Outdoors

Once you know how to scout them, low-tide reds are easy

By Rick Frazier, Times correspondent
Published February 1, 2008

Tampa resident Mike McCandless caught this multispotted redfish Jan. 12 using shrimp in lower Tampa Bay.
	[Rick Frazier]

Redfish red drum are there for the taking if you know where to look.

The low tides of February, especially around the new and full moon periods, will expose pockets or deep holes on area grass flats that virtually go unnoticed during normal tidal conditions.

Redfish, or just "reds" as locals call them, will seek out these small pits when the water drops off the flat, and they will remain trapped there until a flood tide. During that low tide, it can be like fishing in a barrel.

Finding these holes is easy, right? All you have to do when there is a negative low tide is look for a pocket of deep water on a barren flat. But finding productive holes is the key, and that can be difficult unless you know what to look for. Here's the skinny:

Before the water drops off a productive flat, reds forage these areas for crabs and shrimp. As the water recedes, the reds move into the holes and the wading birds show up to feed. Although the flat has bird activity on it, look for white ibis in particular because they feed on the same food source as the reds. Ibis are medium-sized wading birds with a long orange curved bill. They're usually seen in flocks, pecking and prodding their bills in the mud and sand searching for crustaceans.

After locating a productive hole, don't wade into it. These holes are only a couple of feet deep and maybe only 50 to 100 feet in diameter. Any movement through the hole will spook these fish, so it's best to stay on the outer edge of the hole and cast into it.

Use a lightweight outfit in the 8- to 12-pound range. There's no need for heavy equipment since there isn't any line-cutting structure to worry about. Rods 7 to 8 feet in length are best since you will need to make long casts.

Outfit your setup with a 2-foot section of 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. With a loop knot, tie on a red light-wire No. 1 circle hook and pinch on a one-eighth-ounce split shot weight about 1 foot above the hook. The split shot aids in casting and keeps your bait on the bottom.

Remember, the water is cold and reds will not chase prey too often, so cut, smelly dead shrimp is the best bait. The reds will zero in on it with their keen sense of smell. Shrimp is by far the best choice since whitebait and greenbacks are nonexistent this time of year.

Once you get to the hole, take a handful of cut shrimp and throw it around just to let them know it's time to eat. Put a small piece of shrimp on the hook, cast it out and hang on.

Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376. If you've had a great day fishing from land and want to share it with readers, contact the lubberline at (727) 893-8775 or e-mail captainrick@luckydawg.com.

[Last modified January 31, 2008, 23:25:04]