How to Catch Giant Fall Redfish

What’s the best time of year to catch a big redfish? Ask a group of seasoned anglers, and you’re likely to get a common answer: fall. Autumn brings with it a migration of big reds and with it, your best chance to capitalize on non-stop action.

But there’s more to successful fishing than just being there when the bite’s on. A little know-how and a few trusty techniques will help you score on the biggest reds of the year. Let’s get down to business.

The autumn migration can mean your best chance at a big redfish. Image by Eric Leininger

BULLS, OR COWS?

For years, we’ve heard big redfish referred to as “bulls.” In fact, a few ports in Florida refer to fall fishing as “the running of the bulls,” as encounters with monster reds are commonplace. The “bull” label, though, is a bit misleading. As with most fish, the majority of big redfish are females. More cows than bulls. While a few males might make up your catch, the real whoppers — sometime surpassing 40 pounds — are usually ladies.

The world record redfish stands at 94 pounds, and fish exceeding 100 have reportedly been caught in commercial nets. Don’t be surprised if you tangle with a foe you can’t tame. Regardless, the life-cycle of red drum begins in estuaries after they’re spawned. Most stay inshore part of their lives, and later migrate to the ocean. These are the big breeder fish that come back in future years as part of a spawning run that consumes every redfish lover. The running of the bulls is a massive migration that brings oceanic drum back to the estuaries of their youth. There, they spawn in aggregations in and around the inlets, allowing the incoming tide to carry their eggs.

While known as the running of the bulls, most of the truly big redfish that return to tidal estuaries to spawn each fall are females. Image by Millennium Promotions Inc.

The result of that movement is a major concentration of fish. Whether it be in the ports of Florida and Alabama, the myriad marshes in Louisiana, or the massive intracoastal waterways of Texas, redfish are coming through this month.

And they’ll be hungry. Like most species, redfish feed up prior to the rigors of spawning. They’ll move in and out of inlet areas and inshore feeding spots, munching all the way. Often, the fish follow schools of bait, ensuring a meal is always accessible. A fast bite can be the result, as long as we pay attention to the flow.

TIDE IS EVERYTHING

Saltwater fish live by the tide. Redfish find it especially important to utilize running water to their advantage. Sure, there are times when backwater ponds practically turn redfish into largemouths, munching topwaters and Johnson spoons all day long. But even that coincides with tidal surges that push fish into those skinny-water areas.

Fishing inlet areas requires paying attention to the flow. Extra-strong current will push redfish down or to hard drops, as their streamlined bodies work best when pegged to the bottom. No flow results in poor feeding opportunities, too. The key to fishing success, then, is to focus on moderate current.

Follow the tides for consistent redfish action. Image by IrinaK

Check the tidal chart for your area, and concentrate on both sides of high tide. Most saltwater anglers live for high, falling water, as it triggers predators to feed. But the hour approaching hide tide can be magic, too, especially if your fishing locations include shallow oyster or grass beds. Redfish will swarm to these once the water is deep enough to hunt.

WHERE TO CATCH FALL REDFISH

The question on every angler’s mind should be: where are the fish coming from, and where are they going? In the case of fall redfish, the answers to both are easy: they’re coming out of the ocean and going into estuaries. You’ll probably find them within a mile or so of the inlet.

These fish will stop and hold in areas where the feeding opportunities are best. Newly flooded oyster flats, as earlier mentioned, are favorites. The food sources there include a variety of fish and crabs.

Don’t discount sandbars, as boring as they may be. Tides bring baitfish schools up and over bars. Redfish wait until water levels disorient the bait and take advantage of the situation. Look for darker, deeper areas right off the tip of a bar, or where bare sand turns to grass or shell. These are places where you’ll find the fish.

Docks can be great, and jetties magical. A rock jetty is the best of all words, as it creates a current break and holding area for prey and predators alike. Watch the tide, and pay attention to when the bite occurs and where. Usually, redfish like to charge shallow areas the instant water levels allow; you’ll see telltale wakes from the fish. Deeper spots produce when current is strongest or slack. Fish each scenario differently.

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TOP NATURAL BAITS FOR FALL REDFISH

It’s hard to beat live bait for fall redfish, and big numbers of select baitfish show up this time of year. The east coast of Florida is famous for its mullet run, and in other places croakers make up the November menu. Pogies can be available, too, as well as mojarra.

When fishing shallow areas where reds hunt, rig up a circle hook with little weight. A trick I’ve used is to place a small panfish float on my line when using mullet, as they have a tendency to swim away from what we assume are the fishiest areas. The float lets me know where my bait is. Croakers and pogies are less active.

It’s hard to beat live bait for fall redfish action. Image by Millennium Promotions Inc

Try rigging croakers by hooking them in the tail. This ignites their vocal tendencies. Once they settle to the bottom, pop them off with a few quick rod motions; they’ll croak and swim back toward cover. Reds (and often bonus snook) gobble them up.

When fishing deeper areas, use a fish finder rig with a sinker that’s heavy enough to hold bottom. Try a short leader, as it’ll tangle less when the flow gets going. Keeping a bait beneath the boat and moving around with the trolling motor covers ground. Flounder often add to the creel.

Serious bull redfish addicts know the appeal of blue crabs, and many won’t fish anything else. A “knuckle” or half-crab gets it done when rigged on the same fish finder with a stout circle hook. Fish these in and around channel areas.

Cut baits like ladyfish have a following, and make for easy fishing when other bait is scarce.

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TOP ARTIFICIAL LURES FOR FALL REDFISH

Don’t like messing with natural bait? Luckily, fall redfish take variety of lures. And purists on the Louisiana Coast often target behemoths on the flats with fly rods. Long fights are the result!

For pluggers, when reds go shallow nothing tops a topwater walker. There is just something about a Zara Spook that redfish can’t seem to resist, even if it takes them multiple strikes to hook up. Chatterbaits are a favorite, as are sinking Mirrolures. But for an all-around standby favorite, it’s hard to beat plastic on a jig.

It might take a few strikes before they’re hooked, but redfish are suckers for topwater walking lures. Image by Millennium Promotions Inc

Paddletail plastic lures are phenomenal inshore, as they’ll catch everything that swims. Three and four-inch versions fish well on jigheads from 1/8 to 1/2 ounce, depending on current and depth. Keep them swimming through the shallows, but grind the bottom when fishing deeper channels. Always throw up current and retrieve the lure down naturally.

The same jig can be paired with fluke-body lures and small crab imitators. The Z-Man CrawZ, a bite-sized, realistic morsel that doesn’t tear, has long been a redfish favorite for me. Use a drop of super-glue on the hook-shank for a lure that lasts all day.

Toss soft plastics like paddletail jigs or crab imitators on a light jig head. Image by Millennium Promotions Inc

This time of year, you can’t miss the action. Anglers are everywhere around ports and harbor mouths, looking for a redfish bonanza. Consistent catches require an understanding of the tide, and a bait placed in the most likely spots. Monster fish mix right in with 10-pounders, making it a good time to re-spool and check your drag.

Remember, we’re intercepting these fish during their breeding season. Fight them hard, release them quickly, and keep them only occasionally. While blackened redfish can be delicious, regard it as a delicacy to enjoy only on occasion. Preserving the future of our fishery is much more important.