Trout vs. Redfish: How To Catch Each Species On Topwater Lures
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
It’s topwater time!!
Although most topwater lures will catch both redfish and trout, there are some lures that will increase your chances of catching one over the other.
To see what these lures are, in this video, we’re going to dive deep into what we know about redfish and trout, including:
- What they eat
- How they hunt for food
- Their biology (including what the structure of their mouths has to do with fishing)
- And much more
As we cover how to target each species with topwater lures, I’m going to be breaking down and reviewing two different lures and sharing why they’re specifically good for targeting one species over another.
I’ll also show you some on the water footage of these tips in action.
Check out the video below.
Topwater Lures For Redfish vs. Trout [VIDEO]
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Before we dive into how to catch redfish vs. trout on topwater, I want to make two things clear.
First, both of the lures in this article will catch both species of fish.
This is a deep dive into the minute details of these two species to help increase your odds of catching one over the other.
And second, we’re not sponsored by YO-ZURI, or any other tackle company, so this is a totally unbiased review of these two lures.
We don’t accept sponsorships so that we can always give you honest tackle recommendations based on true performance of the products.
Alright, now let’s talk about how to catch these two species on topwater!
How To Catch Redfish On Topwater Lures
When it comes to catching redfish on topwater lures, the most important thing is to look at how their mouth is structured.
If you look at the picture at the top of this post, you can see that their mouth is angled down and is located.
This makes sense, since we know that redfish are usually foraging in the mud for small baitfish and crustaceans.
Now, because their mouth faces downward, it can sometimes be difficult to catch them on topwater lures because they don’t always get their mouth up out of the water to get hooked.
In this case, lures like the YO-ZURI 3D Inshore Pencil that have tail ends that sit lower in the water are better for catching redfish.
Also, the YO-ZURI 3D Inshore Pencil has a high-pitch rattle that mimics the sound of shrimp or small baitfish that redfish are looking for.
How To Catch Trout On Topwater Lures
Unlike redfish, a trout’s mouth angles upward.
This is because they’re usually ambushing baitfish from below.
Also, notice that they’re eyes are proportionally bigger than those of the redfish.
This is because they do a lot of hunting by sight.
Finally, we know that trout aren’t scared to take on a meal that might seem to barely fit in their mouth.
Now, taking these things into consideration, a perfect topwater lure for trout would be one that makes long cuts through the water and mimics a large baitfish.
Lures like the YO-ZURI 3DB Pencil shine in this scenario.
Conclusion
Although most topwater lures will catch a variety of species, there are some things to consider if you’re specifically targeting trout or redfish.
Redfish have mouths that are angled down, so look for a lure that sits a little lower in the water.
Trout, on the hand, have mouths that are angled up and are perfect for ambushing big baitfish from below, so look for topwater lures that mimic larger baitfish.
Have any questions about catching fish on topwater lures?
Let us know in the comments below!
And please TAG or SHARE this with a friend who loves throwing topwaters!
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Related articles:
- Top 3 Fishing Lures That Catch Bass AND Redfish
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- How To Use Topwater Lures To Catch Redfish & Trout
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Wyatt, that was a really helpful presentation; clear, concise. I would like to see a shootout or comparison of Spook jr, Yozuri, and Mirrolure topwater lures. If you need to break it down into two separate competitions, on for trout and one for redfish, that would be even better. I have Spook jr, Mirrolure Skitter V and i would consider buying the Yozuri but would love to see them all compared.
We will try to put together a competition between the 3 of them soon! Thanks for the suggestion Jim!
Wyatt, that was a really thorough explanation. I learned a lot. I always wondered what the differences in the size and number of BB’s in a lure really did. I have a question, I know that these lures are best at dawn and twilight. Are they worth trying when it is overcast?
No problem Mike! Glad to hear this video cleared things up for you!
You should definitely throw topwaters in overcast if there’s aggressive fish around! Tony has had some great overcast topwater bites in the middle of the day when clouds pass over:
https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/insiders/topwater-feeding-frenzy-on-an-exploration-trip-via-bike-trends-and-tactics-spot-analysis/
Huh that’s weird I tried making a comment on your article you did on slams with the vudu shrimp and the topwater and paddletail but it lacked the post comment button like the one here has oh well anyways great tip Wyatt I use topwater a lot but have found you are right the reds sometimes do have a lot harder time connecting unlike a trout I primarily use a spook Jr and I don’t have the 3d pencil but I do have a very similar bait the yo-zuri banana boat that yo-zuri has made a lot longer then the 3d pencil and while I have caught a lot of fish with it it’s not my favorite not like the spook Jr is but I may have to use it more and give it more credit but I do want to say I live your advice as videos and like them better then lukes or Tonys in that your area of north Carolina is more like my area of northeast fl murky mud bottom a lot of the tactics and tips that Tony and Luke say I have found really don’t work here probably because they fish clear water with sandy potholes and such where I’m from it’s well you know like your water and while Luke has told me a redfish is a redfish no matter where it’s at if the conditions are totally different like they are between my area and his then the fish will react and have to be fished differently to be successful thanks for the video and all you do????
You should definitley give these a shot if you need to switch things up with the Spook Jr. (which is a personal favorite plug for me, and I would take over both of these any day. Still fun to try something different though!). Thanks for watching Steven!
Wyatt
Would agree with all of the positive feedback. You are a newbe to me, but I am impressed with your articulate style. Great video instruction all around. Stay SalT Strong Bro!!!
Thanks so much for the kind words Keith! Thanks for watching!
Wyatt
really enjoy your videos. you are clear, well spoken and provide excellent details.
great live follow up as well.
keep up the great work.
I am in Cape Cod Mass during the summer. Have to get you to come up here and explore fishing Nantucket and Cape Cod Bay for fluke and striped bass tips.
Thanks so much for watching Michael! Glad you enjoyed the video! I do hope to head up to the Chesapeake Bay soon to visit family and do some NE fishing, but I’ll have to plan a trip up to Cape Cod sometime soon as well. I heard the fishing is fantastic up that way!
I have the popper and the twitch bait from yozuri would love some more info on how to use them more effectively.
I haven’t picked up the poppers yet, but I would hold off on using hard body twitch baits until the colder months. The advantage of hard body twitch baits is they often suspend and allow you to stay in the strike zone much longer when fish are picky and don’t want to chase lures down. Right now in the warm months, you want to be moving your lures at a faster pace then you would in the colder months, so I’m not bringing hard-body twichbaits out, but stay tuned for a review of them when the winter rolls around!
I appreciate it man. I went and picked up the pencil yesterday after seeing this video and can’t wait to use it this weekend. Got plenty of time to study all these new courses until then. I’ll keep an eye out for a popper video.
what exactly is a “hard body twitch bait”? I keep hearing that term but don’t really understand it. Thanks.
Hard body twitch baits are lures that suspend in the middle of the water column, keeping them in the strike zone much longer, which is great for finicky or lethargic fish. There’s pros and cons to using hard body twitch baits, but typically I only break them out in the late fall/winter months! Here’s a few that we’ve reviewed!
https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/articles/rapala-x-rap-subwalk-review/
https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/articles/x-rap-twitchin-mullet-vs-twitchin-minnow-review/
How To Quickly Know Which MirrOlure Is Perfect For Every Situation
What brand is the landing net that you are using in your kayak?
Here is the exact one I’m using:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FU0GHU6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwadvisorint-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01FU0GHU6&linkId=b8c7da03fdd277429f77c4471a1020ea
Tony did a great review on these nets vs fish grips if you’d like to check it out as well:
https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/articles/fish-grips-vs-landing-nets-review/
Excellent analysis of the two lures for the two species. I’d really like other lures to be analyzed similarly. Thanks.
Thanks so much Glenn! Stay tuned for more to come!
Good Job Wyatt, interesting piece and gave me a few things to think about for sure..
Thank You!
No problem Mike! Glad to hear this tip was helpful for you!
Good info
Thanks so much Rudy!