Falling into Redfish

Redfish will eat almost anything dead or alive, natural or plastic. They also range from extremely-deep water to water so shallow their tails and dorsal fins break the surface. Several tactics will catch redfish in fall, when the coast is deserted and fishing pressure is diminishing.

Use popping corks and jigs. Fish with 12- to 25-pound-test line, and tie a 1/2- to 1/4-ounce jighead with a grub, to the end of your line. Depending on water depth, attach a popping cork. When redfish are in shallow water, 2- to 6-feet deep, cast the popping cork and jig near the shoreline. Pop the cork two or three times. Then, let the cork sit still, which is when the redfish will attack.

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Jig oyster reefs. Tie a Mann's Stingray grub, a Cocahoe minnow or a Norton Sand Eel on the end of your line. Cast and retrieve over sandbars using a bottom-hopping retrieve to slowly swim the bait just off the bottom in the mid-story of the water or just under the surface.

Use cracked crabs on jetties and channel bars. Depending on the current, use a 1-ounce slip egg sinker up the line and a plastic bead below the egg sinker. Tie the line to a barrel swivel. Attach a few feet of leader material, the same weight of or heavier than your main line, below the barrel swivel. Bait a 4/0 or a 5/0 hook with half of a crab. Cast the bait out near jetties or on edges of channels.

Fish a clip-on spinner bait. Use a safety-pin-type spinner bait with a large Colorado gold blade and a jig, like Strike King's Redfish Magic. Cast and retrieve the spinner bait like you're fishing for bass in that waters hold redfish. Slow-roll the spinner bait near the bottom in channels, cuts and ditches. In shallow water, wake the bait just under the surface.