Author: Albert Acosta
The Redfish, a beautiful hard fighting fish that is always willing to take a live bait, lure, or fly.
The Redfish, a beautiful hard fighting fish that is always willing to take a live bait, lure, or fly. Redfish are found all over Florida with the bull reds mostly in northern parts of Florida. One of my favorite places to go after these fish is in Everglades National Park. The park is full of beautifully positioned mangrove islands, shallow and deeper channels as well as grass and mud flats. Redfish can be found anywhere really hugging the mangroves looking for bait fish, in the channels or on the flats. The trick is finding them on any given day. There is nothing like stalking these fish on the grass and mud flats in the park. You can find single fish or larger schools if you put in the time and find the right conditions on the flat. I like flats with life... bait fish action, diving birds, rays, sharks and moving water, all these are good sign that you are in right area. A flats boat or skinny water skiff type boat is needed to stalk them on The flats and knowing the tides for the area is CRUCIAL! I like fishing a high tide on the flats so I can get deep onto a flat then work my way off the flat with the outgoing tide. Also fish what we call pot holes... these are just deeper areas on a flat where fish will hide to wait for baitfish to swim by. It's easier to see tailing Redfish in the shallower water as sometimes their backs and tails will be sticking out of the water like waving hand telling you to cast here! You can also find them up against the mangrove islands and I mean right up against and under the mangroves. In other parts of the park you can find them in creek mouths from big creek mouths to smaller ones. Below you will see some of my favorite lures to use for redfish.
Jigs, and Jerk Baits.
I use 1/4 or 1/2 jig heads with either live shrimp or artificials like the Gulp jerk type baits that are scented. I also use jigs... my favorite are some made by old fishing friend that first took me to the park Captain Paul Tejera. His jigs are one of my favorite to use for reds on the flats. They are called Backbone Jigs. I also use a popper float the Cajun Thunder that great friend Scott showed me how to use. You can use the float set up to cast near deeper mangrove areas and creek mouths with live shrimp or a small jig head with a Gulp shrimp. Reds have great smell and eye sight. I use 30 lb BullBuster Braid on my backcountry reels with 30-40 lb Bullbuster fluorocarbon. I don't like loosing big snook or reds! The areas around Snake Bite Channel near Flamingo the flats are very good. The flats in that area are a no motor area so you have to pole or kayak to find the fish but if you are patient and quite you will be rewarded. Hope this helps you catch more fish!
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