Targeting redfish in the shallow water ponds of south Louisiana is one of my favorite ways to fish. Watching the fish inhale your lure in the clearwater ponds is one of the most exhilarating fishing experiences you can have. Fishermen are always looking for the latest and greatest and I was guilty of it too but now I am figuring out what really works. I have been weeding out the lures that are useless in my box ,and this post will feature the lures that continue to produce every trip.
Aqua Dream spoon- click for info
The weedless gold spoon is by far my most productive lure by far. I use a couple of sizes 3/4 ounce ,1/2 ounce and 1/4 ounce. The 3/4 ounce and larger are good for super windy days but I rarely use the heavier spoon. In the shallow marsh ponds I like to use the 1/4 Ounce Gold Spoon. Stealth is key to success in these shallow water ponds. The minimal splash makes a huge difference because it doesn't spook the fish when it enters the water. If I had to choose only one lure to catch a redfish this is the lure.
Spinnerbaitanother favorite the combo of the spoon and the soft plastic is deadly. This should probably be number one because if you add two of the top ten its catch ability is the greatest. The ability to slow down the spinnerbait makes it one of my favorites when the bite gets tough. The one flawis when fishing in the weeds the spinner bait does not work. Overall though its a great lure when you find an open pond. If you don't frequently fish in grassy areas then the spinnerbait might be your number one.
Inline spinner-click for more info
In-Line Spinner wasn't even on my radar for redfish before last year. This lure rearranges the elements of the spinnerbait and it is quickly supplanting the bait in my box. The rearrangement gives the inline spinner an advantage over the traditional spinnerbait by making it weedless. The only problem I have been having is a tendency for the fish to short strike the lure. But the good thing is the fish are willing to strike this lure multiple times in a row so you will have more than one chance to set the hook.
Soft plastic jig the most versatile lure ever made and great for redfish. They come in every shape and every color in the rainbow.For me color selection is simple in clear water I use a light color most likely opening night in intermediate stained water chartreuse with silver flake and In dirty muddy water I use chicken on the chain. Soft plastics have super realistic action and these lures catch anything that swims with a little variation on the rigging. For Redfish In water up to 10-30 feet I use a 3 or 4 inch jig on a 3/8th ounce jighead. If the water is shallower than 10 feet I might switch to a 1/4 ounce jighead. These lures can also be paired with a cork and produce steady results. If you are in grassy ponds you can rig them with weedless worm hooks and they slide right through the grass. I always keep a soft plastic jig tied on to one of my rods, and when you feel the fish tap the jig you will know why.
Rat-L-Trap these lures are not the most hyped lures as fishermen are always looking for the latest
rat l trap-click here
and greatest lure. But I always find myself going back to the originals lipless crankbait. My favorite color is chrome with a black or blue back. These lures can be effectively fished throughout the entire water column. Rattle traps can be trolled along deep oyster reefs or cast to submerged points and retrieved at varied depths. I also like to work Rattle traps parallel to rock jetties and concrete walls and breakwaters. The other way I work it that I have not seen anyone mention is jigging the rattle trap. Let it sink to the bottom reel in the slack and raise it off the bottom with a sharp jerk let it sink and repeat.
Topwater walker topwaters are the most exciting lures to throw the explosions that result from these lures really make for a great visual experience. The walk the dog type lures are really good when yosee mullet. The serpentine action of these lures is almost hypnotic to the redfish and they will
skitter pop-click here
strike this lure recklessly. The walk the dog technique does take a little practice to master a tip for beginners is to use a large Jitterbug the large wide metal bill gives it the walk the dog action with just a straight reeling retrieve just make sure to switch the hooks to saltwater grade. Im also going throw in the popper in with the walker. The popper is something I throw when its dark and during the twilight period the commotion it makes allows fish to find it in a low light scenario. I will also throw it if the redfish are aggressively feeding on the surface. The fish that hit this lure are the meanest fish in the pond and you will have some tough fights with fish caught on the popper. if you want to catch larger fish tie on a topwater.
zoom horny toad-click here
Soft plastic frogthis lure has been one of my most productive topwater lures where there is thick grass mats. The beauty of this lure is it acts like a buzzbait one of my other favorites that just missed the list because of its propensity to collect grass. It also beat the buzzbait because is its hookup rate is much higher the reds just inhale these soft lures. Rigging these weightless and weedless makes them impossible to foul with grass as they glide right over the top of everything. These lures open up a huge opportunity to fish the grassiest ponds that cannot easily be fished with any other type of lure.
Crank Baitsare lures that I don't really get to use enough for redfish because of all the grass in the areas I frequently fish. deep diving crankbaits with a steady retrieve on deep points and reefs have yielded some fish. In water 3 to 5 feet a Mann's Baby One Minus will catch some fish. My most productive crankbait in 2 feet and shallower a wake bait will do the trick. This is a good beginner lure it super easy to work just a cast and retrieve. Even though it increases chances of the treble hooks to foul with weeds you can work these on the edge of the thick stuff with great results.
wake bait-click here
Live cocahoe minnows can't be beat just don't like taking care of them.
Cracked crab/dead shrimp these are redfish candy and they will not refuse these if you put it in front of them.
is by far my most productive lure by far. I use a couple of sizes 3/4 ounce ,1/2
ounce and 1/4 ounce. The 3/4 ounce and larger are good for super windy days but I rarely use the heavier spoon. In the shallow marsh ponds I like to use the 1/4 Ounce Gold Spoon.
another favorite the combo of the spoon and the soft plastic is deadly. This should probably be number one because if you add two of the top ten its catch ability is the greatest. The ability to slow down the spinnerbait makes it one of my favorites when the bite gets tough. The one flaw
wasn't even on my radar for redfish before last year. This lure rearranges
the most versatile lure ever made and great for redfish. They come in every shape and every color in the rainbow.For me color selection is simple in clear water I use a light color most likely opening night in intermediate stained water chartreuse with silver flake and In dirty muddy water I use chicken on the chain. Soft plastics have super realistic action and these lures catch anything that swims with a little variation on the rigging. For Redfish In water up to 10-30 feet I use a 3 or 4 inch jig on a 3/8th ounce jighead. If the water is shallower than 10 feet I might switch to a 1/4 ounce jighead. These lures can also be paired with a cork and produce steady results. If you are in grassy ponds you can rig them with weedless worm hooks and they slide right through the grass. I always keep a soft plastic jig tied on to one of my rods, and when you feel the fish tap the jig you will know why.
these lures are not the most hyped lures as fishermen are always looking for the latest
walker topwaters are the most exciting lures to throw the explosions that result from these lures really make for a great visual experience. The walk the dog type lures are really good when yosee mullet. The serpentine action of these lures is almost hypnotic to the redfish and they will
this lure has been one of my most productive topwater lures where there is thick grass mats. The
are lures that I don't really get to use enough for redfish because of all the grass in the areas I frequently fish. deep diving crankbaits with a steady retrieve on deep points and reefs have yielded some fish. In water 3 to 5 feet a Mann's Baby One Minus will catch some fish
. My most productive crankbait in 2 feet and shallower a wake bait will do the trick. This is a good beginner lure it super easy to work just a cast and retrieve. Even though it increases chances of the treble hooks to foul with weeds you can work these on the edge of the thick stuff with great results.
the large wide metal bill gives it the walk the dog action with just a straight reeling retrieve just make sure to switch the hooks to saltwater grade. Im also going throw in the popper
in with the walker. The popper is something I throw when its dark and during the twilight period the commotion it makes allows fish to find it in a low light scenario. I will also throw it if the redfish are aggressively feeding on the surface. The fish that hit this lure are the meanest fish in the pond and you will have some tough fights with fish caught on the popper. if you want to catch larger fish tie on a topwater. 
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