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Captain's corner

By RICK FRAZIER

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 22, 2000

If you've never had the opportunity to catch reds from landlocked holes, now is the time.

The extreme low tides created by the full and new moons every month expose grass flats potholes.The best way to find these holes is to go to shallow flats and look for pools of water on the exposed flat. Another way is to look for wading birds, such as ibis, herons and egrets. If they're working a flat, it's a good bet the flat is a good place to check out.

Corralled in these holes are redfish, flounder, trout, sheepshead and snook. Don't be surprised to come out of there with an inshore slam before the tide comes up.

All you need is a small No. 1 or 1/0 hook, a small crimp-on weight and some smelly, dead shrimp. Most fish are grubbers, and stinky offerings draw them right to your hook.

Jigs work well, too. So do artificial shrimp. Work the area slowly and deliberately. If you don't have a bite in the first couple of casts, move to another hole.

To help get bites, chum the hole with pieces of dead shrimp. Don't go overboard chumming. Sprinkle enough to get the attention of what's in the hole. You don't want to feed them.

- Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters in St. Petersburg. Call (727)448-3817 or email captrick@luckydawg.com.

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