Best Spring Baits
My name is Ozzy and I am a full-time fishing guide on the coast of NC. As discussed in my last blog post Spring time can be a very volatile time of year chasing Redfish and Speckled Trout, however there are a few baits I keep in my box that can help locate fish and capitalize on the fish you find. First of which being a top water, I choose to throw a full sized pink skitter walk. The reason this lure is so effective is because how fast you can cover water, as the lure clicks through the water, fish cane be attracted to it from a surprisingly long distance away allowing you to cover a big area in less cast. As a rule of thumb I usually make ten cast on a hundred yard bank. The reason I choose the pink is because I can see it from a far distance away, I believe there many colors that work well, but that is what I like to use day in and day out. Another great bait I utilize heavily in the spring is a spinner bait, this bait originated in the bass fishing community and quickly caught for redfish and speckled trout. With a combination of a soft plastic as well as a small gold blade above the plastic this bait can be a great choice for a fish that may not be feeding at the moment but will get you what is called a reaction bite. and just like the top water this bait can be utilized to search areas quickly with out making unnecessary cast. As those two baits are great for searching areas and getting reaction bites, my next two baits are for the picky fish. The first thing I do when fish start to present as picky or unwilling to eat is, to change my lure presentation to something smaller, lighter, or less threating. One of which being a weightless, weedless, jerk shad (also known as a fluke). I really like zoom jerk shads and DOA jerk shads because they are dense baits. Even with out any weight on the hook those more dense soft plastics still cast well. If the fish is still being picky or you are having trouble getting a group of fish to eat, I will next throw a TRD crawl bait of some sort, preferably in 2.5-3 inch range. I like to pair these small baits with a ned rig, this allows me to put the bait in front of the fish with little to no disturbance on the water or to the fish. If all else fails and the group of fish is still being stubborn then it may be time to move locations and start from the top again. I appreciate everyone tuning and i hope this helps you put a few fish over the rail.
