factors for catching tons of fish.
Mistake #1: The number one mistake anglers make is ignoring the importance of the size and profile of the lures they use. When snook, tarpon, redfish, speckled trout or flounder are feeding, they often become laser focused on that particular forage species. In other words, if they are feeding on a 6-inch mullet your 3-inch paddletail or shrimp lure will probably be ignored.
PRO TIP: Have a few of your rods rigged up with various sizes and profiles of lures on them. I like to have a 3-inch paddletail, an artificial shrimp and a 4- to 5.5-inch jerk bait (fluke) rigged up when I can’t determine what bait is around. Try all three sizes and profiles of lures until you figure out what the fish in the area are feeding upon.
Mistake #2: The number two mistake most anglers make is thinking one retrieve style works best for all of the fish all of the time. There are so many different factors to consider when retrieving your lures. Here are a few to consider:
• Is the water cold or hot? Fish are cold blooded and move more slowly in cold water. This means that you have to slow down your retrieve when the water is cold. Conversely, you want to move your lure faster when the water is hot.
• What species are you targeting? Different fish species like different retrieves. For instance, the best retrieve for a redfish is slowly bouncing your lure off of the bottom. A tarpon likes a low and steady retrieve. A flounder likes a very slow bounce/dragging retrieve no higher than 12 inches from the bottom. A speckled trout likes a vertical jig and will usually hit the lure as it falls through the water column. Snook like a fast and erratic retrieve most of the time.
• Is the water clear or murky? Low light, cloudy skies and murky water scenarios makes it harder to get a fish’s attention. Use a retrieve or lure that creates vibrations and flashes in the water. You also want to fan cast the area keeping your lure placement close together because they are less apt to seek out your lure. When it is sunny and the water is clear it is easier to get the fish’s attention. You can make your casts further apart and make the fish come to your lure.
Mistake #3: The third biggest mistake is thinking fish care about lure colors. A saltwater tackle box with white lures and something dark like root beer or purple is all that you need to catch any fish. PERIOD.
The bottom line is that if you want to catch more fish, switch up your sizes and profiles and vary your retrieves for different species and conditions. I GUARANTEE that you will catch more fish.
Capt. Mike Smith is owner of Fish Your Ass Off Charters. Reach him at (561) 339-2317, contact@fishyourassoff.com or fishyourassoff.com.
