#1 Redfish like to feed in shallow waters, so staying close to oyster bars or shallow flats are good places to start.
#2 When fishing a light tackle setup, make sure that all lines are 20lb test or lighter.
#3 In the early morning and late evening, redfish move towards shallow waters to hunt for baitfish.
#4 Wait for a calm day without any wind, grab your favorite rod and reel and head out to the flats. #5 If you are using natural baits, cast them towards the shallow water and let them sit there. #6 If you are fishing with artificial lures, cast your lures towards the shallow waters and drag them along the sand.
#7 When a redfish hits your bait or lure, be very patient with it and don’t move too fast. Just wait until you feel that the fish is hooked and then reel it in.
#8 When the fish is about 15 feet away from you, you should stop reeling and keep your line tight so that the fish can tire itself out completely before it is brought into shore.
#9 Be very careful with the hook of the fishing rod because redfish have sharp teeth and they are capable of spitting out the hook or cutting your line.
#10 If you want to catch big redfish, try fishing during summer. The majority of big redfish are caught during hot seasons where they tend to migrate deeper into shore. One study showed that more than 60% of the fish caught in coastal areas weigh less than 9 pounds, while 7% weighed more than 20 pounds.
#11 In most cases, if you catch a 6 pounder then it will bite on almost anything like chunks of squid and shrimp especially when there is not much bait available for them in waters near the shore but if you see a 15 pound redfish then it will be very careful about what it bites even though they do eat shrimp and other types of bait #12 You do not need to go out far at all to catch a bigger redfish especially if you have been catching them close to the shore during summer months but it is better that you avoid places with a bunch of people and just stay on one side or the other of the bank where there are fewer fishermen. #13 Overnight fishing for red fish can be fun because most will feed heavily at night until about 10 o clock in the morning. They get ready for bed around 11 pm so make sure that you anchor somewhere where there are no boat traffic and wait until they settle down before starting to use any type of bait and cast into their feeding areas.
#14 Bring small lures even when big ones are being used as bait near the shore line. You should only use a large lure when you are fishing on the edge of the flats that have some depth to it.
#15 Use live bait such as threadfins, mullet and other small fish around piers and docks if you are not in luck with any of the lures that you brought along. Large fish seem to like to hang out near these structures so bring along bright colored lures to help entice them during dark hours.
#16 Cast your line into deeper waters from shore during high tide and wait for them to swim up stream or move up or down coastlines until they come close enough for you to catch them. Always cast at different angles towards floating objects where reds love to feed on and move them around until you reel in a catch.
#17 Use topwater lures and brightly colored jigs during night time when tide is high or if you see them school up along shores which they tend to do so. Drifting with the current helps you cast into them easily without any backlashes while keeping your bait safe from birds or other larger fishes that might take it away from important redfish territory.
#18 Fish near floating objects such as logs, tires and branches of trees where they are known to hide during daylight hours. Slip bobbers are perfect for this kind of fishing since their weight will help bring more fish towards it than any float ever would. Remember not to use too heavy of weights since they have sensitive mouths which can easily get damaged.
#19 Fish with live shrimp if you are near mangroves. Redfish have an extremely strong sense of smell which can help you connect with them easier by using a soft plastic like a Berkley Gulp! or even a live one while they hide in these dark places. They sure do love the odor that emanates from them, especially during their mating season where both male and female become more aggressive towards each other.
#20 Use braided line when fishing in salt water since wire won’t be able to hold the strength needed for fish over 20 pounds. You may also use fluorocarbon on your reels just to make extra sure that it is not getting tangled inside itself making it unusable. Avoid using monofilament lines when fishing redfish.
#21 Use fluorocarbon leaders whenever you are fishing in salt water especially during windy days since most other types of line will just break apart from the strain that it is going through. If you are using wire or some other type of material, they could get tangled inside itself making it impossible to use again.
#22 Try using your bait and reel liners whenever you can since this will help with the prevention of saltwater corrosion. Redfish commonly like places where there is an abundance of vegetation such as oyster beds which should not be hard to find if you’re near a coast.
#23 There are different kinds of baits for redfish but one kind that will always be a favorite will be cut fish. This is something that you can easily catch along the shoreline when it’s not too shallow and just drop the bait inside the area where there are some redfish.
#24 I know this may sound crazy but I like to use a spinning rod on my redfish pole whenever I’m using live shrimp or even blue crabs. They don’t really have much of an open mouth so they are harder to hook unlike other types of saltwater fishing, but if you have a rock solid connection with your line, they should swim right up in the water column without getting away from you.
#25 During early mornings especially during summer time is one of the best times to go out and try to catch some redfish. They are not as active in the morning so it would be a good idea to just start fishing right when they open their eyes and actually see what is happening around them.