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Once over-harvested, redfish are making a strong comeback.
A look around the state reveals regional experts employ varied approaches to achieve success.
The tide was flooding as the spring sun climbed higher in the sky. As I
eased the canoe through the mangrove-lined creek, creeping at a snail’s
pace so as not to disturb the water, the smell of nature was
intoxicating. In the front seat, my friend Chris Sullivan waited. He
was poised, alert, and ready for action. Chris knew what to do. We had
clearly discussed our plan during the 45-minute ride to the launch
site.
A fork in the creek created a tidal pool that seemed to always swirl in one direction or the other. I never knew how deep it was – the stained water just went down, down, down. An old weathered dock, or what was left of it, jutted out from the mangroves. From the looks of it, the structure hadn’t been used in several decades.
As we crept into casting range, it was obvious the pool was alive. Shrimp and small baitfish alternately skipped across the motionless surface followed by boils and slurps. I instantly broke out in a feverish sweat as I spotted a pair of redfish cruising the bank just off to our port. Chris made his first cast which appeared to take off in slow motion. His lob made it about half the distance it needed, but it was on line. I was about to recommend he reel in and cast again when the canoe rocked violently. The surface explosion, instantly followed by the screeching sound of reel drag sent the wading birds into a fleeing frenzy.
Since moving to Palm Beach from Tampa in 1996, I just don’t have the same opportunities to target redfish. Treasured memories like those fishing with Chris are getting older, and sure, although I’m able to somewhat sate my inshore thirst targeting snook, I still miss the cunning mentality of a redfish.
Fortunately as the years tick by, I’m finding more opportunities to venture off on pilgrimages in my ongoing quest to experience all of the wonderful angling opportunities Florida has to offer. For me, during spring, that means chasing redfish.
For in-state vacations, I’ve always packed up the family and headed back to my old stomping grounds where I knew the water well. However, recently I’ve decided to take a closer look at other promising destinations. With redfish priority number one, I made a list of each geographical region that provided ideal habitat requirements which I believe would support healthy redfish populations, and I did some poking around.
Northeast:
Jacksonville does not get proper respect when it comes to fishing destinations in Florida. Overshadowed by the constant press of the Florida Keys and other, more popular haunts, this area is relatively unpublicized.
Jacksonville backwater has something most of Florida lacks – massive tides. In some areas, tides move more than a foot per hour – even more with a spring tide. Overall tidal range can exceed eight feet!
Captain Russell Tharin, the 2004 Orvis endorsed Guide of the Year, says, “In general, people don’t come to Duval County to fish. But when they do, their expectations are always exceeded.”
Tharin takes the massive tides into consideration when planning where, when, and how to target reds. When the tide is low, he prefers jigs or grubs. During the incoming tide, he tends to hit the surf or work previously exposed oyster bars. During high tide, when the grass is flooded, he looks for tailing fish. In this particular situation, light tackle is the most effective. Tharin feels skilled fly anglers might even have the advantage, mostly due to the delicate presentation.
Come late spring, even though we’re discussing the far reaches of northern Florida, the heat can still be stifling. It’s now when Tharin spends a lot of time working the beaches. During the early summer, spawners, or “bull reds” make their appearance. Captain Tharin takes an intelligent view of these fish. “Big reds are our seed fish, our future. They are here with a purpose, to spawn, which we need to focus on enabling, not interrupting.”
He clearly understands the reason bulls are not keepers (redfish over 28” must be released in the state of Florida). “These fish are easy targets. They’re spawning, and hungry. I don’t target them any more. Occasionally, we hook one or two big bull reds on top-water lures in the ocean, and that is very cool. Though keep in mind, reviving big reds can be difficult, especially when anchored. On top of that, prematurely released reds are easy targets for hungry sharks.”
East Central:
If you haven’t heard about redfish in the Mosquito Lagoon, you may want to consider an altogether different sport, and if you’ve never experienced the fishery, well, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. It appears there’s been an increase of coverage of that fishery, so who knows how long it will last in its present state.
Nevertheless, the central east coast of Florida has much more to offer than just the Mosquito Lagoon. An emerging redfishery in the Indian River has recently caught my attention, partly because the Indian River offers the best flats fishing near my home and partly because of the honest advice I always soak up at The Snook Nook in Jensen Beach.
To be truthful, eight to ten years ago, I couldn’t catch a redfish south of Sebastian. I completely gave up on reds. However, over the past few years, while fishing the Indian River, reds have been showing up in my cooler often enough to again get excited about my wife’s blackened cream sauce.
The big difference is, well, local knowledge. Since I wasn’t actively searching for redfish, I didn’t learn the water the hard way through fishing it. Rather, I started asking questions in the tackle shop on the way out and then again on the way home. I have been in many bait shops where the advice provided was about as helpful as a hole in a canoe. I’m sure part of the reason is tight lipped anglers – sometimes I may even fit into that category. Though, the knowledgeable crew at the Snook Nook put me on fish more times than I can remember. Here’s what Henry first had to say about redfish in his neck of the woods along Florida’s east central coast. “In ’85 or ’86, someone caught one redfish in the Sebastian Inlet.”
That’s it. That was the whole story. “Bathetic,” which is a few notches worse than “pathetic,” might best describe the fishery from Sebastian to Jensen Beach some 20 years ago. There simply were no redfish, period, but today, thanks to massive stocking efforts, regulations, and closed seasons, redfish have now come back strong.
“We still don’t see schools like up in the lagoon, but you can successfully target reds from County Line Road (between Martin and St. Lucie) north to Walton Road. Get on the water early, and focus your attention towards the west side of the river because of the texture of the bottom. Locate activity, circle around front, anchor, and wait. As a rule, you really can’t go wrong with a ½ oz. gold spoon or a shrimp-tipped jig worked across oyster bars and areas of hard bottom with subtle hops. The small puffs as the jig bumps the bottom help key the reds in,” added Henry.
Upper Keys/Florida Bay:
During my investigative work, I came in contact with a South Florida guide who has no problem cutting right to the chase, especially when it comes to putting fish in his boat. “Lately, I don’t spend as much time sight fishing on the flats. Over the many years that I’ve fished Florida Bay and Flamingo, I’ve found that during certain tides, there are many more redfish in the creeks and around channels, points, and protrusions,” says Captain Neil Baron.
“To catch redfish consistently, you don’t need to be an accurate caster with the world’s best tackle. I’ll put my anglers on the right spot, provide them with a knocker rig, which is nothing more than a 2/0 long shank hook with a sliding sinker. I instruct them to cast toward the distinct cuts and deeper edges, let the bait sink, and just wait,” says Baron, who went out of his way to mention baitfishing the many islands this way is a ‘go-to’ plan for him.
This captain is obviously not about selling lures, or endorsing equipment. He is about catching fish, period. That’s not to say Baron doesn’t have preferences. When specifically targeting reds, he prefers Berkley scented baits using a very slow and methodical retrieve. “The longer your bait is in the water, the better your chances of hooking fish” says Baron.
Lazy fishermen can be successful, but don’t be confused about Captain Baron’s ethics. With a history of submarine service, diving on oil fields, and guiding from Miami to Flamingo for over 20 years, he has done his share of hard work.
Chokoloskee/10,000 Islands:
Southwest Florida is redfish heaven, and since spring waters can be particularly stained, Captain Charles Wright is not afraid to get stinky. “Sometimes reds need a little extra incentive when the water is stained.”
Fishing baits that play up to red’s olfactory sense can produce outstanding results. On the flip side, if you’re fishing the rising tide, clear water flooding the oyster bars is a draw for reds. It’s here where artificial lures will do the trick. “This time of year, mullet hang over oyster bars during incoming tides. Throw suspending baits or big plugs, maybe a Super Spook, and you should be okay.”
There are a few things to consider when thinking about southwest Florida’s redfish. Captain Wright recommends fairly standard inshore spinning gear – 7’6” graphite medium action rods, and either 20lb. braid or 10lb. mono. The difference is in the shock tippet. With double digit snook and a vast number of tarpon roaming the same shallows, a few feet of 40lb. shock is a must.
Wright thrives on the backcountry solitude Southwest Florida offers. He has carved a niche, chartering up to six kayaks at a time. He ferries the yaks deep into the bush, tosses ‘em in with anglers - and goes on with the chore of assisting each conventional or fly-fishermen as he or she explores the scenic, fishy waters.
If you haven’t read between the lines, in Chokoloskee and the Ten Thousand Islands, Captain Wright places a premium on stealth while stalking fish in skinny or still water. Kayaks provide silent mobility, and allow for deep penetration into the backcountry where close presentations to less weary fish often result in explosive strikes.
West Central:
Tampa Bay is an area that I know well. During college, I had some seasons when I was really dialed in to the local fishery. Much has changed since then. Coastal development has defaced some of the back waters I used to think of as my own, but several habitat restoration projects have turned areas I thought were devoid of fish back into worthy territories.
According to Captain Bobby Blizzard, spring offers a subtle change of bait, tactics, and style when looking for reds. “This is the time of year to shift gears from dark, root beer colors that produced in the winter, to something lighter. I tend to throw lures with a red tail. The water is still somewhat cool and oxygen content is still high, which for some reason or another gives some natural bait a red tinge.”
“Also, if you get out in early May, you have a shot at some massive fish. Around Tarpon Key (near Ft. Desoto), giant reds over 40-inches are a real possibility” added Blizzard.
Owning a tackle shop consumes most of Blizzard’s time when he is not on the water. This puts him in the uncommon position of either fishing, or hearing and learning about fishing during just about every waking moment. You can bet that his tackle preferences are influenced by the many anglers who pass through his doors.
In these parts, the angler end is typical flats equipment. Blizzard primarily fishes 10lb. Power Pro with a short leader of fluorocarbon. Using a double uni-knot to attach lines, he might go heavier or lighter depending on conditions. Possibly the most important message Blizzard has to share, is that since the massive red tide last year, Tampa Bay is alive and well. “There are concerns about the trout population in certain areas, but if you know where to look, the fishing is as good as ever.”
Big Bend/Panhandle:
Captain Pat Dineen feels the Panhandle can be split into three distinct redfish zones. First, on the grass flats, fish are starting to move with the warming water temperatures. During the winter, the flats temperatures can drop into the 40s, but as spring progresses, the shallows heat up fast. Interestingly, Dineen says reds can actually be found in extremely skinny water year round. He feels this is the time of year to really start thinking about top-water lures.
Zone two is structure; docks, jetties, and bridges. All are areas anglers can expect to run into redfish of all sizes. Here, Dineen is particularly fond of throwing suspending jerk-baits. “We tend to lean towards medium action 7-ft. rods matched with Penn spinners. Matching line to rod class is usually sufficient. Fly gear is also a great way to work these fish. When sight fishing for tailers or laid-up fish, a nine-weight with a streamer or shrimp pattern will consistently produce.”
An Orvis endorsed guide, Dineen, builds leaders that taper to 10lb mono or fluorocarbon, and rarely ties a bite tippet.
Finally, reds are also found along the beaches during certain times of the year. Expect to see singles and doubles prowling the shoreline. For these fish, Dineen recommends 20lb line, doubled at the end via a spider hitch. Finish things off with three feet of 30lb fluorocarbon and a 1/0 hook. Croakers, spots, or finger mullet are the best bait options.
“Starting in June, tarpon move in and tend to take the spotlight away from the redfishing for many anglers. Although it’s always comforting to know you can catch big reds throughout the summer, especially around the jetties and bridges. Again, some of these fish can be massive.”
Heading out the door:
So there you have it. Six regions highlighted with opinions from residential experts. In comparing each, you might have noticed there is a wide variety of rigging preferences, from mono, to braid, leaders vs. no leaders, and knot loyalties. I’m betting that most of these are related to other fish likely to be nabbed in their respective home waters – the angler fishing with straight 10lb test to the hook does not fear a snook cut-off.
That being said, I strongly believe the changes in tackle and approaches from place to place are extremely important. With reds being so tolerant of different temperate zones, they cross a variety of bait runs, which can vary greatly up and down each coast of Florida. Selection of lure size, color, and type will change with prey species. And if you are venturing into new waters, don’t forget to ask a local about presentation. The same grub or fly used in the Panhandle might be worthless in Florida Bay.
Again, one of the beautiful features of redfish is the huge variety of effective tactics and techniques. If you are into heaving dead bait with giant rigs, or if you strictly fly fish, so be it. It’s all good to me – I’ve done ‘em all, and will continue to do so, depending on my, and the fishes, mood that day. Having an open mind gives you the best chance at a bent rod. So explore the state, keep your eyes open, and get your redfish!
Northeast:
Capt. Russel Tharin
904.491.4799
www.FlyFishingAmeliaIsland.com
East Central:
Capt. “Happy Henry”
Snook Nook Bait & Tackle
772.334.4484
www.SnookNook.net
Upper Florida Keys/Florida Bay:
Capt. Neil Baron
305.270.8035
www.FishFla.com/Baron.html
Chokoloskee/10,000 Islands:
Capt. Charles Wright
239.695.9107
www.ChokoloskeeCharters.com
West Central:
Capt. Bobby Blizzard
863.661.6623
www.BigFishBobby.com
Big Bend/Pan Handle:
Capt. Pat Dineen
850.609.0528
www.FlyLiner.com
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