Started at first light to try to catch the last bit of outgoing tide. We were hoping to fish the same smoking hot ladyfish bite we found yesterday. Unfortunately, there was no bait to be found along the grass edges and the ladyfish were absent. Moved into the inlet around slack low and spent the next three hours fighting sharks and cow nosed rays one after the other. Sharks were eating anything thrown at them but seemed to prefer cut bait fish. Great action for most of the morning!
As part of their honeymoon, Danielle surprised Drew with a morning of inshore fishing. Winds had been heavy out of the North for several days and I was wary that the flats I had planned to target would be blown out. Fortunately, even with winds at 15+, the bite was still on! The fish were finicky and you could only get one out of each school before they got lockjaw. Nonetheless, we boated reds up to 30″ and several nine pounds and over. It turned out to be a great morning!
Had fantastic conditions today and were treated to warmer than expected temperatures and glassy calm water. Big schools of redfish cruised up and down the banks sometimes exposing their backs at low tide. The reds happily ate cut mullet and mud minnows fished on the bottom with circle hooks. By the end of the day, we not only had the first redfish of the year but also Michal’s biggest fish ever!
We had been working a dock for the better part of an hour but it had been twenty minutes since the last bite. We decided to sit down and have a drink and of course one of the rods immediately snapped over. John grabbed it and after several minutes the red had us wrapped around something on the bottom. I assumed we were done for but miraculously the fish came free! After another few minutes of tugging, John dredged up this slab of a redfish. Another victim of the newly available cracked blue crab.
Caught a break in the weather and had a morning full of sun with little wind. No problems seeing the big schools of redfish circling on the flats at low tide. Found groups of reds literally a hundred strong who wanted nothing to do with our artificial lures. Once we staked up and put out cut mullet, it was a different story as we would hook into a redfish every time the school drifted over our way. As noon approached and the water warmed, artificials began to work and as we poled down a bank we put another half dozen fish in the boat.
My clients had clear cut instructions for our charter. After catching lots of smaller reds on their own, they wanted to target big redfish. We left the dock at first light in order to fish as much of low tide as possible. We stopped where I had been catching good sized reds and started casting popping corks while fishing cut mullet out the back of the boat. Non stop action for two hours ensued with reds hitting both kinds of bait. Will landed a handsome 26″ redfish, his biggest fish ever, but Lacey stole the show by reeling a sweet 10 pound redfish, her biggest fish ever as well. Great job!
On a road trip from Washington, Nick and his friend Chad joined me for a couple of days on the water. Had beautiful sunny days with modest winds and these two really got after it! Played all parts of the tide cycles and found fish cruising in the grass at high tide and large schools on the flats at low tide. Whether the duo were working artificials, popping corks or fishing on the bottom, they caught redfish no matter what. See you guys again soon!
Tried fishing the big water as well as popping corks to start the charter without much luck. Fortunately, the tide was dropping out quick and let us get up onto the flats. Lots of action as reds smoked cut mullet. Brian’s first redfish ever turned out to be the biggest of the day at 29″. You can tell by his smile how happy he was!
Wasn’t sure what to expect as we launched into gusty winds and an extra low tide. The water came up quick and as soon as the flats flooded the bite turned on. The rods whipped over as the reds hit cut mullet along the grass line. By the end of the afternoon, Larry had boated his personal best, a 29″ beauty. 70 degrees and sunny in February didn’t hurt either!
Even with winds cranking over 20mph, Keith stuck to his guns that he only wanted to throw artificials today. Well, it paid off! Found shelter from the bruising gusts and starting catching trout at mid and high tide. Once the water came down, the redfish bite turned on. Highlight of the day was this nice double!
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