Outdoors

Daily fishing report

 Look out for keeper-sized redfish.

By ROB GORTA
Published December 6, 2006

What's hot: Keeper-sized redfish continue to be the most reliable action. Fish from 18 to 27 inches are the norm on flats right now. They're fun to catch and provide great action with light tackle gear.

Tactics: Cloudy conditions last week made it tough to sight cast. While push-poling on high tides close to shorelines of spoil islands, I put on a top-water plug. This provides action so clients don't get bored waiting for me to locate schools of fish. Blind casts in front of the boat work water before I pole into redfish; I don't want to push into a school.

Tips from the pros: Once a fish chases the top-water plug, I will anchor up and throw out live baits. Free-lined, half-dollar sized pinfish and grunts on a 1/0 circle hook was key to landing more than a dozen reds on a couple of trips. Pinfish are now in deeper water. I am getting hundreds of pins and grunts in the cast net around bay area bridges. If the pin is burying in the grass, use a weighted cork. This will help make longer casts. If you go 5-10 minutes without a hookup, pull anchor and start the routine over.

Rob Gorta charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 647-7606 or visit captainrobgorta.com.

[Last modified December 6, 2006, 05:27:36]