My name is Capt. John Baty, and I am owner and founder of Forever Hooked Charters.
Each month, I’ll be offering you tips to help you become a better fisherman. I’ll also update you on what is biting in Tampa Bay and other areas.
This month the topic is the bronze beauty — the redfish. Pound-for-pound, the redfish is the fighting-est fish in the ocean. Redfish are pretty easy to find but can be hard to get to eat, at times. At other times, they eat the bottom out of the boat.
Tips on catching redfish are simple. First, you have to be quiet when you are within 50 to 75 yards of a school. Turn off your trolling motor or do not slam any hatch lids. Make your cast as long as possible and land it as quiet as possible.
For bait, I use shrimp on a 1/4-ounce jighead in the winter. Crustaceans are the most abundant food source in the winter. Cut ladyfish and cut pinfish also work well in the winter, because of the scent they give off. In the summer, use live greenbacks (scaled sardines) and menhaden. We use greenbacks as live chum and get the fish started, then feed them a hooked sardine to finish them off. It can be a lot of fun when you get a big school of redfish in a feeding frenzy.
For you guys who would rather throw artificial, there are numerous baits that will catch redfish. The gold spoon is probably one of the best baits to use. You can cover a lot of water and redfish love gold spoons. Topwater plugs, such as Rapala
Skitterwalks, are my favorite. They make a lot of commotion in the water, and the reds love it. You also can use numerous plastics on a jighead or under a popping cork. The popping cork attracts both redfish and trout, and it is good for novice fisherman, because it is easy to learn to use. It can be used with artificial or live baits of your choice.
The redfish bite is going to get better in the weeks to come. Look for the big schools to move in and begin to really turn on the bite. Hope this helps in your hunt for redfish, and if you have any questions at any time, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Capt. John Baty is owner and founder of Forever Hooked Charters. For more information, visit foreverhookedcharters.com.Description “>http://doctorsleep.ru/russkiy-standart-kreditka-dlya-studentov.php
