Ep. 113: Matt Florentino on Spinners, Kayak Tactics & Fishing Your Lunch Break

Guest: Matt Florentino (Salty Crew)

Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly, Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)

Season 3 opened with Episode 113, recorded live on January 6, 2026, and focused on spinner baits in SoCal harbors, kayak strategy at the wall, and a few tackle details that most anglers overlook. Matt Florentino joined the crew to break down why spinner baits still produce, how to fish them in current, and why simple adjustments in drift, weight, and presentation still separate anglers who connect consistently from the ones who don’t.

In This Episode

• Spinner baits for SoCal inshore fishing — why they still produce and how to fish them heavy enough to stay in the strike zone
• Belly-weighted versus head-heavy spinner bait designs and what that changes in local water
• Kayak tactics at the wall — reading current, using the drift, and staying positioned on a paddle-only setup
• Why rod length matters less than people think in tight harbor situations
• Paddle tail trimming for skirted jigs — using a bigger tail to get a slower, heavier thump
• 8″ RX Slug preview and how the profile compares to the 6″
• CCA California update and San Diego Bay Classic news
• Spotty Bowl kickoff details and how to measure spotted bay bass correctly

Why Spinner Baits Still Work

One of the best parts of this episode is Matt’s explanation of why spinner baits still work in SoCal harbors even though a lot of anglers moved away from them. His point is simple: they were always effective, and when fewer people throw them, fish get an even cleaner look at something they are not seeing every day.

That matters even more when the bait is weighted correctly. If the spinner bait is too light, it rides above the fish or loses contact with the zone you are trying to fish. When it stays low enough and moves through current the way it should, it becomes a very different presentation. The same idea shows up in the SoCal structure fishing guide — staying in the strike zone is often the whole game.

The kayak discussion reinforces that same point from a different angle. Matt’s approach is not about fighting the drift. It is about learning what the wind and current are already doing, positioning accordingly, and making one good cast from the right place. That is a fishing decision, not just a kayak decision.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode matters because it brings a few overlooked ideas back into focus: spinner baits still catch fish, drift is something to use instead of fight, and small tackle details like bait balance or trimmed trailer size can completely change how a presentation works.

If you fish SoCal harbors, walls, or back bays, the takeaways here connect directly to the spotted bay bass guide, the SoCal structure fishing guide, and the soft plastic color guide. This is one of the better episodes for understanding how presentation and positioning work together.

Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.