It’s been said that catching fish on topwater lures is the ultimate fishing thrill. If so, then fishing the flats is the ultimate extreme — the X-Games of topwater fishing. Flats like the those located around Tampa Bay in Florida have an abundance of redfish, snook, tarpon, and sea trout all willing to smash a topwater lure with vengeance.
In fact, it’s not that unusual for an angler to catch an inshore slam, which is a sea trout, redfish and snook all in one day. It becomes an addiction. Jason Stock, who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., is a professional angler, fishing guide and expert at backwater fishing for any species of fish swimming in Tampa Bay or coastal waters. Stock owns and operates Jm Snooky Kayak Charters out of the Tampa Bay area.
His two favorite topwater lures for fishing the flats for tarpon, redfish, sea trout or snook are the Rattlin’ and One Knocker Spooks by Heddon Lures. Color seems to matter depending on the weather. On cloudy days, a darker color pattern is better, and on sunny days a more transparent color produces more fish. Stock’s favorite overall color pattern is the Z-Shad followed by Bone, Chrome, and Silver Mullet.
When targeting big fish on the flats, Stock uses the 4 ½-inch Rattlin’ and One Knocker Spooks. But when the bite gets tough he switches to the smaller 3 ½-inch Heddon Super Spook. Continue reading…..
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