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Outdoors
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 25, 2002
Looking for red drum? Now's the time to start fishing those deep holes that redfish love to wallow in during low tide.
Winter has the lowest tides of the year, especially during the new and full moons. Grass flats that normally are covered with water are exposed, giving away all their secrets.
It's not hard to find these pools. Go out to your favorite flats spot when the water has dropped and look for landlocked pools or potholes. Not all the holes will be deep enough to hold fish, but the ones that do normally will have birds circling above them. Look for pelicans, ibis, blue herons or cormorants. These birds are looking for the small crabs, shrimp and minnows that reds feed on.
Once the bird activity gives the pool away, it's not unusual to see aqua-tipped tails waving. It's also not uncommon to find snook, speckled trout and sheepshead in the same hole, so rig accordingly.
Ten-pound test with a 20-pound leader is heavy enough. Free-lined shrimp is perfect for these circumstances, but you may need to add a float to keep out of the grass. Chumming with small pieces of shrimp helps.
-- Capt. Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376 or by e-mail at captrick@luckydawg.com.