I'd agree with this direction. You don't need a ton of different stuff for saltwater. A few colors of soft plastic, both light and dark. A few different weight jig heads. A couple of topwaters and maybe some spoons. A couple corkies for winter. You're set.

It isn't like bass fishing. For bass, it really feels like you need 25 different tactics at your disposal to do well. In the bay, it's all about reading the water and finding the fish.

Suspending twitchbait in winter (corky, mirrodines)
Hogie screw lock jig heads
Paddle tails (favorite of mine are gamblers and down south)
Shrimp imitation (gulp/doa)
Popping cork if throwing live shrimp or even w/ the gulp or DOA
A couple of topwaters would be good too
Chatter wait w/ croaker hook.

I think that coverrs all your bases !

Some people swear by spoons but I never use them, but probably should.

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Some people swear by spoons but I never use them, but probably should.

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I like chunking them from time to time, you can cover a bunch of water that has bait activity.

I also echo what SA said. After seeing the deep dark road that my fresh water tackle box has evolved into, I'm trying to be a minimalist with my salt water tackle.

Thanks for the advice everyone! Heading to fish Tuesday, will update with pics and fishing report as the days go on!

Wade fishing Rockport this time of year? D.O.A shrimp in new penny.

Do yall prefer DOA over gulp? Thoughts?

I had a redfish pick up a gulp off the bottom a few weeks ago like it was cut bait or a dead shrimp.

Gambler flap n shad. It's pretty much all I fish with. Just switch up colors. Both trout and reds love them.

Sorry guys, I'm bumping this back up, as I'm now a bay boat owner and need to stock the thing,

Shad and shrimp heads - 1/16, 1/8, 1/4
Flouro leader material
New Penny Gulp Shrimp
Cajun Thunder popping cork
Sea Shad - motor oil with lime tail, Chicken on a Chain
1/4 oz and 1/2 oz gold surf spoon
1/4 oz and 1/2 oz Johnson sprite spoon
Small topwater (Spook Jr or equivalent) - 1 each in Bone, a natural finish, and black

I do 90% of my fishing from a kayak, and if I had to start over this is all I would buy. Now I carry more than this (10+ colors of plastics), but that's only because things have a tendency to accumulate.

TTF Hackberry Hustler - looks like a shrimp or a baitfish. Up north (Galveston) I like purple/plum with chartreuse tail unless the water is irregularly clear I go Matagorda Magic. This color resembles a shrimp in my opinion.

When I'm in PLV and POC I go TTF killer flats minnow in Matagorda Magic.

Those are go-to's, but i'll throw the box at them if I have to. Kayak fished Choctawhatchee Bay in Florida last week and caught all my redfish on a gold spoon. Pretty universal bait.

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I'm now a bay boat owner and need to stock the thing,

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Congrats! Pics!

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I'm now a bay boat owner and need to stock the thing,

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Congrats! Pics!

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Thanks, was that congrats or condolences ? I haven't taken pics yet. Hell, I haven't even been in it yet. Headed down to Rockport in a few weeks.

No love for the Mansfield mauler?

Mansfield mauler, 24-30" leader, 1/4 oz doa shrimp.