Thread: Madbite lures

Has anyone ever tried any of the madbite line of lures either from the pier or in little lagoon? I picked up a few 7/8 oz shallow/med divers and a few poppers larger and smaller. Wondering if they're worth bringing on my trip.

I've never fished that particular brand, but those styles of baits can catch fish, especially when sight fishing an active school from the beach or pier. My biggest caution is that you may lose a lure due to teeth, so I encourage you to use a leader of either heavy mono/fluoro or single strand wire.

On the pier, you could be cut off by any number of fish, but I've had sharks follow the lowly bubble-and-straw rig with the intent to take a bite, so they could certainly chomp down on one of those. If that happens, you probably aren't getting your bait back...the good news is that (if you are fishing fairly high in the water column) you can generally see them coming and pull it away.

I've rigged a shallow diver behind a casting bubble with a leader before. Sometimes the Spanish seemed to like it, other times not. Some folks throw larger stick baits (5+ inches) for kings with occasional luck, just make sure your lure is heavy enough to get some distance.

I've done fairly well at Little Lagoon Pass throwing a 3" rapala X-Rap (shallow diver) with an erratic jerk retrieve for bluefish, ladyfish, and the occasional speck. The blues will cut you off, so don't forget leader material here, too.

Originally Posted by crosshairy

I've never fished that particular brand, but those styles of baits can catch fish, especially when sight fishing an active school from the beach or pier. My biggest caution is that you may lose a lure due to teeth, so I encourage you to use a leader of either heavy mono/fluoro or single strand wire.

On the pier, you could be cut off by any number of fish, but I've had sharks follow the lowly bubble-and-straw rig with the intent to take a bite, so they could certainly chomp down on one of those. If that happens, you probably aren't getting your bait back...the good news is that (if you are fishing fairly high in the water column) you can generally see them coming and pull it away.

I've rigged a shallow diver behind a casting bubble with a leader before. Sometimes the Spanish seemed to like it, other times not. Some folks throw larger stick baits (5+ inches) for kings with occasional luck, just make sure your lure is heavy enough to get some distance.

I've done fairly well at Little Lagoon Pass throwing a 3" rapala X-Rap (shallow diver) with an erratic jerk retrieve for bluefish, ladyfish, and the occasional speck. The blues will cut you off, so don't forget leader material here, too.

Thank you for the suggestion(s) and info Crosshairy. What length leader would you recommend? When fishing the lagoon, do you wade, kayak/boat or fish from shore?

I use a short 27# single strand when fishing for kings with a lure, about 5 or 6" long. Small black swivel.

For Spanish & blues, use 50# mono, maybe a foot long. That way you can retie at least once or twice as it gets nicked up by the lure.

Originally Posted by fordguy

Thank you for the suggestion(s) and info Crosshairy. What length leader would you recommend? When fishing the lagoon, do you wade, kayak/boat or fish from shore?

If fishing from the pass (where the bridge crosses over the inlet to the lagoon that connects it to the gulf), you can generally fish from the shore or by wading out into the surf just a bit. The "cut" from the current generally gives you better access to the slightly deeper water that will hold fish during daylight hours (or anytime).

If fishing the rest of the lagoon, night time under the lights of the various condo piers is a good time to see speckled trout and occasionally redfish (although I've never caught any large reds in the lagoon, but others have). I personally think the best place for early/late hours fishing in the lagoon are on the ends where the shores get grassy. I have the most experience fishing the east end. The grass holds shrimp, and there are a few channels here and there where drainages come in from little creeks/chutes. The best way to fish this is out of a boat/kayak, but I've only done it when staying in a condo in that area and bank fishing where I could get access.

Note that you can also catch fish with jerkbaits, spoons, bucktail jigs, and plastic jigs in the surf. The morning is best, because the fish come in a bit more with fewer swimmers in the water, but you can catch them anytime. I try to cast over the first sand bar and work the bait up, over, and down the bar. I've had the best luck with ladyfish, bluefish, and speckled trout with that method. Smaller bucktail jigs (that's basically what a pompano jig is) can be worked over that same area, hopping the bottom) for pompano and whiting. Try tipping the jigs with a bit of shrimp or a small piece of Fish Bites (flavored strips that you cut with a knife or scissors).