Ask A Guide: What You Must Have In Your Fall Tackle Box
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
Late fall into early winter creates some of the best conditions for going out and targeting big predatory fish.
But what lures should you be using to catch these fish?
What should your tackle box look like?
Check out these tips from Captain Caleb that will set you up to catch big fish this season!
Ask A Guide: Fall Tackle Box
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Equipment Used:
- TFO Professional Series S Rod (7’6 M Fast)
- Daiwa Fuego 2500
- Slam Shady
- DOA Paddletail
- MirrOlure Lil Jon
- DOA Shrimp
- Seaguar Fluoro (20lb)
- PowerPro (10lb)
Cooler temperatures and low winter tides force shrimp and bait out of inland marshes.
This is what brings redfish together in schools where they then ambush the shrimp and bait.
The key is to match the hatch with smaller baits and smaller profiled lures.
MirrOlure Lil Jon scented twitchbaits are an excellent choice for this time of year.
This lure imitates shrimp bouncing along the bottom and is better for targeting trout in deeper water on a 1/4 oz. jighead.
To effectively use this lure, cast it out and bring your rod tip up quickly and pop the lure twice, then letting it settle back down to the bottom.
You can also use this setup in shallow water for redfish.
If the redfish are nosing around in the mud or tailing at the surface, you want a lure low in the water column skipping along the bottom.
The Lil Jon will look like a shrimp popping out of the mud trying to escape the redfish.
Another lure option for this time of year is a DOA shrimp imitation lure.
You can use this lure on a weedless rig or a jighead.
The retrieve is the same as the Lil Jon in that you are popping it up quickly off the bottom and letting it settle back down.
More lure options include the Slam Shady Paddletail lure or the DOA 3-inch Cal Shad.
The DOA Cal Shad is very similar to the Slam Shady but it comes down to preference between the two lures.
Both of these lures require a straight retrieve without much popping or added action.
They are perfect sight fishing lures that you can cast out quickly and efficiently.
Conclusion
The main profile of lures for this time of year is lures in the 3 to 3.5-inch range to mimic the smaller baits that are moving out of the grass flats and marshes into the Gulf and open water.
The next few weeks are when the fish are feeding on small bait so it is important to match the natural profiles that the fish are feeding on.
Be sure to equip yourself with the right lures for the time of year you are fishing or else you may struggle to catch more fish!
If you have any more questions on what you must have in your tackle box for this time of year, please ask me down in the comments!
And if you know someone who wants to learn more about fall tackle and lures, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Any advice for fishing Port A bay areas December 13 thru New Years? Tides looks iffy and the micro full moon is right in the middle of it on the 18th. I’m a newby to the area, have done some poking around, but need to get serious while there for a while this month. I have a shallow-ish bay boat and a pirogue and plan to use both.
Side issue- I do plan on some duck hunting on the bay side of Port A as well. I’ve seen lots of birds a bit South of the airport, but have not figured out access legally, except to go the long way around. I know better than to ask about guys’ honey holes, so stay tuned….
Hey Charles! The best fishing grounds have been in zones that have both shallow and deep water close by… my preferred spot is a spoil island with a deep trench on the flats side and an intercostal channel on the other. There’s many examples of these in Port A!
As far as ducks, I hunted the first split in Port A, with lots of success near lighthouse lakes. You’ll need to get out and sit in one of the public blinds there and take note of the flyway, and adjust which blind you choose to get closest. During the first split, they hugged the spoil islands coming from Rockport mainly. Mostly redheads and pintails!
Wyatt, I’m planning on fishing Boat Hole below Corpus Christi bay tomorrow. What bait size would you recommend with this warmer weather? Should I go smaller like the video recommends?
Hey Lewis! Even though we’ve experienced a bit of warm weathe, a lot of the larger bait has still cleared out. I would definitely stick to 3-4” paddle tails or shrimp imitations!