# Best Trout Lure Battleground 2.0



## GatorTrout

Let’s see where this goes

Paul Brown Corkies
Hogie Super Shad
Down South Lures 

are by the far the best trout lures out there


Z-man and assassins can pound sand


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## Smackdaddy53

Spook Jr


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## GatorTrout

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Spook Jr


Strong Morning slack tide lure


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## SomaliPirate

Live croaker


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## LowHydrogen

Live shrimp / Gulp shrimp under a cajun thunder popping cork.


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## Smackdaddy53

SomaliPirate said:


> Live croaker


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## TexasSightcaster

MirrOdine XL. Nothing beats it.


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## SomaliPirate

I like a Mirrolure 7M.


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## Smackdaddy53

TexasSightcaster said:


> MirrOdine XL. Nothing beats it.


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## Big Fish

Mirrodine (normal size, not XL or baby version)
Lucky craft pointer 78sp
Full size super spook


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## Zika

DOA 1/4-ounce shrimp in Near Clear
Rapala Skitter Walk 
DOA BaitBuster, white/red head


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## GatorTrout

Smackdaddy53 said:


> View attachment 121024


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## GatorTrout

Then I say live bait is cheating


Me watching the world come after me









SomaliPirate said:


> Live croaker


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## LowHydrogen

GatorTrout said:


> Then I say live bait is cheating
> 
> 
> Me watching the world come after me
> View attachment 121096


If it's not a fly it's cheating.. Hence my live skrimp-gulp skrimp/cajun thunder comment. If you're gonna go slummin, go all the way.


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## Wilmywood

Gill Nets work best round these parts


LowHydrogen said:


> If it's not a fly it's cheating.. Hence my live skrimp-gulp skrimp/cajun thunder comment. If you're gonna go slummin, go all the way.


If you really wanna catch em a gill net across a creek is hard to beat


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## GatorTrout

LowHydrogen said:


> If it's not a fly it's cheating.. Hence my live skrimp-gulp skrimp/cajun thunder comment. If you're gonna go slummin, go all the way.


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## Flyboy

Vudu Shrimp or a live shrimp under a popping cork


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## Monty

Several decades ago, out at Chandeleur Islands, a shad rig tied onto a lucky 13 with the rear removed. The shad rig was tied onto the place where the last treble hook was. A shad rig has 2 small jigs with feathers or hair. It was common to catch 3 trout at a time on this set up.


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## Chopsflyfishes

Wyze Guyz bambino 3.75" in shrimp pimp


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## topnative2

Top Dog Chartu......


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## Ice Cream Man

Spook one knocker. From The Speckled Truth ......ICM


CITATION PROGRAM UPDATE*

Admittedly it’s been awhile since our last post, but I wanted to provide a Dirty 30 (DT) and Trophy Trout Citation (TTC) program update.

So far I’ve logged and mailed out 300 citations. Of that, 77 were Dirty 30’s and the other 223 were fish over 27”s.

Here is the State Breakdown participation numbers & release rate:
AL: 6 TTC/1 DT - 71% release rate
FL: 32 TTC/20 DT - 94% release rate
GA: 1 TTC/DT - 100% release rate
LA: 6 TTC/0 DT - 67% release rate
MS: 7 TTC/0 DT - 43% release rate
NC: 33 TTC/9 DT - 81% release rate
SC: 2 TTC/1 DT - 100% release rate
TX: 121 TTC/46 DT - 89% release rate
VA: 14 TTC/0 DT - 86% release rate

Overall we’re at a 86% release rate!

Although that’s good stuff, one cool thing we found, and we’ll explore, is type/brand of Topwater. Topwater baits accounted for 44 of the 300 citations, which is consistent from last year, however what’s telling and the part we’ll explore is the brand.* 32 of the 44 Topwater citation submissions came on a Heddon Product (One Knocker, Super Spook, Spook Jr) - That’s nearly 73%!!!*

So why is that? Is it audible pitch, sound, profile?!? We have our theories but what say you?

Anyway, hope all is well and we really the support for the programs!
#speckledtruth
See Less


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## Smackdaddy53

Ice Cream Man said:


> Spook one knocker. From The Speckled Truth ......ICM
> 
> 
> CITATION PROGRAM UPDATE*
> 
> Admittedly it’s been awhile since our last post, but I wanted to provide a Dirty 30 (DT) and Trophy Trout Citation (TTC) program update.
> 
> So far I’ve logged and mailed out 300 citations. Of that, 77 were Dirty 30’s and the other 223 were fish over 27”s.
> 
> Here is the State Breakdown participation numbers & release rate:
> AL: 6 TTC/1 DT - 71% release rate
> FL: 32 TTC/20 DT - 94% release rate
> GA: 1 TTC/DT - 100% release rate
> LA: 6 TTC/0 DT - 67% release rate
> MS: 7 TTC/0 DT - 43% release rate
> NC: 33 TTC/9 DT - 81% release rate
> SC: 2 TTC/1 DT - 100% release rate
> TX: 121 TTC/46 DT - 89% release rate
> VA: 14 TTC/0 DT - 86% release rate
> 
> Overall we’re at a 86% release rate!
> 
> Although that’s good stuff, one cool thing we found, and we’ll explore, is type/brand of Topwater. Topwater baits accounted for 44 of the 300 citations, which is consistent from last year, however what’s telling and the part we’ll explore is the brand.* 32 of the 44 Topwater citation submissions came on a Heddon Product (One Knocker, Super Spook, Spook Jr) - That’s nearly 73%!!!*
> 
> So why is that? Is it audible pitch, sound, profile?!? We have our theories but what say you?
> 
> Anyway, hope all is well and we really the support for the programs!
> #speckledtruth
> See Less


Baby Trout Spook One Knocker
30 1/2” 8 1/2 pounds spawned out
Catch, photo, released


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## Capt.Ron

Small Vudu shrimp


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## scrapiron

As we creep into prime season....We just had great success with a Rappala Shadow Rap Slow sinking 11 in Moss Green.
In fact it was the only bait working at multiple locations between 3 of us. And producing well.

As die hard Mirrorolure fans (I think we have enough to open a store), it was a surprise.


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## DBBLHaulin'ShotCallin'

I love a clean white Paul Brown & Mirrolure MR-17’s in a variety of colors. I’ve messed around with the Zman Trout Tricks recently as well and I’m liking those a lot.


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## Sonny Palma Sola

White "Flowering Floreo", the ones made in the 60's and 70s if you can find them in an old guy's tackle box.


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## mmccull5

Not sure why I even have a tackle box because this is all that I need:


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## TX_maverick

Lil John...color doesn't matter. Best soft plastic for bites.


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## Backcountry 16

TexasSightcaster said:


> MirrOdine XL. Nothing beats it.


X 2


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## JRHorne

scrapiron said:


> As we creep into prime season....We just had great success with a Rappala Shadow Rap Slow sinking 11 in Moss Green.
> In fact it was the only bait working at multiple locations between 3 of us. And producing well.
> 
> As die hard Mirrorolure fans (I think we have enough to open a store), it was a surprise.


Can't find moss green Did you mean Olive Green?


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## scrapiron

It's a Rapala Shadow Rap Jerkbait Moss Back Shiner

Model No. SDR11MBS


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## Smackdaddy53

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Baby Trout Spook One Knocker
> 30 1/2” 8 1/2 pounds spawned out
> Catch, photo, released
> 
> View attachment 155058


28” 7 3/4# last Monday solo wade trip tossing 3 1/2” Down South Lure plastic on a 1/16oz jighead over knee deep mud.
This is my heaviest trout in this bay system where they are making a comeback.
Down South Lures are my go-to plastic for trout, redfish, flounder, black drum and snook down in south Texas. This one was my last in my pocket and previous fish tore it up so I rigged it upside down instead of wading back to the boat.


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## Mako 181

Smackdaddy53 said:


> 28” 7 3/4# last Monday solo wade trip tossing 3 1/2” Down South Lure plastic on a 1/16oz jighead over knee deep mud.
> This is my heaviest trout in this bay system where they are making a comeback.
> Down South Lures are my go-to plastic for trout, redfish, flounder, black drum and snook down in south Texas. This one was my last in my pocket and previous fish tore it up so I rigged it upside down instead of wading back to the boat.
> View attachment 160406
> View attachment 160407
> View attachment 160408
> View attachment 160409


Mud Sucking Trout.


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## jpipes

Smackdaddy53 said:


> 28” 7 3/4# last Monday solo wade trip tossing 3 1/2” Down South Lure plastic on a 1/16oz jighead over knee deep mud.
> This is my heaviest trout in this bay system where they are making a comeback.
> Down South Lures are my go-to plastic for trout, redfish, flounder, black drum and snook down in south Texas. This one was my last in my pocket and previous fish tore it up so I rigged it upside down instead of wading back to the boat.
> View attachment 160406
> View attachment 160407
> View attachment 160408
> View attachment 160409


That's my go to lure in my go to color. I love that bait. 

Great fish.


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## Smackdaddy53

jpipes said:


> That's my go to lure in my go to color. I love that bait.
> 
> Great fish.


Thank you J! I will be hitting the big mustard mouths hard now that it’s cooling off. I’ll post some eight pounders and hopefully one over ten if I’m lucky.


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## Kirc

Flats / Skinny water (sunrise/sunset) - Zara Spook
Deeper water - Cottee paddle tail grub on a Darter Jighead _or "old school" _tipped Bucktail Jig


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## No Bait / Lures Only

Monty said:


> Several decades ago, out at Chandeleur Islands, a shad rig tied onto a lucky 13 with the rear removed. The shad rig was tied onto the place where the last treble hook was. A shad rig has 2 small jigs with feathers or hair. It was common to catch 3 trout at a time on this set up.


U must be retired as i remember commercial fishermen in d 60's using dat rig.


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## HeliRob

Do you guys find that the early/late topwater bite stays consistent throughout the winter? Or is it more of a summer thing that tapers off when "cold" weather is around?


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## karstopo

HeliRob said:


> Do you guys find that the early/late topwater bite stays consistent throughout the winter? Or is it more of a summer thing that tapers off when "cold" weather is around?


I’ve used topwaters, mainly skitterwalks, year around. Some of the best fish caught were in winter cold water and relatively deep water, up to 12’. Not just early or late, but mid day, especially if it is cloudy. I spent over a year only tossing topwaters no matter where or when. I really wanted to see just what and where and when they could work. Might have cost me some fish in the long run, but it was an interesting exercise. A lot of stuff I had previously read about topwaters, some put forth by so called knowledgeable guides, just simply wasn’t true, at least in my experience. No doubt, they are worth a shot about anytime, especially if you might be scuffling for ideas. Cover a ton of water, no risk of hidden snags, good fish finders they are. But not working in 50 something or low 60s degree water is certainly a myth.


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## TravHale

karstopo said:


> I’ve used topwaters, mainly skitterwalks, year around. Some of the best fish caught were in winter cold water and relatively deep water, up to 12’. Not just early or late, but mid day, especially if it is cloudy. I spent over a year only tossing topwaters no matter where or when. I really wanted to see just what and where and when they could work. Might have cost me some fish in the long run, but it was an interesting exercise. A lot of stuff I had previously read about topwaters, some put forth by so called knowledgeable guides, just simply wasn’t true, at least in my experience. No doubt, they are worth a shot about anytime, especially if you might be scuffling for ideas. Cover a ton of water, no risk of hidden snags, good fish finders they are. But not working in 50 something or low 60s degree water is certainly a myth.


This has been my experience as well. You grow up hearing/reading a lot of accepted/antiquated ideas, but you learn more through your own experiences. In fact, this particular idea is one of the biggest myths I've uncovered in my days of fishing. I've done many trips where I never put my topwater down. 

My most used trout lures are:

Jackal Bonnie 95 
Pearl/Silver Bones c-eye C17MR Mirrodine -- despite their faulty rattle design..
Green/white/silver Mirrolure 52MR
Weightless Zoom Fluke in white pearl. 

I also like the Rapala Shadow Rap Shad--just not a very durable lure. 

I like covering a lot of water, and tend to mostly throw "search" baits looking for aggressive fish


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## Monty

Good ones. I'm stuck on the Lead head jigs (1/4 oz) and Berkley Gulp. I fish them with/without a popping cork (Cajun Thunder or Walmart version). The Cajun thunder seems to work best for me when the water is full of grass. It keeps the lure in one area and stays "unfouled" for a longer period of time.

I like the 52m greenback also. As I recall its a slow sinker. I do remove the 1st set of treble hooks. 

But a "secret weapon" I sometimes throw is a small size Mr. Champ. They're bright silver colored spoons and great for covering lots of water...and if its more summer, a spanish makeral (can't seem to spell mackeral correctly) might just hit it..


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## mro

When your chucking plastics on a lead head jig, you can tie on a 6/8" leader 16 to 18 inches above it and attach a another plastic tail (no weight). I set up my wife's spinning rod this way and she consistently out fished me. Not unusual for her to catch two at a time. 
Works really well in deeper water. Drums like it too.


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