Outdoors

Captain's Corner

By DOUG HEMMER
Published August 15, 2007

What's hot: Redfish are starting to school in large numbers. During most of the summer, schools have held 25 to 50 redfish. These smaller schools are joining ranks and making pods that hold 200 to 300 fish. They are moving close to the mangrove shoreline during the incoming tide. During the peak of high tide most of the reds will move under the mangroves. This is when it gets difficult to locate the school. You will need to use your trolling motor on low or a push pole and travel just outside the mangroves. Look under the branches for long dark shadows. When you locate the school, anchor the boat a little farther from the mangroves and cast your bait where there are openings in the branches. A corked rig will help you know where your bait is and give you a chance at pulling it away from the branches before the bait gets snagged.

Captain's tip: When fishing for redfish, keep your eyes peeled for snook. Large numbers of snook have moved off the beach. Normally they start to leave the beach area in September, but this year they've started the push early. Mangrove islands, bridges and docks inside area passes are holding unusually large numbers of big snook. Threadfins and pinfish remain the bait of choice. Free-line your bait upcurrent and let it drift back to the school. If you locate a good spot for snook, fish during a strong tide. Remember the tide and bait they fed best on so you can fish that area when snook season opens Sept. 1.

[Last modified August 14, 2007, 22:58:07]