Redfish, redfish, and more redfish! We're catching redfish aboard the Mega-Bite!
I've had a lot of trips the past few weeks where my clients didn't want to go out and catch red snapper, so I said, "No problem; let's go bow up on some big reds and drag-screaming Spanish." With the redfish bite so good the past few weeks it has been a lot of fun watching my clients bow up on these fun fighting fish.
It's no secret that the reds have been showing up in the pass a pretty good bit over the past 6 weeks, but when the bite shuts down in the pass, I'll go to one of my honey holes where I've found some good redfish hanging out. Some of these fish are in the slot and some are big bruisers like the fish I've been catching in the pass. Redfish is one of my favorite fish to go after, and it is awesome watching my clients bow up on what is often the biggest fish they've ever seen.
Other inshore species that we've been catching are Spanish, bluefish and ladyfish.
The Spanish have moved into the bay and the bite has been very good.
We've caught some nice Spanish in the 4 lb – 5 lb range, which is great light tackle action. Top-water plugs have produced some quality catches, as has slow trolling with spoons and jigs.
I've also hit a few of my honey holes in the bay that hold snapper, but the last few times I checked them out, the fish were a bit small. We had still had fun, and didn't have to go way out into the gulf.
Back to the inshore red fishing. When it comes to catching the reds in the sound and bay, I've been using a variety of baits; in deepwater we are using live pinfish and finger mullet, on the flats, we switch over to MirrOlure's suspending twitch bait Catch 2000 and Catch 200 Jr. and the Top-Dog Jr. I'm also tossing a Berkley Gulp 3"- 4" shrimp on a 1/4oz jig head when appropriate. Another technique that has put some nice redfish in the boat has been tossing a live pinfish under a popping cork at a few of my honey holes. The reds can't seem to get enough, and you are almost guaranteed to bow up.
I haven't been trout fishing much the past two weeks. The couple of times I went, the fish have been kind of small. My clients have put a few nice keepers in the ice chest, but most of my clients want to feel the pull of those big reds, so that's what we have been targeting for the most part.
I would like to mention the annual fall redfish run, which is only a few months out. This has to be one of my favorite times to fish, because it's cool outside and the red fishing is outstanding. If you are coming to Pensacola in the fall and want to bow up on one of these monsters, give me a call and I'll show you a great day on the water.
Capt. John
