Below is a revised list for 2008 on the Most Popular Texas Coast Lures. Not finished by all means but here is the jist...

1. MirrOlure 52M, 51MR, 51M
Action = Suspending – Sinking Twitchbait
Depth = (51MR = 1 – 4’ +) – (52M and 52MR = 3 – 8’ +)
Recommended Colors = *(704, AKA Texas Chicken) - (PD, AKA Purle Demon) – (EC, AKA Electric Chicken) – (S, Silver Cear)

The MR52 is a boat lure, the MR52 is generally used by fisherman on boats, skiffs, and kayaks but can also be used by wade and beach fishermen. However, If you are in water 3 feet or less it is advised that you look into the MR51 which has the line attachment on the nose of the lure instead of the head as on the 52.

*MR52 – M = MirrOlure, R = Rattler, 52 = Model


2. Heddon Super Spook and Jr. Spook
Action = Walk The Dog
Depth = Topwater
Recommended Colors = *(Bone) – (Red Head) – (#RH Red Head) – (Speckled Trout) – (#Chartreuse) – (Blue Chrome)

The Super Spook in bone is probably one of the most thrown topwaters down here in Texas. This particular lure produces fish throughout the year and in almost any water or weather condition.


3. Rapala Skitter Walk
Action = Walk The Dog
Depth = Topwater
Recommended Colors = *(HP, Hot Pink) – (HBNC, Holographic Bone/Chartreuse)

Hot Pink, HP, is the big producer for the Skitter Walk’s and is literally the only color you should own from this model lure but if you are looking for a set then the HBNC is a good all around choice for the bays.


4. Spoon
Action = Spinning
Depth = Variable
Recommended Colors = (Gold) – (Silver)

When looking to keep it simple use these during the morning to catch reds and trout. The best sizes are ¼ and ½ oz and it is best to use a swivel or Norton Quick Twist clip avoid line twist.


5. Norton Sand Eel’s
Action = Freestyle – Tied to a poppin’ cork
Depth = Bottom
Recommended Colors = (Mardis Gras) – (Tequila Gold) – (Avocado) – (Laguna Shrimp)
Recommended Colors for Jr. Sand Eel = (Salty Chicken) – (Baffin Magic) – (Avocado)

Depending on the situation these lures are usually used with a 1/16th and 1/8th jig heads are the ticket with the majority in 1/16th. Screw locks work the best for me.


6. B&L Corky
Action = Twitch, Slow Retrieve
Depth = Suspended - Sinker
Recommended Colors = (Pink)

This is a fairly new lure and is becoming a HUGE success with trout. If you have the chance get ALL three models in PINK, they include Original Corky, Corky Devil, and Corky Fat boy, and if you want to try a different color I suggest the Chartreuse/Gold/Orange.


7. Brown Solo
Action = Semi-Suspending
Recommended Colors = (Pink) – (Bone) – (Amber/Chartreuse) – ( Chartreuse) – (Black/Chartreuse)

The Solo’s have a slow sink rate and are much more maneuverable and versatile that the Corky’s are. I prefer to work these lures a little fast and in heavy cover areas around the bays.


8. MirrOlure Catch 2000 or Catch Jr.
Action = Suspending twitchbait
Depth = 0 – 2’ +
Recommended Colors = (704, Texas Chicken) – (11) – (26) – (CHBL)
Recommended Colors Catch Jr. = (704, Texas Chicken) – (11) – (CH) – (S) – (CHBL)


9. MirrOlure She Pup (75MR), She Dog (83MR), or He Dog (95MR)
Action = Walk The Dog
Depth = Topwater
Recommended Colors = (CRBK) – (CRCH) – (CRBL) – (GCRBO)

The He Dog is for trophy fish while the smaller She Pup is for shy fish.


10. Texas Tackle Factory Trout (Flats),Redfish Killers, Trout Killer II
Action = Variable
Depth = Variable
Recommended Colors = (Plum/Chart) – (Liquid Shrimp) – (Boneyard Shrimp) –(Pumpkin Shrimp)
Recommended Colors TK II = (Texas Avocado) – (Laguna Glass) – (Plum/Chart.) – (Morning Glory) – (Texas Roach) – (Plum/Pearl/Chart)

great list, although I like the Brown Devil Eyes better than the Solo. But thats just me, my buddy loves the Solo. And Corky's are not new, been around since the 70's. The Solo is fairly new, only been out abut a year, and is made by the grandsons of Paul Brown, who makes the Corky's.

Oh that's a nice list. Time to go out & restock for MARCH MADNESS! Thanks again South Padre Bum.

I was talking about the corky devil being a new one. Well new to me.

Ya, I was thinking of adding the Devil Eyes, also Assassins, and Gulp..

However, I like DOA and Gulps on poppin sticks..

I also plan to add a Poppin Cork Page, Fishfinder setup, and Full Blown Guides to South Padre and Galveston with TONS of pics but I am been too busy sleeping and getting ready for pre spawn..

Hopefully before April they will be up..

Not to mention Stripe Pro lures.. I have yet to give their full line a sweep.. Gonna be super busy this year!

Yeah, that would definately be a value hot pick list for fellow anglers! I just got back from ACADEMY and they were cleaned out. Mirrorlure Catch 5000 - SOLD OUT! hahaha. Was going to head over to Gander Mountain, but their stuff is always over priced compared to everyone else. I was so templed to get another rod & reel.. I can NEVER leave with just a few items.. I always LOAD UP!

Action = Freestyle – Tied to a poppin’ cork
Depth = Bottom
Recommended Colors = (Mardis Gras) – (Tequila Gold) – (Avocado) – (Laguna Shrimp)
Recommended Colors for Jr. Sand Eel = (Salty Chicken) – (Baffin Magic) – (Avocado)

How do you fish the bottom with a poppin cork? Do you just have to fish in real shallow water?

Dur.. I was mainly referring to fishing it Freestyled, texas rigged, carolina, etc.

On slow summer days I will drag the lures on the bottom with a poppin cork which helps stri up sand and such to attract the fish.

I should prob. edit that..

Many of those are my favorite lures too, however, I believe that bass assasin makes the best soft plastic jerkbait; and also think that the redfish magic spinner bait should be in there somewhere too.

Another thing, alot of those lures are better during certain times of the year. For instance, in cold water (winter/spring) suspending baits such as the Catch2000, corky, etc. work better than what they do in the warm months. Reason being, fish are targeting larger prey to conserve energy, and they are more natural bcause they more closely resemble the size of baitfish in the water at this time period.

On the other hand, the smaller soft plastic baits work better during the warm months for the same reasons but in reverse.

Spoons are alwats effective in the surf, and are dynamite when fish are chaseing small bait such as glass minnows. Also, very good for schooling reds in late summer and fall.

Spinner baits are very effective for red/trout when fishing offcolored water. They put off lots of vibration and flash which draws strikes on tough days.

However, in my opinion, the all around saltwater lure is the surface walker. Good ones are Super Spooks and Hi-pitch TopDogs. I have found that red/trout, and many other species, will hit a surface walker at any time of year, and under a variety of different conditions. It is also a great locator, as you can cover alot of water with it. The thing to remember is to downsize or upsize depending on time of year. In the winter/spring (cold water) fish the larger versions of the aboved mentioned baits. During warmer months, downsize your surface walker to match bait size. Since summer fishing means skinny water fishing, smaller topwaters are also better because they create less of a disturbance, not spooking fish. Get the ShePups or Super Spook Jr.

Ome thing to remember when fishing walkers, is to vary your retrieves. When you get a strike, repeat the same cadence on your next casts. Also, if fish are missing the topwater, or if not biting but u know they are there, go to a suspending bait and you will usually catch.

Great list, Good Luck

Yeah, the Corky Devil is fairly new. Looks just like the Devil Eye soft plastic, maybe a little bigger, and different color shades. Anyone needing Corky's, it is worth the trip to Paul's house in Houston just to chat with him. He is great guy and fun to talk fishing with. Not to mention he makes great lures.

So I have to ask Bum, are these your personal top 10, or have you done research on the most popular, best selling, and best producing baits? Just curious. I think its a great list.

My first list was based on best producing.. taken from many polls and such.

This new list is a combo of my prior list along with my personal favorites fished last year.

I clocked over 100 days, full days, last year fishing the bays and these baits work.

This year I plan devote more time to Spinners, Man 1- Minus, Strike Pro's, Jigs, and other lures.


-Z-

TTRHP

Here is my list

1. Super Spook Jr. (Surface Walker by Hadden)

I like this one in Chartrusse and like to throw it as my primary fish locator/catcher all year long. It can catch huge trout in cold months and though it is dynamite for numbers early and late on summer days, it can hang up in the large amounts of drifting grass that plauge our bays when dead. (Red and Trout)

2. Bass/Saltwater Assasin (Plastic Jerk Bait)

The assasin barely beats out hard suspending jerkbaits in my book, only because of the warm conditions of south texas most of the year. Best all around color is limetrusse (clear and stained water) but I also have great success with electric chicken when water is green to clear. Bring plenty of packs when fishing near summer schoolie trout but be ready for a big one or redfish. (Trout/Red)

*Tip: When fishing for spooky fish in shallow water, rig weightless on a bass hook for quiter approach. Also, when rigged like this, lure can be fished as a surface walker, which is great for a weedless approach.

3. Catch2000 (hard suspending jerkbait by MirrorLure)

Only comes in third because it is primarily effective during winter/spring (cold water), this bait mimics a large injured mullet, which is the primary baitfish during cold water periods. Large trout prefer large meals to conserve winter energy and this lure is a perfect target. This bait cant be fished too slow though I have had success with a faster approach at times. Good colors are electric, chartrusse, and red/white. (Primarily larger trout)

*Tip: Action can be fast if you use a surface walker to locate fish before throwing this lure. Also, will not sink to proper debth on braid, so use a leader if fishing braid.

4. Redfish Majic (spinner bait by Strike King)

This is my go to lure when water is chopped up and cloudy. Can be deadly when fished over sandy grass flats in high wind. Also good when soft plastic action dies down. Best colors are Pearl, Chartrusse, and Electric Chicken. (Redfish/keeper Trout)

*Tip: If you locate redfish they will usually not pass this bait up if presented to them. I landed personal best redfish of 46 in, 50 lbs on this bait while fishing a jetty in the surf.

5. Gold/Silver Spoon, Rattle Trap, Corky,

All of these baits are very effective under the right circumstance and many would list spoons or Corky's as their number one baits. I dont rate them this high but they are all allways with me. Spoons and Traps can be effective on a wide variety of species, from inshore trout/reds to offshore species such as Smacks and Blues. Though sometimes slow, corky's can be dynamite in cold water. Afterall, a corky has landed a state record trout.

*Tip: Traps/Spoons can become my number one's when fishing nearshore surf or gulf areas, especially when small glass minnows,shad, or sardines are running. Corky's can overtake hard suspending baits such as the catch2000 when the bite is soft or short.


(Though I have many other lures, I am usually hardpressed if I cant catch on one or a combo of these lures. To tell you the truth, most of my other lures are only there to take up slots in my trays.)

i know you listed your colors on certain lures... but i just gotta ask... what will determine the colors of your lures? time of year? water color? (clear, green, muddy, brown, etc.)..

Time of year is not really important.

Water color is key. If they can't see it then it needs to have a rattle or some sort of good vibration.

Also, it's really what the fish are biting that day, if you see bait fish jumping, try to match it with size and color.

Oh hot summer days I throw big baits in all colors. I always have 5 poles rigged with my most successful lures. After about 20-30 casts if nothing is working I switch.

Here is a note on clear and green water I will usually throw smaller baits with a more natural look. If they are not interested then I throw the ridiculously large hot pink skitterwalks or bright chart. Spooks.

-Z-

thank you for the tips. just reorganized some of my gear too... -


- so far 2008 fished only 7 days...

Do you fish from the boat a lot?
You will rarely find me "near" the boat. I am always the first one out and the last one in. I like a good 75 yard buffer zoan.

I ussually will have 2 bait casters and a spinning in the boat. I use one of the biat casters 99.9% of the time for all artificials. I use the other only if I get spooled or get a rare unfixable backlash. The spinning I will only use if the wind is just too high to deal with or if I throw a popping cork. I like the spinner action better for throwing corks...
-K

Great List. Texas Trout Killers almost always produce the best for me.

I am firm believer in drift fishing, so mainly from a boat.

Every now and then I will get out and wade near the boat..

Just depends on the situation.

Some times while drift fishing I will drag a bucket with a brick in it to churn up a game trail. Then I will move off 30 yards or so and fish the game trails I just churned up. You gotta have little trix man.. all about trix..

-Z-

I hear you. We do some drift fishing when we are not hitting anything good at likely spots. I just tend to like beign in the water better...

Look, Im not trying to bash you Bum, but the info you are giving is not very acurate. If you do not believe me than pick up a fishing magazine and read what the pro's say, ask a guide, or look at the reports.

Time of year means everything, and for the reasons I have already stated. In the cooler months (Dec., Jan, Feb, March, sometimes April) you want to throw your larger suspending baits and surface walkers. Reason being is that these baits resemble the natural forage availiable during this time of year, horse mullet. If you do not believe me than go to the water and take a look at what kind of bait you see the most of. Also, species like trout are trying to conserve energy and like to only waste it on larges meals that will fill them up with one bite. However, this is not to say that they will not hit something smaller, only that you will typically have more success by taking this tactical approach.

In retrospect, in the spring and summer and sometimes fall months; you want to begin downsizing your lure choices to match the hords of tiny baitfishes schooling around.(asasins, spoons, spinners, smaller topwaters, plastics, ect.) Try opening up a trouts stomach during the summer and I bet you will find alot of little bitty glass minnows, or stuff of similar size, more often than not. Also the fish do not have to worry about conerving energy produced by warmth, and can expend it by chasing around small prey all day long. However, one of the most important reasons that I like to downsize, is because of the skinny water conditions that summertime fishing intails. You need ot find lures that will not spook fish in the shallows. Now, as I said earlier, this does not mean that fish wont hit the larger baits, it just that you will do better by fishing to the circumstances.

Now if you dont believe me then take it from the pros. Im not saying anything that they wouldnt tell you either. Also, I am very ademant about these philosophies because they have worked for me over the years. I fish several times a week and rarely get skunked when I go out because I make sure I take a tactical approach to what I do, I just dont go out and start tossing baits around.

I do like your comment on what fish are biteing that day though. Again, not trying to hate on you this is just something that I am ademant about.

As for the water color thing, in green water I like to go with brighter colors while on murky days I go with darker colors which cast a better silloutte in these circumstances. Chartursse/limetrusse is the exception and I will throw these whenever.

I read the same Saltwater Mags as you.. Hell, I have hired half the guides in Texas Saltwater Fishing Mag.

What's been written in those mags 10 years ago still goes for today, there hasn't been that many new advances in bay fishing. Which is why I like to do different approaches.

Ther are NO rules in fishing, bait, color of water, lures, etc. All that mumbo jumbo is nothing more than a helpful guide, it's not set in concrete. You should know that if you fish as much as you do on any given day a red or trout could hit any color bait.

Your stance is telling people to do the classic approach, play is safe go with what is proven and works. That's understandable. Not me, I say go big, go daring, mix it up, try everything because most people stick to the same old habbits. Very few people are out trying to explore new ways to catch fish, unlike bass fishermen who try new approaches all the time.

Now, I could quote word for word every guide I have ever taken out on this and that, lure selection, water temp, blah blah, awesome advice all of it! However, everybody and their mom fishes that way and I LOVE trying new things, only makes you a better fisherman.

Think about it.. Bass fishing has new baits, techniques, trix coming out every few years that go crazy and revolutionize the sport. Like when Jigs came out in the 90s when Gary Y. won all those tournies fishing them. Saltwater bay fishing has... well.. it's been the same for 20 years.

Lastly, I have fished with the Pro's in the Redfish Cup and when big money is on the line and there are 200 boats out there doing the same thing you would be suprised as to how the top 10 actually caught their fish.

Who do you think I got the dragging a bucket from your boat idea or jumping in the water and making big mud spots. By talking to the 3rd place winner of the Redfish Tour and the 7th place team at the Redfish Cup.

-Z-

I agree that any given day anything can happen, but it is always better to take a scientific and tactical approach. If you want to talk tourny & bass fishing then look at KVD, the best tourny fisherman out there. In tournys he does not try to throw new wild things, he sticks to proven fish catchers (spinner, cranks, traps) and pounds them till he catches fish.

BTW, the approaches that you talk about being new have been used as far back as the 50's and probably even earlier. Do you really think that Jigs came out in the 90's? I still have my grandpas old jigs that he used back in the 60's, as keepsakes. Just to let you know, just about every technique used now has been used since the early days. Thing is that people just forgot, and now the equipment is just a little better. For example, braid has been around since at least the 60's its just thinner now. Fishing lures are like fads, they come and go, but the proven fish catchers will always be there. Spinners, cranks, traps, and the TX rigged worm. Other than that, its just whats IN.

I am a huge bass fisherman and I love all the different approaches but again, there are certain times a year when different lures work better that others. Reason being, is that fish are in different areas, feeding on different things, all dictated by the wheather that each time of year sees. If you can not understand this, or know about this, then you need to spend a little more time on the water. For example, if I were to be throwing a large swimbait on Choke this weekend I would not have caught 20 bass and a 10 lb and 7.5 spawing female. Because of the time of year, bass were in the early stages of spawning. This means that the males were cruising the shallow grass swatting baitfish from the bedding areas and getting ready to meet up with females. For this reason we were catching them on spinner baits "a proven bait this time of year" as we caught males we looked for early bedded females and were luchky enough to pull up two bigguns with a white speed crawl and a senko "also proven baits for this time of year". The rest of the females were off in deeper water and without electronics we did not spend much time trying to find them this time. I garuntee you that if we had messed around trying to go with some wild baits and bizzarre tactics, we would not have caught fish.

What Im trying to say, is that methods and baits are proven for a reason, because they work. The next step is to just find where the fish are and there are also proven places to find each species depending on time of year. Again, if you do not know or understand this than you need to do alot more research and spend more time on the water and you will come around.

I just was saying Gary Y. was the reason Jigs came out as the "new" bait when he won all those tournys, sparked the jig revolution. Like the Nerf Football, it was around in the 50's but then someone added denser foam and poof! Became a must have for every boy in America. All Gary did was change up a jig, and poof! Here we are.

As for KVD.. Fish God. Just is.. We all see what he does.. how he fishes on the shows. Just not how he prepares or chooses his fishing spots, if he told us that.. WEll that's his meal ticket.

Talking to me like a little kid is just bad on your part. Before you even joined this forum I was telling people to choose baits according to everything you have listed. Now I am changing it up.

** Like in my Top Lure Selection, ALL Proven in all the right colors **

Not this year, this year I am fishing with unknown lures in unfavorable fashion.

Simple as that.

-Z-