Bucket List Spinoff - Redfish

Any tips on when, where to go for redfish? Live bait? Cutbait? Artificials?
I know they catch a few Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area. Would love to learn to get on them when I'm vacationing.

If I were at GS/OB I'd contact JayHook or Bobby Abruscato.

Multiple possibilities for Louisiana, depending on where you'll be - east of Nola in Chalmette, for example, or on the way to Venice, or down in Venice, or over toward Lake Charles. If you ever go that way let me know and I'll forward my contacts and/or suggestions.

Have caught reds down there on everything from big topwater knocker popper plugs to shallow crankbaits, swim jigs, chatterbait-style baits. IMO the shallow crankbaits, although fun, should have the trebles' barbs mashed down since they can swallow them. Lot of options.

Are you asking specifically about the OB area? I can't help you there. Clem nailed it. The Louisiana coast is the spot to go for reds. A buddy of mine once stated that there are more reds in the marsh in the spring, but the weather is always more unpredictable then, so he advises planning a fall trip for people seeking shallow water redfish. We usually go in November. With the very mild winter we had last year, they were crushing them in January. We have been going to Grand Isle every year which is a pretty cool place. I would consider it to be Louisiana's version of Dauphin Island. They have a kayak redfishing tournament every year there called "Ride the Bull". I believe the main purpose of it is to catch bull reds for tagging. When we go in November, we're typically chasing slot sized fish for the grill.

You bring the boat and we'll go to LA and catch all you want to.

None of that 1oz tungsten weight punching grass that you hate so much either .

Have had great trips in Louisiana to Cocodrie, Golden Meadow and Buras; lots of choices.

And to answer your question, if you're a bass fisherman, you're likely to much more enjoy chasing them in the marsh as opposed to anchoring in a pass or setting up off the beach and trying to catch bulls. It's put the trolling motor down and beat the bank type fishing. When you hook an 8-10lb fish in a foot of water and there's only one way he can go...wooo boy!

We typically caught them on spinnnerbaits or swim baits and, if it was tough, we'd throw shrimp under a cork or tightlined. I can't help you for OB or GS, but can certainly give you plenty of waypoints for LA.

Cocodrie and Golden Meadow were my stomping grounds as well.

There are not too many things in this world that I am confident in, but I think I could help you check that off your list. Late October and barring flooding from the North, just drive down and we'll make it happen.

just be ready to go about the end of october you can ride down with me and stay with us. just split the gas down there and we will go to fort morgan and catch some bulls. i caught several over 20 last year

We fish out of Buras a couple times a year. Here lately it's been hit or miss on big numbers but we always catch a couple 30+ lb

alhawk and Beadlescomb, I very well may take you up on it.
I'd love to get in them.

the first big one i hooked i just stood there in shock for a few seconds. the power that they have is unreal

If your vacation destination changes to Apalachicola and St George Island in September or October let me know. I know a few good spots that are easily accessible by foot.

This, in spades. Being in a shallow marsh, where you can maybe see them tailing or just the ripples, throwing something like a cocahoe or spinnerbait (bring plenty), a wake bait or something, damn. It's mind-blowing.

The power, yes, from the small to large, is amazing. You don't have to throw 65-pound braid or have broomsticks, but you can't go with half-assed tackle, either IMO. I've fished with my bass rods and 17-pound fluorocarbon but I'd probably not go with less than 14 and don't mind braid at all, like up to 30-pound test (which has the smaller diameter). Just remember to clean the rods and reel with freshwater every day.


The big bulls are fun, and having one explode on a big topwater popper makes your balls tingle. But I'd almost rather catch numbers of smaller ones in the 7-10+ range with consistency than the big ones. They're fun but they can wear you out and take time to get in. But I wouldn't turn them down, of course.

Dang, y'all got me excited for redfish now. I'm gon' to have to get my Whopper Ploppers boxed up and go down there.

I was just thinking Whopper Plopper when you said topwaters.

The big Knucklehead jointed poppers are pretty doggone good, too. When a 30- or 35-inch redfish hits one of those and takes off it's crazy.

I'm not expert at all, but I caught a lot of reds this past May just fishing right in front of my condo in Destin. I caught ladyfish during the day and used them as cut bait at night, and caught lots of reds.

The biggest one I caught was huge, and it was crazy how strong it was. Was very exciting reeling that thing in.

Tons of redfish inside Pensacola Bay in Novemeber. Just look for the birds.

Just a question here...always wonder...and I do it for a living so trust me I'm not knocking bull reds...but why is everyone so enamored with bull reds? They are catch and release anyway. On 30# braid if you know how to apply pressure they can be at the boatside in 2-3 minutes. So why not jack crevalle which will bring folks to their knees on the same tackle?
my college age boys will stand on my bow as we ease up on a school and watch bull reds swim under them hoping to see a cruising jack...
just sayin help me understand...

For me, it's because I don't know any better and it's what I've caught most successfully. For someone that has only been able to fish in salt-water on family beach trips, I can catch those and it's exciting.

I've only caught one in my life but I'd take jack crevalle over the big giant bull reds any day, if that's the question. Jacks are underrated IMO here in the upper Gulf.

Depends on how you want to catch them. I'd prefer sight fishing for tailing reds. If you want to do that Mosquito Lagoon in east central Florida is one of the best places in the world to do that. Louisiana you'll prob catch bigger fish(which aren't as tasty), but it more than likely won't be casting to tails

Fort Morgan point, "no name road" beach access or the beach at Mobile Street in October. Bring some heavy pyramid weights and a reel with 15 -20lb mono with about 200 yards capacity. Use a live pinfish, dead cigar minnow, cut mullet or ladyfish. This is almost a gimme and you are apt to hook a blacktip or spinner shark as well. I would suggest the Gulf State Park Pier but this year the big schools of reds and jacks have been scarce. I'm hoping that changes in October.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mobile+St,+Gulf+Shores,+AL+36542/@30.2265027,-88.0092673,1034m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x889a18c9362383b1:0xffc0a6ac04513f79!8m2!3d30.2382469!4d-87.8303297

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2255158,-88.0232534,1332m/data=!3m1!1e3

Sight fishing for reds in Louisiana is a bit of a challenge because the Mighty Mississippi keeps the marsh colored like sweet tea but the abundance of shrimp and crabs keeps the reds cruising shallow. You don't need a lot of visibility when the fish are active in 12" of water. There are countless YouTube videos on Louisiana redfishing. I've fished with guys that've done Mosquito Lagoon and they'd pick Louisiana over it every time. There's a reason the Louisiana limit is 5 fish and the Florida limit is 2 fish. Louisiana has lots more of them.

IF im not mistaken i saw a show where guys was flipping reeds in LA for redfish. SIGN ME UP!!

Haven't flipped, but when I caught them swimming a jig in Louisiana I was using one that was brown with a NetBait Potomac Blue craw. Figured that was as close as I could get to looking like a little crab. Flipping reeds sounds like a blast.

Live shrimp

Use a heavy enough weight to hold it down. Pyramid are commonly used but a big enough egg sinker will do fine.

Get a medium brown or blue crab alive or freshly dead. Snip the two outside points off the shell. Rip the shell back off of the crab. Use a large enough hook to go through it from bottom to top. Throw into the sea. Watch for bites. Often times a huge red bite will look like a few tiny bream taps. Lift the rod tip and if you feel weight, set the hook. If you did not properly set your drag, this is when you will find out and you will wish you had.

Falling tide works best just outside of an inlet mouth but they don't seem to be affected by the tides so much when fishing from a featureless beach.

This method will only catch large redfish and it will outfish cut bait two to one.

You can catch them off the wall at Perdido Pass. I caught a 17 lb and 23 lb back to back one night there, October 2005 I believe it was.

I catch them in the Mobile River on shad fishing drop offs. Do very well up around Saraland. Wrote an article on it that will be in the September issue of Alabama Outdoor News Magazine. Check it out

Do not and I repeat do NOT let your first trip be to Louisiana. You will be spoiled for life and nothing will compare. The Mobile River and all creeks south of I-65 will have redfish if Barry Steam plant readings are below flood stage. Late October is a magical time down here, but there are too many other distractions (deer, HS football and Bama football) to get my complete attention.