By Capt. Mike Smith, Fish Your Ass Off Charters
Redfish are one of the most sought after game fish by inshore fishermen from Texas to the Carolinas. They are great fighters; they are great tasting; and they are perfect for sight fishing because they love super shallow water.
Redfish are part of the drum family and have four nostrils. This tells us that scent is their chosen sense while searching for food in dark and murky water.
The best redfish lure that I have ever used is the 3-inch Berkley Gulp! Shrimp. Berkley Gulp! products are the smelliest baits that I have ever smelled and redfish love them. There are probably other stinky baits that work, but I haven’t found one that is comparable to Gulp! products. The best colors are anything with brown and gold glitter. Rootbeer and new penny are the best choices.
The second best lure for catching redfish is the gold or copper weedless spoon. These are great search baits when you cannot see the redfish. A slow retrieve with almost constant contact with the bottom is the way to fish these lures. These lures are exceptional for casting. They cast a mile and let you cover a lot of water as you search for the schools of redfish in the shallows.
The third best lure for redfish are 3- and 4-inch paddletails rigged weedless. This is another great search bait for covering large areas of water. You will want to retrieve your paddletail in a similar way to your spoons. Make sure to bounce it off the bottom as you slowly retrieve it.
Contact Capt. Mike Smith, owner of Fish Your Ass Off Charters, at (561) 339-2317, contact@fishyourassoff.com or fishyourassoff.com.
