The bite has continued to impress! The redfish have been all over the flats and in huge numbers. If you’re looking to try and catch your first redfish, now is the time to do it. They are eating any kind of bait you put in front of their nose. For a first light bait, I like throwing a select shrimp free-lined or a whitebait under the mangroves or around the oyster bars. As it gets later in the day, try using cut bait and pitching it as close as possible to the mangroves. This is necessary, as the fish get lazier due to the heat. As far as artificials go, topwater first thing in the morning has been the bait of choice. At low tide, work the open flats and look for potholes. On the high tide, hug it along the banks and have your drag tighter than normal.
The trout have moved to deeper pockets looking for the cooler water. But, once you find the hole with them in it, you should have no problem catching your limit. Their preference of bait this time of year is a 3 to 4-inch whitebait. If you’re targeting strictly trout, drop your leader size down to 20-pound to better your chances on the bite. When it comes to artificials and trout, any 3 to 4-inch paddle tail rigged on a 1/8 to ¼ ounce jig will do the trick.
Snook have moved to their spawning areas. They are packing on the pounds and eating like crazy due to this time of year. We like using a 7-foot 6-inch medium/heavy action rod paired with a 4000 to 5000 series reel. Lace it up with 15-pound braid and a 40-pound leader and you’re good to go. They are grouped in big numbers, so catching them won’t be too hard. But, while targeting these big snook this time of year, please handle them with care. It’s very important to get them back in the water as soon as you can so they can go back and create the future!