Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 15, 2002
Through October, redfish schools will be prevalent throughout Tampa Bay. The best times to scout are during the two hours on either side of a high tide. Enter some areas on an incoming tide to maximize the fishing opportunity and allow time to escape some flats while there's enough water to float your boat. Though most baitfish on area flats are medium to small, there are enough 3- to 4-inchers to provide an ideal mixture for chumming and for bait. While chumming with live bait, cull out the largest for the hook. At times, heavy chumming may be necessary to activate the redfish. Because the smallest baits are used, the redfish tend not to overfeed and move on.
This time of year, it's not uncommon to run into redfish from 30 and 36 inches and to catch them consistently for hours. To prevent being spooled, use a 71/2 foot fast-action rod matched with a smooth dragged reel that can hold at least 200 yards of 8- to 10-pound test line. Top this with a 3-foot section of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader, a slip bobber and a No. 1 or 1/0 circle-wide hook.
Once a school is chummed up and feeding aggressively, cast hooked baits out and wait for the cork to be pulled under. Then lower your rod tip, reel up the slack until the pressure of the fish is felt and lift the rod tip.
-- Capt. Wade Osborne operates Afishionado Guide Services out of Tampa and can be reached at (888) 402-3474 or by e-mail at wade@wadefish.com.