How to Catch Redfish Like a Pro

Co-authored by Michael Reynolds and Madeleine Flamiano

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References

Ready to catch all the redfish you can? Redfish, also known as “red rum” or “reds” can be found from Texas to Florida. Plus, they move inshore and offshore, so you have lots of options for fishing spots throughout the year. Here, we’ll tell you where to look for redfish, how to lure them, and ways to reel them in. Read on for a promising catch of redfish!

Things You Should Know

Stock up on live bait since redfish are attracted to grub that moves around.
Use heavy tackles and modified gear to reel in large "bull" redfish.
Sight fish for redfish in shallow waters or use sonar tech in deep waters.
Go to the Atlantic coast or the Gulf of Mexico to find redfish in their natural habitats.

1

Bait redfish with shrimp, crab, and lures.

Live bait like shrimp and crab is best for redfish, but lures work, too. Since both young redfish and older redfish prefer to feed on shrimp and crab, make sure you bring plenty of this grub to excite these game fish. When they see their favorite food squirming around, they’ll rush over to hunt it. If you don’t have live bait on around, try lures—artificial bait—like:^{[1]
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- Slow sinking fish shaped plugs
- ½-¼ ounce shallow-running gold, copper, or silver spoons
- A weedless spoon (in areas of heavy vegetation)
- Plastic worms (for redfish at the very bottom of water)
- When it comes to fishing lures, anything with green or orange shading works well—most fish food consists of these two magic colors.

2

Use plastic or cork jigs to attract redfish.

Plastic and cork jigs bob in a way that tells redfish it's "feeding time." Tie a popping cork 3 feet (0.91 m) above a ⅜ ounce jig head—a hook with a weighted head on your fishing reel—rigged with a plastic grub, a type of artificial bait. Throw the cork into wherever you’re fishing for the course of 1 hour. Eventually, you’ll catch multiple redfish if it’s a productive season.^{[2]
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3

Try strong tackles to catch bigger redfish.

Strong tackles allow you to reel in large "bull" redfish without a hassle. Since fully grown bull redfish are at their largest and around 25–45 pounds (11–20 kg) during their spawning run, make sure to use a heavy tackle fishing hook. As soon as these massive redfish see your bait, they’ll be quick to swim up and latch onto it. With a heavy tackle fishing hook, you’ll be able to reel one of these game fish up.^{[3]
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4

Modify a fish-finder rig to catch heavy redfish.

Add a pyramid sinker to a fish-finder rig so bull redfish can latch onto it. Take out your fish finder rig and add 1-3 20–50 feet (6.1–15.2 m) of flourocarbon, 100–300 pounds (45–136 kg) barrel swivel, and a sinker slide. Once you put your bait on a fish hook, the sinker slide will make the lure drift back and forth to attract large and aggressive redfish.^{[4]
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5

Try out sonar tech to spot redfish.

Use a 2D sonar fish finder to find redfish you can’t see above water. Bring your boat to any body of water that’s deeper than 12 feet (3.7 m). For example, go to bends in bayous or passes. Review a high definition fishing map to see where the highest concentration of redfish usually are. Turn on a 2D sonar fish finder.^{[5]
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- Top sonar units: Humminbird, Simrad, Garmin
- Adjust the sonar unit’s color settings based on your preference.
- Take time to learn how your sonar unit operates before heading out to fish.

6

Fish in brackish creeks, rivers, and lagoons.

Redfish are “feeders” that prefer areas of shallow water. Look for “brackish” water systems, mixtures of fresh and saltwater, to find redfish. Check a tide chart for the creek, river, or lagoon you want to fish in. Catch redfish at a structure like a bridge or a weir—a low dam—because redfish are naturally drawn to these areas.^{[7]
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- Ask a state agency if you need a license to fish at any of the brackish water systems you visit.
- Wear heavy brackish water gear since you might catch big redfish that put up a fight when you try to reel them in. Use:
  - A 7 feet (2.1 m) medium-heavy rod with a medium-heavy reel
  - A 10–12 pounds (4.5–5.4 kg) test line
  - 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m) of 20 pounds (9.1 kg) test leader material

7

Sight-fish for redfish in marsh grasses.

Redfish tend to pile up around grasses to find bait in mud. Go deep into coastal marsh grasses so you can enter salty brackish water, where redfish thrive. Watch for redfish as they travel to these areas to feed. Fish near the edges of the marsh since plenty of redfish should group up here to hunt for baitfish and “ambush” them.^{[8]
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- Catch redfish in coastal marsh grasses all year long.
- Remain silent since redfish on the hunt can be really hypersensitive.
- Avoid incoming or outgoing tides since redfish prefer not to feed during these times.
- Bring bait that redfish feed on during the time of the year you go out.

8

Travel to the Atlantic coast or Gulf of Mexico.

The Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast are the habitats for redfish. Head toward the inshore waters of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, where there’s a high concentration of redfish. On the Atlantic coast, catch redfish from Massachusetts to Key West, especially if you want to find the largest kinds. During the fall, catch large adult “bull” redfish in the Gulf of Mexico, where they migrate to spawn.^{[9]
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- If you like “surf fishing” and the thrill of an accidental catch, visit the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico any time of the year.
- Even if most redfish might be smaller in the Gulf of Mexico, you may find more since the ones that migrate there tend to stay there for the rest of their lives.

9

Visit the beaches of Southeastern states.

Beaches in the Southeast are considered "trophy spots" for redfish. Catch redfish from Chesapeake Bay to Texas. For the best results, though, go to the Dixey "name after a Civil War Ship" Bar, a mound made specifically for fishing at Alabama’s Mobile Bay. Just look down to spot redfish swimming around. Visit from fall to early winter, when natural bait is abundant and draws a lot of redfish.^{[10]
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- Find packs of 3-5 fish when you watch the waters.
- Expect to catch multiple fish in a row if you use a “mullet ball” as bait.
- If you spot translucent blue tails in a beach break—or rolling wave—you’ve found some bull redfish.

10

Arrive 2 hours before the high tide when redfish feed.

When waters rise, redfish move to shallow areas to hunt. To “fish the flood” and try flood tide fishing, check out the flood tides from Northern Florida to North Carolina. Bring your boat to a “water column,” the spot where a patch of short Spartina grass is flooded. Watch for redfish searching for fiddler crabs in the wet mud. Since spartina grass only floods a few times a month, you’re more likely to see redfish in a feeding frenzy.^{[11]
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- Look for tails since redfish dig their noses into mud to feed.
- Fish the flood from mid-March to the end of November. Expect to get 10-15 high tides during each of these months.
- Add a weed guard to your fishing hook to target redfish instead of grass.
- Put a weighted eye on your leader, like a 20 pounds (9.1 kg) flouro leader so you can catch redfish that are deep in the water.
- Some patches of spartina grass are short enough to walk through as you fish.

11

Catch bull redfish from September through May.

Redfish are easy to find from September to May when the water is clear. If you want to catch large bull redfish in areas that aren’t muddy like marshlands, go to coastal bays, rivers, and passes from Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Visit the Chesapeake from May through September when bull redfish arrive for their spawning season. In the Gulf, head to Florida, where bull redfish mate during the full moon of August.^{[12]
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- After they spawn in the Chesapeake, large numbers of redfish migrate to Cape Lookout for the winter.
- In Florida’s beaches, November to December is the most productive time for redfish.
- In the winter, you can typically find schools of 500-5,0000 redfish in Louisiana and Texas.

12

Look for redfish in inlets and passes during fall.

Inlets are "holding areas" where you'll find migrating redfish. Go to inlets—narrow bodies of water—because “trophy” redfish like to stay in the tidal currents of these zones. Bring your boat 2-3 feet offshore so you can fish where the tide is the strongest.^{[13]
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Research source} Alternatively, find a pass—a thin channel of water between 2 larger bodies of water. A pass acts as a “funnel” that attracts a huge amount of redfish. Either inlets or passes offer a great opportunity for a rewarding catch.^{[14]
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- Visit the “Redfish Pass” in late summer or early fall for a really productive season. Rumor has it, you can even walk across the pass and step on the heads of redfish because there are so many of them!

Expert Q&A

Question

What is the best way to put a shrimp on a hook?

Michael Reynolds
Professional Fishing Instructor
Michael Reynolds is a Professional Fishing Instructor and the Owner of Long Beach, California Fishing Lessons by Michael Reynolds. In his over 40 years of fishing experience, Michael has become very knowledgeable about the variety of fishing methods and techniques. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge with beginners to experienced anglers. Michael has been guiding and teaching fishing for over five years and is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).

Michael Reynolds

Professional Fishing Instructor

Expert Answer

Hold the shrimp upside-down and insert the hook into the anus. Then, slide the shrimp and work the hook through the tail section until reaching the carapace. Finally, bring the tip of the hook out through the body and past the barb.