Best Lures for Tampa Bay Snook, Redfish, and Trout

Tampa Bay inshore fishing is 80% about putting the right bait in the right place at the right time. The other 20% is the lure doing the work when live bait isn’t an option. I’ve spent years dialing in what actually gets bit around here instead of what looks good in a tackle shop.

These are the lures I reach for most often for snook, redfish, and trout in Tampa Bay. Nothing exotic. Nothing that only works in clear water 200 miles from here.

Topwater for the Flats and Mangroves

Redfish and snook both smash topwater at first and last light, especially on grass flats and along mangrove edges on an incoming tide.

The Rapala Saltwater Skitter Walk in redfish color is the one I keep tied on a 7’ medium spinning rod. It walks the dog with minimal effort and the hook-up ratio is solid. When the water is calm and bait is showing, this thing draws strikes you can hear.

For bigger snook around dock lights or in the passes at dusk, the same Skitter Walk in bone or mullet works, but I downsize the leader to 30lb fluoro so it doesn’t splash too hard on the cast.

Soft Plastics That Actually Get Eaten

DOA Shrimp in chartreuse/silver glitter is the Tampa Bay standard for a reason. Snook under lights eat it, redfish on the flats crush it, and trout will hammer it when nothing else is moving. The 3” size is perfect. Rig it on a 1/8 oz jig head and fish it slow on the bottom or let it sink and twitch.

The Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ 4” paddle tail in rootbeer or new penny is my go-to when I want to cover water. Slow roll it along pilings or through a pass and it gets crushed by snook and the occasional red. The paddle tail thump is what triggers the eat when the fish are finicky.

For trout specifically, a 4” Gulp! Mullet or shrimp in natural colors fished under a popping cork or on a light jig head is money on the grass flats. They don’t always want the same thing as the reds and snook.

Jerkbaits and Twitch Baits

When the fish are holding tight to structure and won’t commit to topwater, a suspending jerkbait gets the job done.

The Rapala X-Rap in silver or gold is the one that has produced the most consistent snook for me around the Skyway and in the passes. Twitch it, pause, let it sit. The pauses are when they eat.

MirrOlure 52M series (the classic 52MR in green or black) is still deadly on redfish and trout in the backcountry. The wobble is different from modern plastics and the fish notice.

What I Skip

I don’t carry a lot of hard crankbaits anymore. They hang up too much in the grass and shell. The soft plastics and topwaters cover 90% of what I need.

I also don’t bother with tiny trout lures when targeting snook and reds. If I’m specifically after trout on a slow day, I’ll downsize, but most trips I’m throwing something that can handle a 30” snook if it shows up.

Rigging Notes

• 15-20lb braid to 30lb fluoro leader for most inshore work.
• 1/8 oz jig heads for the soft plastics unless it’s windy, then go 1/4 oz.
• Circle hooks only if you’re throwing live bait (required by law for tarpon anyway).

The lures above are the ones that stay in my box year-round. Everything else is situational. If you’re new to Tampa Bay inshore, start with the DOA Shrimp and the Skitter Walk and learn those two before you buy anything else.

Next time you’re on the water at dawn with a topwater tied on, pay attention to where the bait is pushing. That’s where the fish are. The lure just needs to look like an easy meal.