First, it should be said that tips and tricks like these that I have put together can only take you so far. It is important to hone your skills and practice observing the conditions while you are out fishing. These tips are a few that I have put together over many years of guiding but are by no means the only way to catch fish. Make sure that you are familiar with the places that you are fishing so that you can key in on certain conditions and look for your "target".
One of my favorite marks to key on are the grass lines, especially those found in the southern portion of Baffin Bay. What you are looking for here is where the grass goes from being very dense to not growing in very shallow water. The transition is usually quite visible as it becomes a sandy white bottom, something to look for on clear and sunny days.
Depth changes are another area to look for in addition to the shallow water grass line changes. These can be a very subtle change as the grass goes from dense to very sparse while only changing in depth a few inches. This transition is harder to spot but can be very productive as redfish love these areas. It provides few hiding places for the crabs and other species that redfish feed on, so you will usually find some quality fish hanging around these areas.
Once you have spotted a key grass line, the next step is to focus on your retrieve. I typically start off fast and then work slower and slower until I find what they like. Often times you will get a reaction strike with the fast-steady retrieve, which is a nice immediate result. Mix in a "wave" motion with the fast or steady technique by raising and lowering your rod. This technique has worked very well for me, but the key thing is to keep experimenting. Some people may work their lure extremely slow, dragging it along the bottom with great results. Just remember to pay attention to what works so you can use it in the future.
Yet another grass line feature is the edges of potholes. Potholes can be as small as a trashcan lid or cover several yards. The irregular edges afford hiding places for ambush feeders to scan the openings for smaller prey. By blending in with the grasses, they can better execute a surprise attack. There are rock edges and dropoffs like many in Baffin Bay where the rocks reach close to the surface and then quickly drop to depths reaching eight or nine feet. The old Bass fisherman comes out in me again when I see structure and edges like these. In fact many tactics used in modern Bass fishing will work well on these areas.
One of the techniques that I have brought over from Bass fishing is to use short and quick hops, with various speeds of retrieve. When using this method I prefer to use a Devil Eye (made by Brown Lures) Texas rigged on a 1/4 oz bullet sinker weight. This saltwater fishing lure has been effective on Bass as well, and works great when slowly bouncing along those potholes and rocky drop-offs. I think that the large eye on the lure also gives a strong target for fish, which is why it gets so many aggressive strikes when fishing with this method.
Winter fishing is looking promising this year based on how the weather looks so far. The dove and ducks are already moving around down here in South Texas so come on down and we'll hook up for a great outdoor adventure. - 16887
One of my favorite marks to key on are the grass lines, especially those found in the southern portion of Baffin Bay. What you are looking for here is where the grass goes from being very dense to not growing in very shallow water. The transition is usually quite visible as it becomes a sandy white bottom, something to look for on clear and sunny days.
Depth changes are another area to look for in addition to the shallow water grass line changes. These can be a very subtle change as the grass goes from dense to very sparse while only changing in depth a few inches. This transition is harder to spot but can be very productive as redfish love these areas. It provides few hiding places for the crabs and other species that redfish feed on, so you will usually find some quality fish hanging around these areas.
Once you have spotted a key grass line, the next step is to focus on your retrieve. I typically start off fast and then work slower and slower until I find what they like. Often times you will get a reaction strike with the fast-steady retrieve, which is a nice immediate result. Mix in a "wave" motion with the fast or steady technique by raising and lowering your rod. This technique has worked very well for me, but the key thing is to keep experimenting. Some people may work their lure extremely slow, dragging it along the bottom with great results. Just remember to pay attention to what works so you can use it in the future.
Yet another grass line feature is the edges of potholes. Potholes can be as small as a trashcan lid or cover several yards. The irregular edges afford hiding places for ambush feeders to scan the openings for smaller prey. By blending in with the grasses, they can better execute a surprise attack. There are rock edges and dropoffs like many in Baffin Bay where the rocks reach close to the surface and then quickly drop to depths reaching eight or nine feet. The old Bass fisherman comes out in me again when I see structure and edges like these. In fact many tactics used in modern Bass fishing will work well on these areas.
One of the techniques that I have brought over from Bass fishing is to use short and quick hops, with various speeds of retrieve. When using this method I prefer to use a Devil Eye (made by Brown Lures) Texas rigged on a 1/4 oz bullet sinker weight. This saltwater fishing lure has been effective on Bass as well, and works great when slowly bouncing along those potholes and rocky drop-offs. I think that the large eye on the lure also gives a strong target for fish, which is why it gets so many aggressive strikes when fishing with this method.
Winter fishing is looking promising this year based on how the weather looks so far. The dove and ducks are already moving around down here in South Texas so come on down and we'll hook up for a great outdoor adventure. - 16887
About the Author:
Captain Aubrey Black is a licensed captain specializing in wade fishing for trophy trout and redfish. Captain Black recommends trying out some redfish lures like the Devil Eyes by Brown Lures for those new to new to inshore fishing.
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