Suspending swim bait for speckled trout?

[chall59]

Hey there, fellow anglers.

Inshore fisherman here who is always appreciative of the creativity of bass fisherman. I’m trying to think of a lure I can use to target big speckled trout in shallow grass flats here in Louisiana.

 

I have had success with jerkbaits but I need a weedless rig considering how much grass we have in our ponds. I was wondering if there were any weedless swim baits that could suspend/be worked erratically? Maybe something that could somewhat mimick the action of a rip stop. 
 

Maybe a floating swim bait that I could counterbalance with a weighted swim bait hook? I would like for it to have a larger profile as well and maybe be 4.5”+. Am I dreaming here or might this exist?

[softwateronly]

 

 

 

20 minutes ago, chall59 said:

Hey there, fellow anglers.

Inshore fisherman here who is always appreciative of the creativity of bass fisherman. I’m trying to think of a lure I can use to target big speckled trout in shallow grass flats here in Louisiana.

 

I have had success with jerkbaits but I need a weedless rig considering how much grass we have in our ponds. I was wondering if there were any weedless swim baits that could suspend/be worked erratically? Maybe something that could somewhat mimick the action of a rip stop. 
 

Maybe a floating swim bait that I could counterbalance with a weighted swim bait hook? I would like for it to have a larger profile as well and maybe be 4.5”+. Am I dreaming here or might this exist?

Fluke?  Specifically a z-man w/ the EWG or swimbait hook rigged a little further back so it falls level and slower.  I have no experience w/ speckled trout, but this is what I've done for bass with some success.

 

scott

 

[chall59]

Fluke is not a bad idea. Maybe a fluke shape with a larger profile. I was thinking of something that’s like 1”-1.5” diameter. 

[flyfisher]

2 minutes ago, chall59 said:

Fluke is not a bad idea. Maybe a fluke shape with a larger profile. I was thinking of something that’s like 1”-1.5” diameter. 

Zoom makes magnum flukes which are a big bait and run like 6 or 7" long.  Won't suspend but can definitely be worked erratically.  

[WRB]

Welcome to BR!

Bulldog1935 is the man concerning Specs and inshore fishing.

Tom

[Deleted account]

Specks and weakies almost always get a small(ish) soft plastic with not too much action on the lightest jighead I can get away with, or if they are crashing bait a topwater of some kind. You can catch them with treble lures, but that just makes it less efficient, and I don't do that.

[SC53]

Fluke/soft jerk bait is what you want. As mentioned above, Bass Assasin is what I always used.

I’ve done best with baby bass, new penny and avocado. Electric chicken will work too.

For a small swim bait, I always used a 1/4 oz. red head jig with a white or root beer/ chartreuse tail. 
Topwaters, it’s hard to beat a spook or Rapala sub walk.

[bulldog1935]

@chall59

5 lures that are very effective - ok, make it 6. 

Two hard plugs, Yo Zuri 3DS (mullet) - even better action and prismatics, Ima K-Ta (bora)

 

Our bread-and-butter lure on the TX coast is TSL Grasswalker.  This is a 4" soft neutral density jerkbait fished on a Trokar 140 swimbait hook.  Fishes in the zone on top of the grass with slow retrieve, and dog-walks with any retrieve.  Also tough-enough to survive lizardfish (see the bite marks on the right)

 

Another bread-and-butter soft lure on ML tackle is Z-Man 1/8-oz Texas Eye Jighead with Minnow-Z shad tail - different color, Sexy Penny, caught my nice flounder last week. 

 

Two ways to fish through the winter are imitating glass minnows on finesse tackle, and mullet are big, 5-6".  Go-to lure for the latter are Corky's soft, suspending 7/8-oz jerk baits. 

Adding one more soft lure for flounder - Down South on weighted swimbait hook. 

My buddy Tony's score on this bait

[warefisher]

5 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

5 lures that are very effective - ok, make it 6. 

- even better action and prismatics, Ima K-Ta (bora)

 

Our bread-and-butter lure on the TX coast is TSL Grasswalker.  This is a 4" soft neutral density jerkbait fished on a Trokar 140 swimbait hook.  Fishes in the zone on top of the grass with slow retrieve, and dog-walks with any retrieve.  Also tough-enough to survive lizardfish (see the bite marks on the right)

 

Thanks for the speck bait advice.  I have them in my area of VA.  Where do you find that Ima K-Ta?  Interesting looking bait.  Also the TSL Grasswalker?  Are these at local TX tackle shops?

 

 

 

 

[bulldog1935]

13 minutes ago, warefisher said:

Thanks for the speck bait advice.  I have them in my area of VA.  Where do you find that Ima K-Ta?  Interesting looking bait.  Also the TSL Grasswalker?  Are these at local TX tackle shops?

Ima is Imakatsu, a Japanese lure company that I like so much I have their sticker on my kayak cooler. 

Asian Portal has a big stock of their lures, and fishingshop,kiwi is another place I'll add up large lure orders.  While fishingshop.kiwi prices are discounted on most everything, lines, rods, they charge $40 to ship DHL. 

 

If you google Trout Support Lure you'll find the Grasswalker - yes, Texas, my buddy Tobin.  Last time I posted a link here, it got moderated and scalped. 

 

[chall59]

Thanks a bunch for all of the replies. I feel like I’m basically wanting a larger profile fluke. I may try the 5” egret wedge tail. I’ve heard that has a slow sink rate.

 

I caught plenty of trout on ripstops, 17/27mrs , kvd2000, and Corkys. I would throw large jerk/twitch baits 90% of the time for big trout but the grass in Louisiana makes fishing trebel hooked lures almost impossible..

 

Do you guys know of any companies making really big flukes? I’m thinking like a 6” bait with a 1.5”-2” profile?

 

Again, I really appreciate all of the responses. 

[Chris at Tech]

Yeah, I think Zman is your best bet here due to the buoyancy of the material.  You should be able to find a weighted chinlockz to match the bait you select.

[bulldog1935]

@chall59

 

Hogy makes the Big soft baits

https://hogylures.com/collections/softbaits

 

Matching bait size is important.  If the finger mullet are 2-3", that's what you fish. 

If the redfish are grazing mud minnows, etc. 

Specs are a little different that they will slash into larger lures for the flash when the bait is smaller, even tiny.

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, chall59 said:

Do you guys know of any companies making really big flukes? I’m thinking like a 6” bait with a 1.5”-2” profile?

Super Fluke comes in 7", BKD makes some big trailers too.

[basscrusher]

Z man trout trick on a weighted, but light, fluke style hook.