Gold spooooons!!!

Me and a friend of mine named Tom Conway used to spend a lot of time walking in the water with nothing but gold weedless spoons. And we slayed them all the time.

Great call.

nice sight, tailing reds

It was an awesome sight. It was the first time I have ever seen it and so frustrating I could not hook up! Maybe next time

gary, you said you slayed them all the time, but i was wondering ....was it just reds that you slayed, or did you get anything else on the gold spoon? trout maybe? or anything at all...I just wouldn't carry a gold spoon only, maybe a white bucktail, or just some other jig....I know that it is trivial to ask but i would love to know if you had any other catches on the spoon?

I've been in Tampa since last April and spent many a day looking for tailing fish. Seen it a couple times. A few times at Honeymoon, once at Picnic Island.
I've tried to look for the low incoming tide, at least a 0.5 or lower. Too much water on the flat and they're hard to see.

Anyone else have any suggestions in terms of why fish tail on certain flats at certain times, so I can start putting the pieces of the puzzle together. I'veheard thick turtle grass and low wind are key, but that's about it. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated in terms of strategy.

Shrimp, fiddlers, cut anything, or something smelly and relatively still probably woulda induced the bite. You can always procure the hell out of a soft plastic and toss it out in a pothole and let it sit.

I've had that happen as well. I like to use z man crabs or gulp crabs on a weedless rig and cast way past them and work it really slow on the bottom. A suspended twitchbait works well in those situations too because you can work it really slowly right by them (i like the small sized live target scaled sardine). Good luck!

And one more thing get some ProCure in inshore or shrimp flavor(or any flavor) to enhance the appeal..just sayin....good luck

I agree with artifishent1...Procure helps them locate it and the stuff is really smelly. I've heard of getting real low, but I've had success with being very quite, and to make certain I have a rod and reel set that can cash a very long way, because they do know you are there once you step in that water. Just imagine yourself under the water and how far they can see especially if the water is gin clear. Under that particular circumstance I would think live shrimp or crab would be the bait of choice. Lures are mainly for reaction bites, except the gulp and HOA shrimp. Slow presentation and patience I would think is the key here because after you hook one they rest usually don't stay around to long to find out what's going on unless you pull that one fish from outside the school. Can't wait to fish tomorrow! Anyone try Weedon Island lately?

Artifishent1...when I got started saltwater fishing gold weedless or with a treble was my weapon of choice. You can catch anything with it. From Permit to Macks. It's my go to lure to find fish in the area when I haven't had a strike on other presentations. If you have a decent rod and use braid you can literally feel the fish striking at it...even the small fish like pins and the dreaded needle fish. I like to retrieve the spoon sometimes right below the surface almost like a buzz bait, and if that doesn't produce I will roll it slow just off the bottom. I've also tried just jigging the spoon but that works better in deeper water. Sometimes is just takes a bit to figure out how they are bitting

I am going to have to try a gold spoon soon and more often. Thanks for the info Mpvu88. I have heard some good reports recently of people having good luck with the weedless gold glitter Aquadream.. Even this late in the season when i normally slow way down with my approach. The fish are responding to the spoons I hear.

The last few reds have caught in CP area have been in knee deep water about 10yrds or less out from me using DOA CALs (with Pro cure) , near the mangroves where mullet seem to run alot and the bottom fairly soft. The water was too deep for tailing, I was looking for the water pushing along with the mullet. This morning at CP we were following a small school of reds, caught a couple that were under slot. I had a DOA shrimp texas rigged weedless that I problably should of used it because of the grass. The tide was out going last week, incoming this morning. The reds I have been able to keep have been full of small crabs or small shrimp, shocker. Puffers were out killing also this morning in the shallows, they seemed to hanging with the reds and mullet.