Soft plastics for inshore fishing and how I fish them.

April 28, 2025

In this article I will cover the basics of catching red drum, flounder, and speckled trout with soft plastics inshore fishing.

One of the most rewarding times on the water can be obtained by using the same lure to catch many of the same species or multiple species on a single outing. Many inshore species of fish will readily take artificial lures. By understanding some basic principles of artificial lure fishing, presentation, rigging, and fish behaviors you can master the art of using artificial lures to out fish other methods.

All of the images of fish I have caught in this article were caught on artificial soft plastic lures.

Why I love artificial soft plastic lures?

Nothing can cover a wider range of area, faster, than by throwing artificial. You can fish deep, shallow, close, far, slow, fast, all the while very quickly assessing if there are fish holding or if it's time to keep moving. Fan cast the area, hit it and move on if nothing is present, however if you get a hit stay a while you may be onto something.

How I choose the right lure setup?

It all comes down to the conditions on the ground, here is my personal decision-making process:

Weedless or not?

Fishing flats, weed beds, oyster bars, shallow creeks in low current and low water then I go weedless. Otherwise, I go hook exposed with the only exception fishing in grass at high tide!

Size?

What are the fish eating today? If they are eating mullet, perhaps something a little larger like a 4" or 5", if they are eating mud minnows perhaps staying within a 3" size.

Color?

You essentially need only three colors, a light one, a dark one, and a medium one. Which one to use is determined by what the fish are willing to accept that given day. Don't overthink it, they will eat almost any color.

Weight?

Whatever it takes me to feel the bottom on a slow retrieve and nothing more. That could be weightless, 1/15, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, or 5/16. I keep on me at all times, various sized jig heads, hooks, etc.

Hook size?

I match it to the bait, for 3" I use 1/0 and 2/0, for 4" and 5" I use 3/0 and 4/0. Thats my personal preference and this will vary by what you like to do.

How do I rig it?

Leader and knots

Absolutely I always use the loop knot and a line-to-line connection like the FG from braided line to leader!!!

Rods and reels

We can talk all day about equipment, the fundamental thing to me is that you have a rod and reel that you like to use, and you feel comfortable with throwing a lure all day. It should be something that fits you, it's a personal decision.

I only use two setups for fishing artificial 10lb braid and 15lb braid. I like light line so I can cast the lure farther, and I like ultra-light reels and rods so I can cast them for 6-7 hours straight. The fundamental thing here is not what kind of equipment you have but how you can use it. Strive to get to the point where you can accurately cast to where the fish are, and if you can do this for hours without being uncomfortable.

Jig heads

I like to use the smallest hook I can get away with on the given soft plastic. I want the hook of the jig head to have its point nicely exposed without being overly large and affecting the action of the lure.

Scent or no scent

Definitely for trout and flounder it's not needed, they are reacting to action. For reds it could be used but it's not entirely necessary I have had reds pick up lures off the bottom of a creek while I have been distracted and not retrieving that were scented but overall, I have caught far more fish without any scent on the lures.

How to fish it? The most important part.

Over the years I have heard it all, but this is what always works without overthinking it. Cast it in, let it get to the bottom, impart some random action on it by moving your rod tip, fish it slow, really slowly, when you think, you are going to slow, slow it down some more. Think in your mind of how a minnow looks swimming along, and just do that.