Thread: Rapala Sub Walk
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Old 07-03-2008, 12:49 AM
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The Sub Walk Dog hunts pretty well! Let me set this up for you so you can picture how the conditions changed and when I used it to success

I came into one of my spots on a falling tide with the trolling motor on the lowest speed really only using to hold my heading on a wind drift. I then when dead quiet and put the Power Pole down 30 yards off of a oval shaped Oyster Bar that the tide flows around both sides. Pitched in a modified Redfish Magic of mine past the south point, jigged it twice, and fish on Got the dude to the boat and into the live well just as Flipper showed up (must have heard the ruckus) and he proceeded to circle my boat like a buzzard about 5 times. I told Flipper he was not getting this one since he gets to fish all week long... Finally, Flipper left and the larger Mullet schools returned about 10 min later.

Therefore, I proceeded to go work another point about 50 yards away figuring that if I let this spot settle down even further, that once tide started to pull more the Reds would return... Later on, I dropped back into the same area, but closer so I could see the bar below the surface better and dropped the Power Pole again. This time I could see the some larger slot sized Reds 10 yards off the bow working right up to the edge of the bar, but not feeding as much as just milling around... Flipper must have had them on edge still.

So I dropped the Redfish Magic in front of them several times and slow bounced it, brought it across them on a exit stage right approach several times and even with some Crab sauce on it, no takers...
Then I saw some much smaller finger Mullet show up as the Reds backed off into the channel. Therefore, I was thinking how I had a Sub Walk about this same size and color on one Spinning Rod, and how I could reach them now as they backed off into the deeper channel past the Oyster bar with that puppy on a long cast

Now George was also out on his 190 this same day with some family working live bait (cheaters) on a different section of that same Mangrove island area (in other words, he had left fish to go find fish, big mistake) this after watching me thump the first Red in this area... So I called him on his cell phone and told him to come around the North side of Oyster Bed for I could see the Reds had just dropped off into the channel... I told him to be real quiet, come in on the slowest T Motor speed and do NOT change the speed on the T Motor when close to the school. This way we could squeeze them between us and cross cast to the school Well in theory we could as long as his Bride did not drop something on the deck again and blow out the fish…

So he craws in as directed, and on my second cast into the channel not far from his boat, I get thumped on the Sub Walk by a good sized Red that is (way cool) ripping out drag for all to watch and hear I also had to turn this dude since it was heading right for George's boat... After a 5 min tussle and right at my boat now. This dude sees the hull, and dives under the bow and I could not get the rod tip in fast enough and the hook pulls out on what I figure is a 26 to 29 inch Redfish . Oh well, my pre-trip plan and real time observations had paid off and besides, to me the hook up and the battle is always the best part now if it had been a Tournament event, I would have just lost my money fish so another lesson learned from this trip…

However, it was an excellent day nevertheless, I had already thumped quite a few big Gator Sea Trout on Skitter Walks in the grass flats (beating the live bait guys again) and now getting into Reds on a falling tide as the Trout bite had slowed as I had planned it would in this area, was cool…

Here then were the lessons learned on this hunt...
· In the span of 30 minutes, both the tide and the forge the Reds were going after changed. Sometimes just standing, watching the area and the birds, will pay off big time.
· Do not leave fish to find fish. I know these fish are here on a falling tide from working this area in the past by tracking when I get hook ups as compared to tide chart that is always running on my GPS as well as my water temp gauge, anytime I am fishing.
· Having enough rods rigged up and ready to fire that can cover all levels of the water column is critical. I usually have at least 3 rods rigged and ready, but since I was fishing alone that day, I had six onboard.
· Though hard to get a bait caster out of my hand…
I agree, that the Sub Walk works best on a Spinning Rod Rapala - How 2 Fish I just need to get a Spinning Rod for this work that has a little more back bone, this so I can turn a Red faster and give me better boat side control of the fish. Some also tell me that using mono leader material helps when using this type of bait since you have more line stretch and less hook pullouts. My thought process (not being a mono fan myself) is by having a much better and more clear leader material I will get more hook ups and if I loose one every now and then, oh well, beats no strikes at all…
· Speaking of leader material, here of late I have greatly increased my fluorocarbon leader to six feet or longer. As such, I have noticed more hook ups. This also saves me time when on the water and not carrying as many rods time by not having to tie on a new leader. Redfish fights and bottom bouncing jigs & spinners can fray one up quite quickly and trust me, the time that you do not re-tie after finding such; the next cast will be the fish that breaks off.
· Google Earth found this spot for me and if you fish the flats in my opinion, Google Earth is necessary use tool to save both time and money on fuel pre-scouting areas to fish.

Here are some other videos that may help you when using this lure and its other variants...







In addition, remember before you go out to say your prayers


And make sure you have your shoes tied on tight
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190 Bay equipped for Flats & Jungle Warfare
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