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 the lunch break fishing mindset that keeps Matt Florentino sharp year-round. He 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, making the case for 7’6″ and shorter
• Paddle tail trimming for skirted jigs: cutting down a larger tail to get a slower, heavier thump
• 8″ RX Slug preview and how the profile compares to the 6″
• CCA California update: Matt joins the state board, and the San Diego Bay Classic is coming May 9th
• Spotty Bowl kickoff details and how to measure spotted bay bass correctly, including the number one mistake anglers make covering the eye

Why Spinner Baits Are Working Again

One of the better technique discussions in this episode came out of a simple question about what Matt throws for spotties. His answer was almost entirely spinner baits and a Ned rig, nothing exotic, but the reasoning was sharp. He traced it back to SWBA tournament history: back in 2010, everyone fishing those events could hear the boats from a distance because the spinner blade noise was constant. The fish had seen everything else by comparison, and spinner baits became background noise instead of a fresh look. Now a new generation of anglers is rediscovering them, and the fish are reacting the same way they always did.

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.

Reading the Drift Instead of Fighting It

The kayak section was equally practical. Matt’s advice for fishing the wall on a paddle kayak came down to one thing: figure out which way the current and wind are pushing you, then use that drift instead of fighting it. Get in position, make one good cast, reposition.

“If you’re going to a brand new spot, number one, try to get a leash,” he said, because the moment you hook up and the paddle goes one way, you’re in trouble. It’s safety-first advice that’s easy to skip over until it matters.

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.