By Capt. Mike Smith, Fish Your Ass Off Charters
You can find redfish around oyster bars, grass flats, mangroves, dock pilings, mud flats and any other place where they can find crabs, shrimp, snails and fish to eat.
PRO TIP: Redfish spend most of their lives looking down with their heads “literally” in the mud. The best way to get their attention is with a lure that stinks and/or makes a lot of noise to maximize your catch.
GULP SHRIMP: That is why my number one lure choice for catching redfish in every inshore scenario is the Berkley Gulp 3″ shrimp. I usually couple that lure with a 1/8 ounce jig head and a 20 pound leader.
Cast it to your target and let it sink to the bottom. Then bounce it on the bottom back to you slowly and repeat. I think that many anglers fish their jigs too quickly. You have to give the redfish a chance to notice your lure and then come over and attack it.
Another great technique is using a popping cork with 18 to 24 inches of line beneath the cork. You are using the same Gulp shrimp and jig head but you are dangling it just off of the bottom and popping the cork to get the redfish’s attention. This is a great combination because it lets the redfish use its nose and its lateral line to find the bait.
GOLD SPOONS: Gold spoons have been the gold standard of redfish anglers for decades. This simple lure catches the heck out of redfish anywhere redfish live. There are long time redfish anglers who only use gold spoons to target reds.
You will want to get a weedless gold spoon because you need to fish them in the bottom part of the water column. They work the best when they are bounced on the bottom or when they are presented just off of the bottom.
Cast your gold spoon and bounce it slowly on the bottom as you reel it back to you. The spoons do not have any scent to attract the redfish but they can see the flash and feel the low frequency vibrations as the lure moves through the water.
PADDLETAIL: A 3-inch paddletail catches just about every fish that swims and it is very easy to fish with. Redfish prefer a slow and steady retrieve that bounces off of the bottom.
Your best paddletail colors for redfish are white with gold glitter for clean water scenarios or brown with gold glitter for dirty water scenarios.
Choose a paddletail with lots of wiggle so the redfish can feel your lure even if they can’t smell it.
Bring the three lures mentioned in this article for your next redfish trip and you will be very happy with your results.
Go get ’em.
Capt. Mike Smith, owner of Fish Your Ass Off Charters, has been fishing the inshore waters, oyster bars and grass flats of Florida for more than 40 years. Reach him at (561) 339-2317, email: contact@fishyourassoff.com or visit fishyourassoff.com.
