Jumping like a mullet? Or really shallow and thrashing around killing crabs? I've seen them run stuff up so shallow they had to swim sideways to get back, but jump?

At cabelas...

They had less than academy...

The water was about 12-24". And the fish jumped like a bass grabbing something off the top of the water. These weren't slender fish. They were prob 14-18" long. With dots on their tail. There were other thinner, darker fish jumping too.

I was right around and between some islands on the north side of the bridge that is between south bay(?) and redfish bay. Technically, I might have been in south bay. I launched my kayak off the road right as you cross the bridge to the island.

Mullet can get big. I have caught a 24" inch on in a cast net before. They are dark on the back silvery on the sides. Redfish are dark red on top blending into a red / gold color on the sides and then a white belly. They usually have one black spot on each side of their tail. However about 25% seem to have more than one spot per side and about 0.05% have no spots at all.

If y'all have never seen a redfish jump then it had to be one of two things: 1) the Lord was giving the redfish supernatural powers to welcome me into the splendid pantheon of saltwater fishing or 2) they were mullet.

I prefer #1.

Picked up some TTF 2 trout killers in plum/chart at cabelas.

They had tsunami topwater but the smallest size was 5". That seemed kinda big.

Anyone have a gold spoon preference? Hope not too silly of a question, but I bought a FLW weedless spoon that wasn't very weedless and didn't seem to have good action. Should a spoon be used with a swivel?

5" topwaters are definitely not too big. Johnson weedless spoons are good and so are the Bagley weedless spoons. Swivels will help with line twist. I prefer the smallest one that I can get away with and black in color.

5" is just fine.
I usually rig stainless split ring with a swivel to a spoon at home, I hate the snap lock swivels, a 28" redfish will make short work out of them.

Do you take the treble hooks off the lures and replace with single hooks? I have a friend who does this to his saltwater lures.

Southtex, I feel certain thart Pat will agree with this, but you need to be looking for a WEEDLESS spoon. They only have a single hook with a weed guard.

Yes, I understand the spoon is weedless and has a single hook. I'm talking about super spooks, tsunamis, etc. My friend also has a guide friend who takes them off and replaces with single circle hooks. He says "any fish that is serious about eating this bait is going to get hooked regardless of the hook."

I have not done that but I can see that it would make it easier to unhook the fish.

I am committed to taking only one medium water proof Plano tackle carrier. I still have 2 compartments for soft bait and three small areas for lures or terminal tackle.

Still on the hunt for an eel color or two.

Anything that I need before I head down next week?

This is what I picked up so far:

5" hogie super minnows, red/wht
Norton sand eels, tequila gold, plum/chart
TTF killer flats minnow, bone/chart
TTF red killer, pepper/chart
TTF trout killer, pepper/chart
Mirrolure suspending twitch bait, white/red
Johnson silver minnow gold spoon, 1/2oz, weedless
H&H surf spoon, gold spoon, 1/2oz
Rockport Rattler, screw top hooks, xmax 4/0
Norton lock 1/4oz, 1/8oz Screw head hooks
Hogie 1/4 and 1/8oz gamakatsu screw heads


Just for fun:
TTF lil spec killer, red/wht and pumpkin/chart

Imagine what a 28" "jumping redfish" would do to it....

Gulp New Penny 4in with chartruese tail. Rig it using a worm hook to make it weedless.