What's your go to bait for sight casting for reds?

Paddle tail, 1/16 oz jig head. Or a crack or shrimp fly. Occasionally a topwater. I guess it depends on what the fish are doing and where. My first choice is the fly rod because it's fun. But if that is impossible, then it's a paddle tail. Topwater is useful in heavy shell areas where and when the water gets too murky to avoid the shell casting anything that sinks. Shell reefs are not usually uniform. There are gaps and creases and channels. If the water is clear enough, you can toss a paddle tail of fly into the gaps if a fish is evident. But many times a red will pop up, show a tail or a back in heavy shell in opaque water and your only safe option is a topwater. Even weedless rigged tails, flies and spoons can get hung up in heavy reef.

If the red is moving and feeding, I like to get out ahead of them with a fly or tail and twitch the offering when the red comes into range. That's safer than trying to put the bait on the nose of the red where you risk spooking the fish. Main thing is to try to determine what the fish is up to. Sometimes Reds will stake out an area of shoreline to feed. They will chase bait into the grass and reappear down the shoreline doing the same and then come back to where they started. Pods of feeding and roving reds on muddy bottom areas means throw whatever you have on just in front of the pods and get ready. Reds way up in heavy flooded cord grass are tough. It's hard to get to them and hard to put anything in range without fouling in the grass. If they aren't too far into the grass, something noisy like a topwater or popping cork can draw them out.

When they are tailing and feeding aggressively, they'll hit a rubber dog turd, if it moves, it'll get eaten.
If they are just cruising, and a little twitchy, then the presentation is still more important than the actual lure chosen.

If it's heavy grass, the weedless spoon gets the call, if it's clearer water, they'll hardly ever turn down a sand eel. If the water is pretty muddy and you're mostly casting at wakes, then a hogie super minnow gets it's chance.

I agree with both above. Usually 1/16 oz paddletail or texrig belly weighted shrimp. For the shell and grass problems go with weedless weightless fluke/jerk shad.

Look up buggz fishing jigs. They are natural fur jigs that work wonders for finicky fish. The flat head glides through the water and wont spook fish. Otherwise i like anything natural and not too WOW looking?

I agree with the paddle tail recommendation. My Controlled Descent Lures excel in shallow water. Use the full flotation that comes with each lure, rig it weedless with a 1/16 oz hook or lighter. I am confident you will find no better shallow water sight casting lure on the market! With its adjustable sink rate you can keep it off they bottom with ease, if that is what you choose to do.

Go to the link below to purchase and ask your local tackle dealer when they will start to carry them.

Does cabelas sell these controlled descent lures by chance?

Currently we are only selling on line at www.MyCoastOutdoors.com

I typically ship the same day and USPS usually delivers on the second day.

Talk to your favorite tackle shop and ask them when they are going to carry them. The more request they get the sooner they will realizing they need these in their store.