Planning a trip to the Gulf Coast to fish redfish? The waters of the Gulf coast are salty and brackish. It is therefore no wonder that many people who make the Gulf coast fishing trip are so unsuccessful. If you haven’t solved the riddle yet, then we have fantastic tips to help you improve your success rate.
1. Go with the tide
Redfish in the Gulf Coast follow their prey. Their prey moves with the rising of the tide. When the tide is high therefore, you are more likely to find a large population of redfish in interior marshes when their prey has moved to take advantage of the nutrient rich marshes.
When fishing within interior areas, do your best to follow the fish into shallow waters. Go as far as your boat can allow.
When the tide begins to slacken, don’t waste your time trying to fish. This would be a great time to go back to the shore for a nap or a bite. Go back when the tide moves down. This would be a great time to target the creeks. Move along the shoreline where the water is pulling the bait from the marshes that were once flooded.
2. Stealth is your most important skill
It is important to be stealthy when moving about in the shallow ponds and creeks. This will ensure that you don’t scare the fish away. If possible, use a paddle or pushing pole. If you don’t want to paddle and are in an area where the depth of the water allows it, you may use a bow-mounted trolling motor. This however, must be used at the lowest speed possible.
3. Look for the fish
The difference with Gulf coast redfish fishing is that a lot of it is done by sight. This means that you have to look and listen for signs of redfish.
You may catch a glimpse of a wake moving slowly in a creek or pond or the tip of a tail puncturing the surface of the water intermittently.
It takes practice and experience to know how long to lead the fish. You will probably get inconsistent results at first. But this is all part of fishing.
Detecting redfish in clear water is much easier. It is best to work up-wind shorelines. These areas have emergent vegetation that will result in a calm and clear water surface making spotting of the fish much easier for you.
Bay Flats Lodge is a hunting and fishing lodge overlooking the San Antonio Bay. It is the perfect location to take some time off and enjoy redfish fishing in the Gulf Coast.
