Flood tide redfishing

Dani

Well-known member
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I love fishing. There's not much that is more relaxing than sitting back on a boat, a bait soaking in the water, feeling a breeze cool you down, soaking up some sun, enjoying a nice cold drink and catching fish. And it's always exciting to be working a creek with a topwater plug early in the morning with the sun coming up, smooth glassy water when all of a sudden the water explodes around your plug as you hook a hungry fish.

For me though, probably the most challenging fishing is trying to catch those flood tide redfish. They get up in the grass, stand on their heads and root around eating snails and crabs and other little tasites. So you can see their pretty little tails waving away saying "Here I am! Here I am!"

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I'm not particularly good at flood tide redfishing, though it is a lot of fun and is exciting to me. I trip over my own feets and face plant (and that'll spook a whole flat of fish quickly). I bonk them on the head with my lures as I"m trying to cast to them. I run the line over the top of their body and spook them when I cast too far right over them. I cast totally in the wrong direction on occassion. Needless to say I don't catch a whole lot of them. But still I go out trying to catch those wily redfish.

Summertime floodtide redfishing is done in the evening. You have a very short window to work with before the sun goes down on you. But it can be just as productive as fall floodtide fishing.

It starts with a stalk on the redfish.

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Getting close enough to cast but not too close to spook.

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HAH!!! I got one!!!!!

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As I said, it doesn't happen often that I catch a flood tide redfish, in fact this was my second one and my first one that I actually cast to. So, I'm still learning what to do when you actually catch a fish.

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Eventually I get a hold of that gorgeous wiggly redfish

Did you see that? I finally caught one!

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It sure is fun catching these fish and this one sure is a gorgeous fish.

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We head back to the boat after that

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So that we can try one more flat

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Before the sun completely sets

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Many, many thanks to Steve for capturing my second flood tide redfish on camera. It was quite exciting for me to catch one of these pretty fish in the grass.

Danibeth
 
Yep, very cool. More like hunting when you can target one particular fish. Did you release that fish or slap him on the grill with a little Old Bays?
 
Thanks guys

Pete-

That one got filleted so that I could grill him up on the half shell (meaning he got filleted with skin and scales still on), then had butter, some lemon pepper for spice and then fresh mango juice from a fresh cut mango poured over each fillet and then grilled. Served with mango salsa. DEEEEEELICIOUS

Scott-

Redfish can get BIIIIIIIG...I caught a 47"er last year. In the grass that same night we saw about a 10lb redfish (would've been over 30"). The one I caught was 20". Between that size range seems to be what I see in the grass. I know people catch bigger ones in the grass I just don't know how common that is. So I suppose that one is a bit on the smaller side for what is typical for what I see. Gotta figure that most of the time the water is about knee to thigh high so they've gotta be about that long or longer for their tails to be flaggin like that when they're feeding on the bottom.

Dani
 
Dani.... pick up a flyrod next time. The advantage is you can throw flies simulating crabs, shrimp, etc which weight next to nothing and they wont spook the fish as much as a big "plop" when you drop a lure cast by a spinning rod.

If you think chasing those fish with a spin rod is fun, wait until you learn to tie flies (make your own), then cast them to a fish and land one. Now that's exciting and satisfying as well!
 
Nice fishing Dani! Maybe one day redfish will be common again up here in Jersey. But I'm not holding my breath.
 
Dani, Nice fish. Sure looks like fun, haven't fished in a couple years. Hoped to get some in now that I am unemployed but stupid stuff keeps coming up. Enjoy every chance you get.
 
I sure did enjoy this story that was accompanied by some great pictures. The beautiful sunset made for a good ending. Thanks
Al
 
Dani: Nice Redfish!!! Sight fishing is a blast.

Scott: the slot size in AL is 16-26", we are allowed 1 over 26" per day.
Most reds we catch inshore are in that slot.
Once you get out of estuaries and into the open water bays & offshore, they tend to be a lot bigger, we call them Bull Reds then. I caught one off a pier in the Gulf earlier this year that was 13# but others in the school that were caught and landed were 16-20#. They will pull your arms off.
 
Looking good Dani! Looks like your're putting that flood water to good use. I can't believe it's already July. I've managed to put a plug in the water a couple of times this year and one Walleye to show for it. I've finally got the floor replaced in the boat and I'll be finishing up the carpet this weekend. Put the electronics back together next week and hope to be fishing by September...wishful dreaming I'm afraid. Work has been a B&^%h since I got back up here.
 
Dani,

Nice fish and story.

I use to get out to Cedar Key with some friends who had boats. Never fished the grass.

Thanks Steve for the pics. That last one is my wallpaper for a while.

Tom
 
Those are some cool fishing shots. I really need to sit down and do something with those feathers for you.
Did Steve move back to FL? Seems like he is taking a lot of pictures of you there.

Tim
 
Very cool Dani and awesome pics Steve...that looks like a lot of fun. That was heck of a "bitter beer" face in that one pic too. Gorgeous fish though...congrats!

Steve
 
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