If the reds are near baitfish or sitting motionless, throw poppers. Free swimmers at the surface, floating “high and happy,” make easy targets. When reds are moving with purpose, cast baits out in front to make sure they see them. Sometimes redfish will be in water so skinny that their back sticks out.
What is good bait for red fish?
The baitfish that redfish love to hunt are pogies, mullet, pilchards and greenies. They also feast on crab and other shellfish, but the baitfish are easier to catch. If you’re fishing for redfish in the spring, look for large baitfish schools, like pogies, on the warm tidal currents.
Are redfish easy to catch?
But after years of targeting redfish with both live bait and artificial lures, I’ve found that redfish are one of the easiest of all the inshore game fish to fool with lures.
What is the best time to catch redfish?
The best time of day to catch redfish is in the morning before the sun heats up the shallows and in the afternoon off in deeper water features like jetties, wrecks, and bridges. Redfish funnel back into deeper water in the afternoon because it is both cooler and holds more bait than the shallows.
What is the best way to catch a red fish? – Related Questions
How deep do you fish for redfish?
You can catch redfish from just about any water depth from 6 inches in the back country shallows to more than 100 feet deep when you are fishing the offshore reefs, wrecks and oil rigs.
What color lures do redfish like?
Finally, wherever you go, redfish like the color gold. Everyone knows that a simple gold spoon is a redfish staple, and for good reason. Having some baits littered with gold flake, like Golden Boy or the new Beer Run color, is always a good idea when reds are the target.
What pound test is good for redfish?
Generally, a 20-30 pound braid is just what you need for redfish. A 15-pound leader for small redfish and speckled trout and a 20-30 pound leader for big red bulls. You can go lighter but risk losing bigger redfish.
Are redfish top or bottom feeders?
A redfish’s diet consists mostly of smaller fish, shrimp, clams, worms, and crabs. They’re primarily bottom feeders, but can be aggressive and feed much higher in the water column if the opportunity arises.
What size weight should I use for redfish?
1/8 ounce to a 1/4 ounce in less than 6 feet of water and 1/4 to 1/2 ounce jig heads for water deeper than 6 feet. You don’t need to fish your jig as slowly as you did with the flounder. Redfish are ravenous and will swim quickly after a potential prey item once they know it is there.
Do redfish hit top water?
Although both trout and redfish will hit a topwater lure, they do seem to have preferences in regards to how you retrieve it. But before we get into the differences, let’s talk about something that is true no matter what species you’re targeting… Don’t set hook until you feel the fish on your line.
Do you need to bleed redfish?
If you want the cleanest, most delicious fillets possible, then you should bleed your fish. To do that, just cut through the artery between their gills and put them on ice.
Do you set the hook on redfish?
Making the hook stick
A good hookset is needed to drive the point through the hard, bony mouth of a redfish. Once you have successfully fooled the wily redfish into striking your bait or lure, it’s a nice idea to make the hook stay in his jaw until you land it.
Are redfish attracted to light?
These small-fry come to the lights because their food—tiny little plankton and other water creatures—are attracted to the lights. Speckled trout and redfish come to the lights because their food (minnows, crabs, and shrimp) come to lights.
What tide is best for redfish?
The best tide for redfish fishing is the incoming low tide. The redfish are the first fish to move onto the flats when the tide changes from dead low to incoming. Redfish like to have first choice for the shrimp, crabs, snails and fish that got trapped in pot holes and small tidal creek channels.
What color do fish avoid?
Despite the fact that red is the first color to disappear from the underwater spectrum, some research has shown that red elicits the strongest response from largemouth bass. Yellow was the next most important color for this species.
What does redfish like to eat?
This is known as the “bull redfish run.” Young red drum feed on small crabs, shrimp, and marine worms. As they grow older, they feed on larger crabs, shrimp, small fish, and sometimes their cousins, the Atlantic croaker. They generally are bottom feeders but will feed in the water column when the opportunity arises.
Is red fish healthy to eat?
Redfish is a firm, white-fleshed fish that is low in saturated fat. It’s a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and calcium and is a very good source of protein, phosphorus, and selenium (www.fishwatch.gov). Redfish can be prepared several different ways.
Are redfish good eating?
The mild, sweet flavor and moist white meat seems to be far superior, especially from those smaller redfish less than 10 or 15 pounds, as the meat of larger “bull” redfish can be coarse, stringy, and unpalatable.
What size redfish should I eat?
Redfish that are less than 24 inches, and no heavier than 15 pounds will taste best. They have a flaky texture and a very mild flavor that many find to be quite tasty. The taste is also described as somewhat sweet.
How old is a 20 inch redfish?
Redfish spawn from late August through October. At one year old, they will range from 10 to 17 inches long, averaging 14 inches. At 2 years old they will range from 18 to 24 inches, and weigh 3 to 6 pounds. At 3 years old, they will range in size from 20 to 28 inches, weighing 4 to 9 pounds.