Thread: best artificial

Originally Posted by Pier#r

IMHO Gulp shrimp ought to be outlawed they are so effective.
j/k but they are pretty effective in the 3" colors mentioned (also pearl white ;-)
I use them with a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce jig head, mainly targeting flounder but using them have caught speckled and white trout, red and black drum, southern and gulf and northern kingfish (ground mullet & whiting), ladyfish, hardtails (blue runner and baby jack crevelle), catfish, even a few pompano.

If I used a Fishfinder Rig (or Carolina Rig) I would probably switch to the floating Gulp shrimp pearl color (again in 3" size).

The popular Voodoo shrimp is a tough plastic artificial with no scent, as is the DOA.
The Voodoo shrimp has kevlar molded in the tail so it won't get bit off.
The hook is molded onto a 'standup' style jighead which doesn't sink or rest very "naturally" IMHO.
I prefer the 3" or 4" Savage Gear Manic Shrimp (also with kevlar in the tail, but) with a 'swimbait' style weight molded onto the hook to give a more "natural" fall and presentation.

The DOA is another popular and proven lure, but at twice the cost of H&H TKO Shrimp (which have "natural looking" black eyes), they are NOT twice as good (if at all better IMO).
The Live Target Shrimp look most "natural" (to me) of all the unscented arty shrimp, but are fairly expensive.

Hope this helps!

Pier#r, thank you. very helpful. I didn't know all those other brands existed. I have to say, that Live Target Shrimp is impressive. Would fool me quite easily.

You mentioned using a floating gulp shrimp if using a carolina rig type set up. To me that makes sense and I will try that with my bigger set up (10' Star Rod and Penn 7500SS reel) where I try to wade out and get the bait into that first big trough. Regarding my smaller set up (7' rod / Shimano 3000 stradic), how would you fish those artificials? It's often too choppy for a popping cork, so I end up either putting a gulp on a jig head and dragging it across the bottom (never has produced for me) or I end up throwing mirrolures or gold spoons or bucktails with pork rind. In the end it all kind of feels like grasping at straws and just trying to use what I have.

For me, those unscented lures are sight fishing only, though a popping cork may help draw the attention of trout (etc.) to it,
but popping corks are most effective for fishing shallow (less than 3 feet under float) over suspended fish or in relatively shallow water.
Anyway the water should be fairly clear for these sight fishing shrimp imitations which it often is not when the wind has been blowing onshore.
Also the Gulp shrimp dragged on the bottom in dingy or roiled water will not get as much action as a floating one under those same conditions.
That will get it up off the bottom and stirred up silt where the fish can 'feel' and see it ;-)

Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by Pier#r

For me, those unscented lures are sight fishing only, though a popping cork may help draw the attention of trout (etc.) to it,
but popping corks are most effective for fishing shallow (less than 3 feet under float) over suspended fish or in relatively shallow water.
Anyway the water should be fairly clear for these sight fishing shrimp imitations which it often is not when the wind has been blowing onshore.
Also the Gulp shrimp dragged on the bottom in dingy or roiled water will not get as much action as a floating one under those same conditions.
That will get it up off the bottom and stirred up silt where the fish can 'feel' and see it ;-)

Hope this helps!

Pier#r, you are always helpful. It's why I come back to this board every spring before my trip. So much good advice from guys like you over the years. It's really a great site. So for me a "typical" fishing day (when not chasing my 2 or 6 year old daughters around the beach) usually involves me fishing in the late afternoon. Probably not ideal, but dad duty is tough to avoid. Usually I just figure out what I feel like throwing out there first, and then if that doesn't work, I move to the next lure. We fish off the beach in Fort Morgan on the gulf side. The general slope in front of our rental house is very gradual (i I have to walk about about 100 yards at least to be neck deep) and getting anything into that first trough takes a good bit of wading out and the big rod (this is where I have used the carolina rig set up with the gulp shrimp (which will now be a floating gulp shrimp!). With that being said, how would you fish the gentle slope with the 7' rod, (assuming you aren't actually seeing fish (and don't have the option of walking away to find better ground))? Floating gulp on a small jig head to keep it just off the bottom? This area is where I struggle the most. Trying to figure out how to fish that gentle slope with what I have, and further more, figuring out what I trying to fish for (pompano, trout, flounder), as they all seem to require different approaches.