Captain's Corner

Redfish remain the hottest ticket in town

By NEIL TAYLOR
Published August 29, 2007

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What's hot: Redfish remain the hottest ticket in the Tampa Bay area. Redfish from 14-32 inches have become very cooperative the past several weeks. They are not schooling up acre-sized like they will this fall, but are in packs of five to 25. They are very willing to inhale just about anything offered. As fall approaches more of the larger fish will be available.

Tackle and Techniques: "Head for the trees" when targeting redfish. Redfish travel along mangrove-lined shorelines, shallow grass flats and around small islands. They settle in to feed in the same areas on specific tidal stages. Get out at sunrise, during the coolest part of the day. As the sun gets higher, consider prospecting deeper waters around submerged oyster bars. Redfish stay close to the bottom. Twitching jigs slowly off the bottom or swimming them just above the bottom will draw strikes. If you know there are deeper holes in a particular spot, let your lure flutter down into them. Many times this will be where larger redfish hide. Try areas that have a significant amount of baitfish. If we moved off the bait pods, there would be no more redfish caught. When we moved back to where the food source was, the feeding redfish were engaged again.

Neil Taylor charters kayak fishing trips in the Tampa Bay area and can be reached at (727) 692-6345.