Q&A: Drifting Bays with Hogy Lures

QUESTION:

We do inshore fishing in saltwater in 10 to 40 feet of water. We target tarpon, jacks and kingfish but usually the first two. We do mostly 95′ live bait drifting on 2 to 12 knot wind. Please give some pointers as to the best way to drift with Hogy Lures. Are they good for this kind of fishing?

ANSWER:

It sounds like your are looking for the best soft bait and jig options to accompany your life bait spread while drift fishing, is this correct?

If so, you’ll have a great time using our larger original soft baits in bubblegum or bone color as an aggressive topwater bait. It absolutely drives the jacks and tarpon crazy. I’d recommend the 10-inch Original. 

Rig these lures with a 10/0 Barbarian Swim Bait Hook. 

When fish are holding deeper, I like to use a jig head weighted paddle tail to cover the deep water areas. My favorite is the HDUV 8″ Jiggin' Paddle Tail in Tinker Mack or Bone Flake color. 

Rig these lures on a 1oz – 3oz Barbarian Jig Head. I use lighter heads to fish the upper water column and the heaviest to get down the bottom quickly. They are also excellent choices if you experience a Cobia migration in the area. 

Capt. Ross Gallagher