First Coast Rigs, Jigs, Lures & Knots
These practical starting points cover the surf, inlets, creeks, St. Johns River, Intracoastal, jetties, lakes, ponds, and nearshore waters. Match size, weight, color, and retrieve to the forage, depth, current, cover, and fish you expect.
Creeks, Flats & ICW
Reliable choices for redfish, seatrout, flounder, black drum, and sheepshead.
A noisy cork draws fish toward a live shrimp or mud minnow suspended below it. It excels on grass flats, creek mouths, and stained water.
An egg sinker slides above a swivel so a shrimp, mullet, or crab can move naturally along shell, channel edges, and dock structure.
A 3–4 inch baitfish-colored paddle-tail on a jig head covers water and can be swum, bounced, or slow-rolled through nearly any inshore habitat.
A compact egg sinker rests directly above the hook, keeping a fiddler crab or shrimp tight to bridge pilings, rocks, and jetty structure.
Beaches & Inlets
Built to cast cleanly, hold in moving water, and keep bait in the feeding zone.
Two short dropper leaders with small circle hooks and floats keep sand fleas, shrimp, or clam visible above the bottom.
A sliding sinker clip lets larger bait move naturally while a pyramid sinker holds in the wash. It is ideal for cut mullet and larger shrimp.
A compact bucktail casts through wind and works around inlets, troughs, and jetty current. Tip it with shrimp or a narrow strip of bait when bites are slow.
Bait, Bottom & Tandem Presentations
Useful setups for catching bait, fishing two depths, presenting natural bait on bottom, and covering water with paired lures.
Bait-catching rigA vertical string of tiny dressed hooks imitates a school of small forage. Lower it into marked bait schools, around bridge shadow lines, or beside channel markers to collect live bait.
Simple weighted leaderA ready-to-fish single-hook leader carries an egg sinker between protective beads. It is compact, casts easily, and keeps shrimp, cut bait, or crab close to bottom.
Two-level bottom rigTwo dropper-loop hooks sit at different heights above the sinker, letting you test two baits or two positions in the water column while keeping both leaders short and tangle resistant.
Sliding-weight rigThe main line runs through a sinker slide before reaching a bead and swivel. A fish can move off with the bait while the sinker remains planted, making this a versatile fish-finder setup.
Wire-spreader bottom rigA wire or heavy-filament spine supports two separate hook arms with the sinker at the bottom. The spreader-style version shown keeps baits apart and is easy for new anglers to bait and lower.
Two-lure presentationTwo jigs or soft plastics on unequal leaders imitate separated baitfish and cover slightly different depths. It can trigger schooling fish and helps reveal the productive color or size.
Saltwater & Freshwater
Choose weight before color: the lightest jig that maintains contact usually looks the most natural.
Imitates a wide range of baitfish. Swim it for Spanish mackerel and cobia or bounce it for flounder and redfish.
High visibility helps around stained river water, deep inlets, and low-light conditions.
A small, fast-sinking jig for sight-casting or working inlet edges. Bounce it sharply, then pause.
Fish slowly beneath docks, along creek mouths, and near bridge structure where live shrimp are common forage.
Slides through eelgrass, pads, laydowns, and docks for largemouth bass. Add a compact swimbait trailer.
A 1/32–1/16 oz. marabou or soft-plastic jig catches speckled perch around brush and creek channels in cooler months.
Surf, Inlets, Jetties & ICW
Start with baitfish colors in clear water and brighter contrast in stained water or low light. Rinse every lure and hook with fresh water after use.
A cupped face spits water and calls jacks, bluefish, redfish, and seatrout upward. Pop it sharply with pauses around bait schools, inlet edges, seawalls, and points.
This weighted plug casts far from beaches and piers. Retrieve quickly with short rod-tip snaps for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jacks, and ladyfish.
A side-to-side retrieve covers flats, creek mouths, and shoreline points for seatrout, redfish, snook, and bass. Pause when a fish follows or misses.
A weedless spoon works through grass, oyster edges, shallow creeks, and stained water for redfish, seatrout, flounder, and snook.
Its diving lip reaches current seams, jetties, bridge shadows, and drop-offs for snook, seatrout, bluefish, redfish, and Spanish mackerel.
A weightless or lightly weighted jerk shad darts through grass and skips beneath docks. Twitch twice, then let it glide and sink.
Fish it under a popping cork, on a jig head, or slowly without added weight around docks, grass edges, creek mouths, and bridge structure.
St. Johns River, Creeks, Lakes & Ponds
Use moving lures to locate active fish, then slow down with worms, frogs, and jigs when bass hold tightly to cover.
Its wide lip makes it hunt and deflect from wood, riprap, dock posts, and shallow cover. Pause after contact to imitate a stunned baitfish.
A Texas-rigged worm slips through pads, eelgrass, brush, and docks. Let it fall, lift gently, and watch the line for movement.
This sinking lure covers flats and channels quickly. Retrieve steadily, yo-yo it over deep water, or rip it free from submerged grass.
Spinning blades flash and thump while the single hook moves through wood and vegetation, especially in stained, windy, or rising water.
A soft weedless frog crosses lily pads, hydrilla mats, flooded grass, and shaded banks. Pause after the strike before setting the hook.
A small rotating blade catches bluegill, crappie, bass, and pickerel in creek pools, canal edges, and open pockets near vegetation.
Sharp twitches make it dart before hanging nearly motionless. Use shorter twitches and longer pauses in cool or clear water.
Reefs, Wrecks & Bait Pods
Use heavier tackle carefully—leader and hook strength should match the fish without overpowering the presentation.
A light wire leader with a nose hook and trailing stinger hook protects against sharp teeth while keeping a live bait swimming naturally.
A stout 1–3 oz. bucktail presents a compact target near rays, buoys, and surface-cruising fish. White, chartreuse, and natural colors are dependable.
A simple leader, circle hook, and bank sinker reaches reefs and wrecks with fewer tangles than a multi-hook rig.
Essential Connections
Practice at home, wet the line before tightening, and trim clean. A good knot beats expensive tackle every time.
Great for tying mono or fluoro to hooks, swivels, and smaller lures. Use the controls to watch it come together.
Good for giving topwaters, soft plastics, and plugs more natural action.
A reliable braid-to-leader knot when you want something simple and repeatable.
Fast loop for bottom rigs, dropper setups, or leader loops.
One of the strongest and easiest knots for braid, hooks, jig heads, and swivels.
A dependable all-purpose knot for hooks, lures, swivels, and light leader work.
A slim braid-to-leader connection that casts cleanly through guides for plugs and long leaders.
Excellent for live bait hooks, circle hooks, and rigs where a straight pull helps hooksets.
Useful for pompano rigs, bait rigs, and adding a loop that stands away from the main line.
A clean mono-to-fluoro or leader-to-leader knot when the two line sizes are close.