By: Capt. Terry Fisher
Now is the time! Those looking for opportunities to catch big redfish; now is the time! The limit is two redfish per vessel with a slot size of 18-27 inches. The months of August and September were tough fishing due to the heat and 90-degree water temperatures. However, large redfish should be plentiful in our waters as air and water temperatures cool. These larger redfish (‘Bull-Reds’) for the most part, will move back out to the Gulf waters sometime in late November or early December, leaving behind their smaller relatives, ‘Rat-Reds’ to winter in the shallows, back country haunts, creeks and rivers that flow into the shallows. Unfortunately, these Bull-Reds will not return to spawn and eat again until late next summer or early fall. They won’t stay here much later than November, so now is a good time for a redfish of a lifetime!
These big fish are hungry and will eat artificial presentations as well as live and dead baits. I use artificial presentations from a variety of manufacturers such as, Mirr-O-Lure, Bomber and Rapala for top water, twitch and crank baits. I prefer Gulp and Zman for soft plastics, scented or unscented. Gold spoons are very effective. Some anglers have their favorites, but the truth of the matter is, they all work with tenacity. To fish artificial presentations effectively, one needs a boat with a trolling motor so as to keep moving to different locations around the mangrove islands. Anglers only get one or two casts to a specific location, then need to move on.
I prefer live or cut presentations such as; larger shrimp, quartered blue crab, cut pinfish or ladyfish with a weight on the bottom of the seabed. I also free-line live pilchards.
The strategies to find and catch these fish rarely change. On high tides they will congregate in schools and will move into shallows around, in and under mangrove roots offering protection while providing oyster clusters housing supplies of food, including small shrimp and crabs. On low tides, look for them just off the mangroves in deeper water holes.
During “Red October,” it will not take long to figure out if the fish are in the area, as they will be very aggressive this month with cooler temperatures. My strategies for catching redfish are as follows;
1) Work the top half of the incoming and outgoing tides. Fish the higher monthly tides on both sides of a new or full moon cycle.
2) Be very quiet when moving into a spot you choose to fish, as bigger fish spook easily (they did not get big by being lucky). Do not hesitate to change locations after 10 minutes or so in an effort to locate fish. If they’re not biting, they are probably not there.
3) Fish the point(s) of spoil islands and oyster beds. Fish the edges of and under the mangroves for results. Fish when wind direction is from the southeast, south or southwest as southerly winds move water from the gulf in and allow easier access to more remote and shallower areas. On two foot or more of high tide levels and low winds it won’t make any difference.
4) Utilize both artificial, live and cut bait presentations mentioned above. However, one will need to have a trolling motor or kayak when using artificial presentations. Fish are not stupid. More than two or three casts in the same area will wear out an angler’s welcome.
5) Do not hesitate to re-visit previous spots at different times and stages of the incoming and outgoing tides, as these fish will be on the move.
6) Do not arrive at a location too late during a new moon phase that will produce higher and stronger tides, as these fish will position themselves far back into the mangroves preventing an effective presentation getting close enough to them to attract a strike. A presentation over 6 feet from where they are, may be too far. On the other hand, do not arrive too late to fish on an outgoing tide when the water column will be too low as the fish will have moved out to the deeper water holes as the water retreats.
7) Use light spinning tackle, but not too light, with comparable rod strength for these fighting fish. 3500-4000 series reels with 10 to 15lb line tests will do the job. I suggest attaching a 2-3 ft. Fluorocarbon leader (30lb) to reduce chance of a cut or break off from a mangrove/oyster cluster while hooking and landing the fish. Check your leader and line often for cuts and damage. Change leader when necessary or you may be sorry! Size of hooks can range from 1/0 to 3/0 depending on the size of bait.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters. Charter information may also be obtained by calling me direct at 239-357-6829 or email fishfacecharters@yahoo.com or by visiting my website at www.fishfacecharters.com. I am also available (both inshore and offshore) as ‘Captain for Hire’ by the hour on your vessel for safety, navigation, fishing techniques and fishing location instructions that will make your every boating and fishing adventure and success!