Ep. 84: Adam Papai of OC Fishing Slayer on Slow Pitch Jigs, Float Tube Fishing & iRod

Guest: Adam Papai (OC Fishing Slayer)

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

Episode 84, recorded live on May 6, 2025, covers the fishing that changed how Adam Papai fishes. One summer with a slow pitch jig turned into 20-80 fish days on the harbors, and he hasn’t put it down since. This episode breaks down why the jig gets bit when everything else is quiet, how he moved from shore pounding to float tubing after one too many security guard encounters, and the iRod 753 prototype he’s developing with the same 733 logic he’s been pushing hard for years.

In This Episode

• Why the slow pitch jig gets stupid bit: drop it two feet off a pylon, pop it once, and watch what happens. Adam’s first summer on the Submission Sumo produced 20-80 fish days before he even started posting content
• 40 lb straight braid on a micro jig: fish are hitting so fast and aggressive you need to be able to stop them. When you’re fishing structure, there’s no such thing as too heavy
• Hooks up top only: bottom hooks foul on the pop, catch rocks constantly, and affect the jig’s fall. Adam runs all hooks on top and pulls clean every time
• Submission Sumo and Ogre Jr.: the two jigs Adam fishes almost exclusively, both in the 15-20 gram range. The Ogre Jr. just released and sold out in days
• iRod 753 prototype: one step up from his go-to 733, with a little extra length but the same fast tip and backbone he relies on for getting fish out of structure
• Why he got into float tubing: shore pounding for 6-8 hours a day only to get kicked out of spots. Float tube put him in the nook spots nobody reaches from shore
• Float tube vs. kayak: float tube wins for 3-4 hour sessions, kayak makes more sense for 8-hour coverage days. Current management is everything — getting stuck on an outgoing tide in HB is a real workout
• PBs: approximately 19″ spotty on a tail spin caught at 25 feet deep, 6.5 lb calico on a boat with Nick from Diversion, ~5 lb largemouth on a Whopper Popper, 168 lb gutted bluefin on a 3-day trip

Why the Slow Pitch Jig Works When Nothing Else Does

Adam found the slow pitch jig and had a summer he can’t explain. Twenty to eighty fish days just dropping it next to pylons and letting it fall. The key is what makes it a reaction bite rather than a finesse bite: the jig is micro, it’s shiny, and these fish are ambush predators. When something small and flashy comes through their zone fast, they swipe at it without thinking. “You throw it in that zone and you either feel it on the drop or you pop it once and it’s gone,” he said.

Luke has the same experience on charters. When nothing else is producing, a slow pitch rod goes on and pulls fish out of spots that just got thoroughly fished with swimbaits. It’s not a novelty. It’s a reaction bite trigger that works year-round in harbor structure. Adam fishes his on 40 lb straight braid because the hits are so aggressive that anything lighter starts creating problems around structure. The jig itself is small. The line doesn’t need to be. For more on what makes a reaction bite different from a feeding bite in SoCal harbors, the SoCal structure fishing guide covers the structural context these jigs thrive in.

Why Shore Pounding Led Him to the Float Tube

Adam shore pounded hard for years. Six to eight hours a day, working zones and figuring out where the fish hold. Then he started running into too many people telling him he couldn’t fish where he was fishing. “My ass has to be in the water to fish,” he said. So he got a float tube and started getting into the spots that nobody could reach from shore. Nook spots. Zones behind pylons and under docks. The float tube made those places fishable.

The tradeoff is current management. Getting caught on an outgoing tide in Huntington Harbor is a real workout, and Adam has kicked against it long enough to know when to just pull the tube out and walk around. His current setup is the Catis Elite with oars, which gives him a movement option that fins alone don’t. For anyone looking to get into float tube fishing, his advice is simple: know your zone before you launch and don’t fight the current when you can walk. The spotted bay bass guide covers structure positioning for exactly the kind of spots the float tube unlocks.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode matters because Adam represents a specific kind of SoCal inshore angler: someone who put in real foot time on the harbors, figured out what works through repetition, and built a following around being honest about the process. The slow pitch jig content alone is worth the watch. If you’ve been curious about the technique but never committed, this is the episode that explains why it’s not a gimmick and exactly how to fish it.

For more on the presentations and structure types Adam is working, the spotted bay bass guide and SoCal structure fishing guide both connect directly to what he’s describing.

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