What a warm Winter this has been and boy how the redfish have loved it! Started fishing at low tide this morning and founds schools of redfish 100+ strong. They were a little spooky and did not want much to do with our offerings. We moved as the tide rose and found a grassy bank rife with large bait fish as well as a massive school of redfish who inhaled 4-5″ paddle tail artificials. The school was so big it rotated slowly in a wide circle and never tired of us. Caught twenty or so nice redfish under sunny skies and 70 degree weather.

We left the dock under sunny skies with temperatures nearing 70 degrees and no indication this was a day in January. Patrick wanted to fish for redfish on the flats so we timed the trip to coincide with low tide. Stuck a few fish out of the gates with artificials but they kept coming unbuttoned. As the redfish balled tighter together as the water fell, we found a school with literally hundreds of fish. Surprisingly, they would not touch cracked blue crab or cut mullet but did take smokey shad colored artificials. A brilliant day on the water!

Left at first light on New Year’s day to focus on the flats at low tide. Rolling up on the first spot, you could see pods of literally hundreds of redfish moving up and down the flat. Taylor put this nice eleven pound redfish in the boat right away. Then, the challenge began as a pack of marauding dolphins joined us and immediately started busting up the schools. Strangely, the wary redfish would not eat cut mullet, cracked blue crab or mud minnows but would occasionally eat black/gold flake artificials. Ended the day with a hefty 13lb. redfish – what a way to start 2012!