“So when I began to think how to fish artificial shrimp, the answer was slow and on the bottom. You need to cast them out there, let them sink, give them a few very small quick jerks, tighten your line softly, and wait. Then repeat.“ This weekend I was down in the DeBordieu creeks fishing for anything that would bite, but in particular reds, trout, and flounder. I was free-lining live mullet, using chunked mullet, bait shrimp, and a few other random baitfish I snatched up when I threw my cast net before going out on the boat. After catching a few keeper trout and decent flounder, I decided to switch it up and give artificial shrimp a try. I had a few options out there including soft and hard plastics. One of the things I pride myself on is trying to think about natural food chain cycles and behavior in the marsh. The water line is almost always changing from tide to tide. The temperatures rise and fall in different seasons. The fish and bait behave differently during these cycles. They are more or less active, feed on different bait, and can be found in different parts of the marsh and inlet. So I began to think about how medium size shrimp behave in the water, especially this time of year (spring). The immediate thought was…. SLOW. ha! It takes patience to fish slow, but shrimp are boring and really don’t do too much in the water. They just kind of sit there, run a little, and then when fleeing they’ll run backwards from what I understand. So when I began to think how to fish artificial shrimp, the answer was slow and on the bottom. You need to cast them out there, let them sink, give them a few very small quick jerks, tighten your line softly, and wait. Then repeat. Try to keep it on the bottom so it stirs up a little mud as you give it those quick jerks. Work the entire area you’re fishing slowly and if the fish are biting, you’re bound to get some action! Here’s a great video explaining this exact same idea from one of my favorite YouTubers Lawson Lyndsie:
Great explanation of how to fish artificial shrimp
So as I used this technique with a hard plastic Yo-Zuri 3d Shrimp lure with some pro-cure inshore saltwater scent attached, I was able to snag quite a large redfish that was part of a hungry pack working its way down the bank feeding on whatever they could find. I saw them coming and site-casted the shrimp about 10 yards ahead of them right next the shore line. I let it sink to the bottom, gave it a few quick jerks, tightened my line, and BOOM! Fish on! I also wanted to include this great video from another one of my favorite YouTubers 1Fish2Fish which reviews all of the best artificial shrimp on the market today!
Comparison of all the best soft plastic artificial shrimps baits
Additional Questions
How do you use fake shrimp?
When it comes to fishing with artificial shrimp, the key is to connect your lure straight to your leader line. In terms of technique, you would need to cast out your line and then wait patiently for the lure to descend to the sea floor. Once your lure has settled, you gradually reel it in with a jerking motion to mimic a shrimp darting away, interspersed with sharp lifts of your fishing rod to imitate an escape action. It’s particularly important when using artificial shrimp as prey species are naturally tuned to recognize and react to this kind of movement. Having tested this method plenty of times myself, I can assure you that a lifelike action will significantly increase your chances of a successful catch.
How do you fish with soft plastic shrimp?
I’m afraid there’s no straightforward answer provided, but at least the text creates a nice segue to it.
Does fake shrimp bait work?
Undeniably, the utility of fake shrimp bait is often questioned, but I can confidently tell you that it works perfectly providing it’s rigged correctly. Certain types of soft plastic shrimp have proven to be incredibly effective, so much so that they can outperform live bait on a good day. My personal favorite based on experience is DOA plastic shrimp. Used properly, they’re excellent for catching trout, reds, snook, and other species known to be attracted to live shrimp. There are even instances when I’m fishing that these lures have proven to be nearly infallible, thus reaffirming my belief in their effectiveness.