"Sneaky" Redfish Fishing Tricks

The best area to catch redfish is along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. You'll find lots of them in Louisiana and Texas, but Florida takes the cake.

I've found the most productive areas for catching redfish to be the grass flats. Obviously, these are areas of water between 1-3 feet deep filled with sea grass growing on the bottom. These flats are filled with food sources of all kinds, which is why redfish (along with permit, snook, sea trout, and others...) congregate in these areas.

Finding redfish in the flats is borderline "easy". Just look for their tails. When they are actively looking for feed, their tails often stick out of the water while they stick their heads into the grass. This happens especially if the water is shallow.

You've gotta think like a stealth "hunter" when fishing for redfish. "Camouflage" your movements by moving slowly and quietly. If possible use a push pole to move the boat through the flats, and cut the motor.

On your rod selection: I prefer a medium action rod. No matter what you select, you are faced with a "catch 22" situation.

On one hand you need a rod with some "backbone" so you can quickly and easily set the hook... but you also need one with some sensitivity so you can feel delicate bites. Redfish are well-known for gently "mouthing" their baits before swallowing. That being said, having a rod with some sensitivity to it will allow you to feel the "mouthing" and set the hook.

Error on the side of a sensitive rod.

For your reel, make sure you have at least 200 yards of line on it. If you hook into a bull, you'll have more than enough line for the "peeling off" a 30 pounder will instigate.

I always recommend flourocarbon fishing line because it is more "invisible" than almost any other type of fishing line out there.

Either spool your reel with it, or use a swivel to attach a 36" (minimum) fluorocarbon leader line.

On your bait: keep it live!

The first bait you should test is a large live shrimp. Hook them through the tail, and use as small a hook as you can to "hide" it. Keep it stealthy.

Try free-lining the shrimp without any weight at all. This works like a charm in most situations.

In the summer of course, you won't find a lot of large live shrimp, so try pinfish to get strikes from the bigger redfish. Free-line these as well, and make sure to hook them through the lips.