# Down South Lures



## Hoythunter (Aug 2, 2011)

How many of you guys use down south lures? If so, which 3-4 colors are your "go to" colors to always have in your box?


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## Big Bay (May 14, 2013)

Magic grass is my go to also use key lime red shad and the red one with white tail. But mainly tie on magic grass first caught a lot of fish on that color 


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## Salty_UH (Feb 15, 2017)

white ice or texas roach, dependent on water clarity


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## Spotted (Feb 27, 2014)

Like stated, depends on water clarity. I throw candy apple and pumpkinseed/chartreuse exclusively. Chicken on a chain would be a great all around color.


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## lonestarmb (Jun 14, 2017)

Pretty much exclusively throw chartreuse glitter or plum chartreuse 


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

When do you guys use that redshad?


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## Reynolds4 (Jan 18, 2010)

Texas Roach and Flamingo Shad are my two. I'll also throw a plum and chartreuse although I can't remember what they call it.


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## Capt. Marcus Canales (Aug 25, 2005)

White ice, XL with eyes...









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## dk2429 (Mar 27, 2015)

I've yet to catch anything on their lures. There has even been times where I'm on the trout catching them on plum/chart bass assassins, then I'll switch to a down south, and not even a bite. Back to the BA's and they hit it.

I do like how they smell though. Maybe it's just me, but down south lures have a fruity smell to them.. lol


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

^^^ picked up the last bag of big eyed white ice at the fishing show. Saving them for a special occasion. Been sticking with my big nastys and chickenboys, haven't tried the dsl's yet.


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## Capt Justin (Sep 20, 2014)

The only color WHITE ICE super model


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## artys_only (Mar 29, 2005)

Red and white 
Chicken on a Chain 
Hale strawberry wine 
White ice 
Texas roach 
Plumb and charetruse 

Different bay system different colors 
Throw the XL version more in all colors defiently don't be afraid to throw the bigger size . I have caught fish on every color DS make water clarity and what bait present have the biggest impact on color .


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## glojim (Aug 9, 2004)

are they selling those Big eyed DSL at stores already? Couldn't find any at several Academys. I've seen the regular ones only


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## camo1542 (Jan 14, 2015)

white ice, chicken of c and tx roach


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## TexasWineGuy (Jun 19, 2017)

Are you guys bouncing these off the bottom, or keeping them up higher in the water?

What are you catching with them?


TWG


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## Hoythunter (Aug 2, 2011)

Lots of guys liking that Texas roach.


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## Hoythunter (Aug 2, 2011)

That roach must resemble the dreaded croaker? Haha. Do a lot of y'all have success with that color? 
What do y'all think about larues salt sassy?


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## huntfish2011 (Jun 16, 2011)

Chicken of C, White Ice, Strawberry Wine, Texas Roach 

Vary your retrieve until you get a bite. This time of year is usually steady reel with a twitch or 2 ever few cranks. 

I have only caught trout and redfish with them so far.


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## Speckfish (Oct 14, 2004)

*DSL*

Chartreuse Flash 
Tx Roach 
Chick on Chain


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

All of em


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

glojim said:


> are they selling those Big eyed DSL at stores already? Couldn't find any at several Academys. I've seen the regular ones only


Thought that I heard it was a Paul Brown collaboration for the fishing show.


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

Brown Lures (owned by BAAD Marine), not Paul Brown


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

glojim said:


> are they selling those Big eyed DSL at stores already? Couldn't find any at several Academys. I've seen the regular ones only


No but it's not hard to paint eyes on them at home. Get some white tail dip and some black tail dip and use a 16 penny nail to make the eyes. Use the head of the nail for the white and the sharp end for the black pupil.


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## peelin' drag (Oct 21, 2005)

they look very similar to the brown lures. 


Solodaddio said:


> Thought that I heard it was a Paul Brown collaboration for the fishing show.


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## 22'baykat (Aug 15, 2011)

They have a much more slender profile than a Brown lure, and the paddle is a lot smaller as well. They are very different lures... 

For the OP, I use watermelon red almost exclusively, and throw the flamingo in super clear water. I like to twitch them up high, then let them fall, the fish can't stand to see these lures fall. If that's not working, vary your retrieve until you find how they want it.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

peelin' drag said:


> they look very similar to the brown lures.


I think there is some confusion about what we are referring to here. He was asking about the Down South Lures Super Model (the larger of the two) that BAAD Marine painted eyes on that look like the big eyes on Corkies and Flappin Devil tails. They were a limited run Fishing Show special this year.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

22'baykat said:


> They have a much more slender profile than a Brown lure, and the paddle is a lot smaller as well. They are very different lures...
> 
> For the OP, I use watermelon red almost exclusively, and throw the flamingo in super clear water. I like to twitch them up high, then let them fall, the fish can't stand to see these lures fall. If that's not working, vary your retrieve until you find how they want it.


They had me skeptical years ago when they came out until I tried them. They have since become my go-to plastic without a doubt.


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## c hook (Jul 6, 2016)

*doesn't matter*

lure brand or color for the most part is a sales gimmick. after watching different lure companies come and go for about 35 years now, I begin to realize brand, color, etc is a myth. the latest fade/fashion is Michael Kors purses, it was Chanel purses not to long ago. I wonder when they will hit the market with lures, pink would be a good starter color for either.

so if the latest fashion/fade is your style, go down and stock up on down south, no pun down south, I'm 100% sure your lures catch a fish every now and then as every boat on the Texas coast has them on board. And actually hats off to down south for having an excellent marketing program, as a entrepreneur I take special notice to this. Now back to the meat of fishing.

Most important is knowing how to fish, and that means actually finding/locating fish, as anyone can catch them once located. Once located throw all of your lures in a bag, close your eyes and grab one. if you are on fish you can limit with any style or color. on a rear occasion one color may catch a few more then another but I do not worry about color. some like swim baits some do not. again just find a pile of fish and put a lure in front of them.

my strawberry white tail kelly wigglers and woody wood pecker mirror-lures from 35 years ago are yet to be out done or renders outdated. Fish aren't into fades and style so they are unaware of a fashion change, at first. Takes a while for them to catch up, but they will eventually realize that if they want to eat it's down south, shrimp or croaker as the other styles are no longer available to them simply because everyone is throwing down south.

I'd suggest more so then playing with latest fashions, learn how to fish. at that point a jalapeno on a hook will most likely catch as many as any of the latest fashion lures on the market.

Here are a few recent trips.


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## RedFlounderBass (May 10, 2015)

My top 3 colors:
Plum/Chartruese 
Kickin' Chicken
LaRues Salt Sassy


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

c hook said:


> lure brand or color for the most part is a sales gimmick. after watching different lure companies come and go for about 35 years now, I begin to realize brand, color, etc is a myth. the latest fade/fashion is Michael Kors purses, it was Chanel purses not to long ago. I wonder when they will hit the market with lures, pink would be a good starter color for either.
> 
> so if the latest fashion/fade is your style, go down and stock up on down south, no pun down south, I'm 100% sure your lures catch a fish every now and then as every boat on the Texas coast has them on board. And actually hats off to down south for having an excellent marketing program, as a entrepreneur I take special notice to this. Now back to the meat of fishing.
> 
> ...


You are true to an extent but try to be a little more open minded. Still waiting on that Tarpon trip...


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## pipeliner24 (Apr 10, 2013)

c hook said:


> lure brand or color for the most part is a sales gimmick. after watching different lure companies come and go for about 35 years now, I begin to realize brand, color, etc is a myth. the latest fade/fashion is Michael Kors purses, it was Chanel purses not to long ago. I wonder when they will hit the market with lures, pink would be a good starter color for either.
> 
> so if the latest fashion/fade is your style, go down and stock up on down south, no pun down south, I'm 100% sure your lures catch a fish every now and then as every boat on the Texas coast has them on board. And actually hats off to down south for having an excellent marketing program, as a entrepreneur I take special notice to this. Now back to the meat of fishing.
> 
> ...


Kinda had the same conversation today with a friend about croakers.He was asking why I thought they're so good at catching trout,I don't use bait but I said my opinion is that they're good because people throw them where the trout are usually piled up on a reef,there's a trout laying around wanting a good meal and here comes a tasty croaker that's got a hook in him and a weight holding him still,kinda hard to pass that up,I'm sure if you put on a live shrimp or a finger mullet the results would be about the same.Im sure there's a few variables but no matter what you gotta fish where the fish are.


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## c hook (Jul 6, 2016)

*lol*



Smackdaddy53 said:


> You are true to an extent but try to be a little more open minded. Still waiting on that Tarpon trip...


I hear you on the open minded. And we can certainly make the tarpon trip happen. You may need to heard north, upper coast, unless we can find a calm window for POC. Lets keep an eye for a calm calm day, and make a run. It's definitely that time of year.


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## Fresh2Salt (May 21, 2004)

c hook said:


> lure brand or color for the most part is a sales gimmick. after watching different lure companies come and go for about 35 years now, I begin to realize brand, *color,* etc is a myth. the latest fade/fashion is Michael Kors purses, it was Chanel purses not to long ago. I wonder when they will hit the market with lures, pink would be a good starter color for either.
> 
> so if the latest fashion/fade is your style, go down and stock up on down south, no pun down south, I'm 100% sure your lures catch a fish every now and then as every boat on the Texas coast has them on board. And actually hats off to down south for having an excellent marketing program, as a entrepreneur I take special notice to this. Now back to the meat of fishing.
> 
> ...


I'll have to disagree with this part of your statement. I'm an avid fisherman and have been using arty's for as long as I can remember. I've seen how color can make a difference while fishing side by side with other accomplished fishermen. Not always the case but you need to be ready to adapt.

I do agree that it doesn't have to get too complicated. Dark is dark, light is light and then you have your in betweens.

Fishing with lures is about confidence and presentation. Some lures do have more "action" than others. I encourage everyone to fish your lures in a pool just to see how there action is.

I have my "go to" baits and I have a cabinet full of bait I've tried or will try eventually.


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## SaltwaterSlick (Jun 11, 2012)

I do think some arty's are better'n others, but for the most part, when a person makes a purchase of any of them, that "bait's" mission is accomplished... don't matter whether or not it is ever taken out the package... mission accomplished.


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## B&C (Jul 23, 2010)

c hook said:


> lure brand or color for the most part is a sales gimmick. after watching different lure companies come and go for about 35 years now, I begin to realize brand, color, etc is a myth. the latest fade/fashion is Michael Kors purses, it was Chanel purses not to long ago. I wonder when they will hit the market with lures, pink would be a good starter color for either.
> 
> so if the latest fashion/fade is your style, go down and stock up on down south, no pun down south, I'm 100% sure your lures catch a fish every now and then as every boat on the Texas coast has them on board. And actually hats off to down south for having an excellent marketing program, as a entrepreneur I take special notice to this. Now back to the meat of fishing.
> 
> ...


Some truth and definitely a lot of opinion in this post!


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## Redtrout1 (Oct 9, 2011)

c hook said:


> lure brand or color for the most part is a sales gimmick. after watching different lure companies come and go for about 35 years now, I begin to realize brand, color, etc is a myth. the latest fade/fashion is Michael Kors purses, it was Chanel purses not to long ago. I wonder when they will hit the market with lures, pink would be a good starter color for either.
> 
> so if the latest fashion/fade is your style, go down and stock up on down south, no pun down south, I'm 100% sure your lures catch a fish every now and then as every boat on the Texas coast has them on board. And actually hats off to down south for having an excellent marketing program, as a entrepreneur I take special notice to this. Now back to the meat of fishing.
> 
> ...


Interesting take and I'm sure many times the lure might not matter but I have seen countless times that contract-dict your statement. I have even experimented with different lures/colors when catching fish and found very different results depending on size and lure color etc. I'd agree that confidence in a lure is key.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

Fresh2Salt said:


> I'll have to disagree with this part of your statement. I'm an avid fisherman and have been using arty's for as long as I can remember. I've seen how color can make a difference while fishing side by side with other accomplished fishermen. Not always the case but you need to be ready to adapt.
> 
> I do agree that it doesn't have to get too complicated. Dark is dark, light is light and then you have your in betweens.
> 
> ...


I agree with this. Although there is SOME merit in c hooks' statement about fads/trends. Color, shape, size, durability, presentation are critically important often.

DSL catch - Texas Roach:


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## Hoythunter (Aug 2, 2011)

Just went and got me a few packs of dirty tequila. Almost clear but pretty sparkly. I'll chunk em and see what happens.


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## B&C (Jul 23, 2010)

Spec-Rig.006 said:


> I agree with this. Although there is SOME merit in c hooks' statement about fads/trends. Color, shape, size, durability, presentation are critically important often.
> 
> DSL catch - Texas Roach:


Completely agree!

3 weekends ago I was fishing with my BIL and my neighbor's son that primarily bass fishes in neighborhood ponds in our area. We hit the tackle store on the way down and he bought a package of queen cocahoe minnows in the "Jalapeno" color. He picked it because he liked the name and they were cheap.

1 hour into our 1st wade it was evident the 16 yo was doing something different than we were. He had 4 solid keepers on his stringer and we each had 1. We slowed our retrieve to mimic his.... nothing. We changed our bouncing schedule to match his..... nothing. My BIL switched to Jalapeno and immediately starting catching fish, no longer mimicking Thomas' retrieve (he fishes really slow). I didn't have any cocahoe minnows on me, too proud to ask for one and switched over to a Laguna Glass Gambler, which was the closest thing I had to that color and started catching fish. That color and bait style out fished everything else we fished that day.

Back to DSL's - I've only fished with them once (2 weeks ago) and only had 1 C on a C color in my wading box. I put in on in knee deep water, rigged weedless due to the floating grass, over sand potholes and the fish pounded it. A few flounder later it was torn up beyond use. I switched over to other weedless rigged plastics and finished up my limit but there was a noticeable drop off in the bites I was getting. I'll have more than one in my wading box on my next trip out...


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## peelin' drag (Oct 21, 2005)

Ain't no big deal. I've already been "caught" by plenty of other lure brands.


22'baykat said:


> They have a much more slender profile than a Brown lure, and the paddle is a lot smaller as well. They are very different lures...
> 
> For the OP, I use watermelon red almost exclusively, and throw the flamingo in super clear water. I like to twitch them up high, then let them fall, the fish can't stand to see these lures fall. If that's not working, vary your retrieve until you find how they want it.


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## Fresh2Salt (May 21, 2004)

Spec-Rig.006 said:


> I agree with this. Although there is SOME merit in c hooks' statement about fads/trends. Color, shape, size, durability, presentation are critically important often.
> 
> DSL catch - Texas Roach:


Nice haul...

No doubt, lures catch more fisherman that fish...lol

The guys I recently fished with were pushing the Norton Sand Eel Jr in plum/chartruce. I stuck with my confidence bait and ended up out fishing them. Can't argue with results.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Fresh2Salt said:


> Nice haul...
> 
> No doubt, lures catch more fisherman that fish...lol
> 
> The guys I recently fished with were pushing the Norton Sand Eel Jr in plum/chartruce. I stuck with my confidence bait and ended up out fishing them. Can't argue with results.


Who did you fish with, Danny or Jeff? I'd like to hear more about this trip down south!


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## Fresh2Salt (May 21, 2004)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Who did you fish with, Danny or Jeff? I'd like to hear more about this trip down south!


Builder friend of mine invited me down for the weekend to fill someone else's spot. His name is David Cody. I hope I get invited back...it was a blast.

Ask away or PM me if you like. I have a pretty good idea of where we fished in the mornings. This large flat produced the majority of our fish.


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## Fresh2Salt (May 21, 2004)

Well shoot...I won't be buying these from their website. They want to charge $18+ dollars shipping on 4 packs of jigheads...I don't think so.

The shipping cost more than the actual jigheads.

Dammit!!! Wrong thread.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

dk2429 said:


> I've yet to catch anything on their lures. There has even been times where I'm on the trout catching them on plum/chart bass assassins, then I'll switch to a down south, and not even a bite. Back to the BA's and they hit it.
> 
> I do like how they smell though. Maybe it's just me, but down south lures have a fruity smell to them.. lol


This has to be one of the silliest things I have read on this forum yet. Yeah let me tell you, those DSLs don't catch anything. I've never seen anyone catch any fish on them at all. I wonder why so many guides buy them by the hundred? :cheers:


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## glojim (Aug 9, 2004)

Fresh2Salt said:


> Well shoot...I won't be buying these from their website. They want to charge $18+ dollars shipping on 4 packs of jigheads...I don't think so.
> 
> The shipping cost more than the actual jigheads.
> 
> Dammit!!! Wrong thread.


Go to FTU and save yourself some cash and grief. They have those jigheads there.


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## c hook (Jul 6, 2016)

*confidence*

It really comes down to confidence, I throw exclusively arties and have for at least a few decades now. Sometimes one person on the boat may have the lucky hand but the others think it is the lure. And as I mentioned on a rare occasion it may be color. But 99.99 % of the time in my humble opinion it is not color. This was last week. And again we got them on any color put in front of them, including tops in 8 feet of water. Often people on my boat will want whatever the hottest hand on the boat is throwing. I see this allot but again my experience has been it is not the color.


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## Loopknot1818 (Jun 30, 2017)

Redfish love watermelon


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## Hoythunter (Aug 2, 2011)

Caught me a BIG flattie with the dirty tequila color on my trip with that color. 2 good reds with strawberry wine color.


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