AU Trout: Redeye in Winter

Wife and I ran the Cahaba this weekend. First time we've been in the winter. Fall was awful because we had no current. Winter has been awful because it is either raining every weekend or the water is too high.

We went Sunday and the water was moving way more than we are used to. We caught some big spots, but didn't catch the first redeye. We were throwing bigger baits than is our norm down there due to the current. That might have had something to do with it? Are there any baits and/or strategies for winter time redeye fishing? My wife was bent out of shape when I told her the buzzbait was out of season.....

I'm no red eye expert but I've had better luck catching them on smaller bug type baits or crawfish crankbaits.

I LOVE Redeyes, seems like the consensus is they are mostly an insect eating fish
though I could be wrong. I do know they will tear up a popping bug.

Yeah. The wife and I usually catch them in the summer on top water. With the water coming down and the rain holding off, we will be going more (probably again this weekend). Gonna make sure one of us is throwing a small crankbait this time.

best I ever caught was on a regular size spinnerbait in fast water. Usually a small inline spinner like a shyster is much better.

I've caught a many on a Rebel UL crawfish crankbait.

jigging crappie jigs in submerged timber or large boulders. Deeper the pool the better.

Not ideal in the waters you describe, but beetlespins and Mepps Comets have
gotten them for me.

Yeah, the current flow should be less this weekend. Gonna try again Sat or Sun.

I went to try out my new waders @ weogufka yesterday and just had some roostertails/ inline spinners with me. Didn't catch any red-eyes but did get a few nice spots in the deeper pools.

I've never had much luck with redeye until the water warmed up some, like late spring on the Cahaba River

This is what it's starting to look like. We went again Saturday. We didn't catch many, but the ones we caught were big. Wife caught a nice spot.

Did y’all have 2 boats? If so I saw you as you passed our place north of centerville

Centerville is a LONG way from where I'm fishing. I want to get down that way, but haven't made it yet.