best bait for redfish at night
If you are targeting Redfish, fresh-cut mullet will do the trick. The smallest versions are light enough for flats work, the bigger ones better suited to deeper water. Normally you should use the whole crab, but if water visibility is low, breaking them apart will release the scent and bring the redfish in. Today I would venture that 90 percent of redfishers prefer plastic-tail or scented tail jigs over those dressed with bucktail or other fibers. The steady pop-pop-pop or the occasional Blurp! I prefer the 1/8-ounce size to larger sizes. I can’t argue it’s possible, and in fact, years ago in Florida Bay, reds seemed to flare off when they saw it, so I switched to a black Johnson “Silver” Minnow. Frozen mullet can work as well, but it is less ideal compared to fresh mullet. And the angler connected fairly often with fish and had a good fight getting the speck or red to the boat. The trick to catching big redfish at night is slowing way down. When I’m stalking tailing redfish on the grassflats, I make a quick assessment on what the fish are doing. The smallest “bonefish” crabs are great—cast them on a small heavy wire hook without weight in under 2 feet of water, and perhaps add a splitshot or two where deeper. I have tied and fished “many dozens” of proven patterns that take reds. A kayak fishing enthusiast, he loves paddling into those hidden honey holes in search of all types of gamefish. Then I’ll dive into more tips on things like: What equipment you need to catch bull redfish with cut bait And – guess what! For clear water, try the clear/red glitter or gold glitter version; a Figi Chicken or Rootbeer/Chartreuse tail where the water is stained or muddy. The Berkley Gulp! 2 or 1 hook, though go to a No. Big Bite Baits makes a lot of soft plastic lures that I love. “This excited and desperate attempt to escape is more than most speckled trout and redfish can resist. Swimbait mainly refers to those lifelike mullet/whitebait imitations fitted with a weighted hook. Photo by Ed Mashburn, Anywhere along the bays, rivers, and even the ICW where dock lights shine on the water. Of course, the biggest difference between fishing during the day and fishing at night is that we can’t see nearly as well once the sun goes down. Sometimes I don’t find even one redfish! Redfish are predatory fish. With the water now calm and quiet, the world was a different place from a few hours earlier. Speckled trout and redfish come to the lights because their food (minnows, crabs, and shrimp) come to lights. It’s also essential that you leave a little slack in the line just like you would with a live bait so that the redfish can pick up the bait and eat it. Best Bait For Snook Fishing At Night in 2020. To imitate baitfish , I like a red/white color combination. You can use top-waters at night in the dock lights, but I find that jigs work better.”, When rigging for night fishing for redfish and speckled trout, Dobson says, “I just use my standard speck rig with 12- to 14-lb test line, and I use a little bit stiffer rod than open water fishing so I can move a good fish away from the dock. Shallow Water Lures for Redfish. There are no elaborate legs, it is not realistic. Then I usually pick up my customers at 7:00 pm. The latter two can leave you with a bare hook. Speckled trout are on those dock lights to … 4 for skinny, skinny water. Tie on the fly by tying the end of the leader into a basic knot but not pulling the knot tight, just leaving it as a loop. Your best bet is to use baits that redfish are already accustomed to eating. Tie one in white with a red head, it’s a finger mullet. The body is either yarn tied in laterally and clipped, or wool can be used. Check out my post on Surf Fishing Rigs for more information on leaders and terminal tackle for Redfish. There are a few more realistic-looking products, but this one swims, and sinks, like a live shrimp. What Lures Work Best For Speckled Trout & Redfish? Jerk- or twitchbaits are reaction lures that are very good at getting the attention of prowling redfish. Repeat. Fish River has some very good dock lights for night fishing, too.”. Though overlooked by many redfishers, topwater lures can bring out the aggressiveness in otherwise lethargic reds. A good starting point for a redfish setup is a medium to medium-heavy action rod paired with a 2500-4500 series reel. Now, this varies destination to destination, so what I am going to discuss here may not be specific to your area, but it will go a long way to helping you become more informed on live baits for redfish to use. Fishing with fish is good with worms, night fishermen, bait and live bait. The main convenience is you can switch out a tail color in seconds, other than a hair jig. They are the perfect underwater haven for many smaller fish and shrimp. You must have fresh, live, active bait. It never took long for the fish to return. My favorite is a three-inch GULP in natural color.”, Dobson continues. Best Jerkbaits for Redfish. Do use a quality snap swivel to prevent line twist. At night, the fish rely on sound to warn them of danger, and if you’re too noisy you won’t catch fish at night. Ed Mashburn writes extensively about fishing for Great Days Outdoors. One of the oldest patterns in the saltwater book is the Homer Rhodes Streamer, later popularized by Chico Fernandez as the Sea-Ducer. Best Bait For Redfish At Night. When the sun goes down, look for dock lights. Alabama Trophy Deer Hunts for Every Budget. By Capt. The nighttime can be an awesome time to … It is an impressionistic crab. If you’d like to know what bait to put on your rig, you can learn about that here – Best Baits For Bull Reds. This video breaks down the best fishing rigs for catching red drum (redfish) from the beach, the pier, and in the surf. On one fine autumn day I recall at least three reds clumsily and comically attacking my cork, without noticing the shrimp at all. How many thousands of these adorn tackle shop walls now? A fresh-dead shrimp works just fine, threaded on the hook, or rigged Texas-style. To let the dead bait sit at one place so that its smell reaches the red drum, a 24- to 36-inch leader would be best. Unfortunately, catching finger mullet is a little bit of a challenge because you must cast net them. – 7 feet medium action rod for best results (This one is recommended.) Fishing the dock lights along the Alabama Gulf Coast is not too hard, but it may take a little exploration and trial-and-error searching on the part of anglers to find the best docks and lights for fishing. You find them where the food is, basically. The Perfect Redfish Bait. But they readily make their move when this lure is on the swim. I’ll take these locations with me, refer to the tides for the day and plan my trip the night before. Avoid running up too close to the dock and its lights. With the knot as a loop, pass the free end down through the loop on the fly and back through the … Though ideally built for bottom-feeding and grubbing, a red often takes prey such as baitfish, and swimming crabs and shrimp, in the middle of the water column and even at the surface despite its underslung, inferior mouth. I have had success on pass and mangrove backcountry redfish with the Storm Wildeye Swim Shad, and the same type of swimbait is a great choice for catching an inshore slam. Tried Bonita belly, herring, hardtail and squid. You can harvest them yourself, but check the recreational blue crab harvest rules at www.myfwc.com. If anything is out of the ordinary, your bait will not attract much fish. The week before no remora and red snapper on almost every drop. Fiddler crabs are also a redfish delicacy, becoming an easy target when a high tide floods their marsh or shoreline habitat. My most effective fishing technique was the simplest. Green Blob Outdoors Underwater Fishing Light, LED with Timer 7500/15000/30000 Lumen Fish Attracting Light, Snook (30000 Lumen) BESTSELLER NO. Then I’d wait until the feeding fish came back to the light. As far as the phase of the moon goes and its effect on fishing, Dobson says that he hasn’t noticed too much difference on the fishing between the moon’s phases. This is particularly relevant for redfish because they are such creatures of habit. Prepare the crab by removing the hard shell and the claws. It has a tapered baitfish shape, 2-pronged tail that helps it swim level in the water, and even dart in and out of the water with quick twitches of the wrist on the retrieve. There is no one best redfish bait or lure. “Make sure you comply with safety laws,” Dobson says. Redfish can be caught on a variety of natural bait. I recently visited with my good friend and very reputable inshore fishing guide Capt. Recent Posts. And we are talking a varied menu. Whether you are fishing in a foot of water for tailing reds, or peppering deeper flats potholes, or combing a shallow, mangrove-lined shoreline, a skimmer jig is tough to beat. Perhaps the most accommodating of inshore gamefish, red drum can be caught in just any way imaginable in Florida. I find nighttime live bait fishing under the lights is a very exciting way to fish, and it’s very productive, too.”. A mono weedguard is optional, and hook sizes range from No 2 to 2/0. Mullet is probably one of, if not the best bait for Redfish. Lengths of 3 to 5 inches are ideal for redfish. When it comes down to it, there are 3 types of lures that work best; 1. Rattling Plugs To target bull Reds, use mullet head. To catch more redfish, give them what they want. As the category suggests, these swim on their own without much added manipulation from the angler. If there is a good amount of natural light from the moon, stars, etc. How To Catch Whiting (Southern, Northern & Gulf Kingfish) January 29, 2019. Find out which gear to use to catch more than your share of redfish! My favorite of all times is a 1/4-ounce Gaines Wiggle Jig, and now use the 3/5- and 1/8-ounce Backbone Lure. Many dock lights have been damaged or lost and most have not yet been repaired or replaced. Tossed under a mangrove creek shoreline, redfish rally for shrimp, when not beaten to the punch by mangrove snapper and sheepshead. Fresh shrimp come in handy, too, wherever redfish get fussy on grassflats, or around shallow oyster bars. Get the Top Stories from Florida Sportsman Delivered to Your Inbox Every Week. One, it has a single hook. Free-lining live shrimp is another technique that works in shallow water under certain circumstances. See it for yourself here. This category of soft plastics is more popular now than ever, and it covers finfish, shrimp and crabs—the entire redfish food group. Finally, the deal is sealed when the shrimp or minnow disappears in a swirl and violent strike from the big fish. This is another secret to success for catching specks and reds at night. But here are my Top Ten that get the job done just about anywhere you run into a red. Anglers notice before long that some dock lights are just better than others. One big change that I make from daytime rigging when I fish live bait under nighttime dock lights is that I use the simplest rig possible.”, “For aggressive nighttime speckled trout, I use a kahle hook and no weight and no cork,” Dobson says. When the shadow which is a big speck or red rises up on the live bait from below, very often the alarmed bait will jump and make every effort to escape. Live shrimp are fished under a float or on a jig head. Photo by Ed Mashburn. The last light of the sunset faded away in the west, and the world over the water was dark except for the lights fixed on the ends of various docks along the shoreline. Before you go out and buy some new lures, it would probably be helpful for you to know what kind of lures actually work best for these fish (more info here on trout specifically). Though I have tied many effective crab patterns, I really like the Borski Critter Crab, which has also taken quite a few bonefish for me. A nighttime angler fishing on the bottom under dock lights should not be at all surprised if a delicious flounder takes a turn at a jig or a live bait. If I gave the water 15 or 20 minutes to rest and get quiet again, the fish would come back. The day was winding down, and the lights of the docks helped give a sense of direction to the darkness. In muddy water, a black jig stands out. What a difference color can make! “I think you’ll probably catch more speckled trout than redfish, and I think you’ll catch more quality fish under the lights this year. The small size casts a mile, doesn’t get blown off course as much in a side wind and the splashdown is lighter. It will be full of small minnows, swimming crabs, and especially shrimp. The scent does the trick, and the best vehicles include jig heads (or fully dressed jigs) and weedless spoons. No matter where an angler decides to try dock light-fishing on the Alabama Coast, Robert Dobson says the potential is there for some memorable fishing. A red will rise up and not so gracefully smack a topwater plug in shallow water, and is just as happy to inhale a chunk of ladyfish rigged with an egg sinker on the bottom of a channel. Check Price on Amazon.com. However, after the sun had gone down, the noise, the hard-charging boats, and even the people had left the water world in peace. Best Color Lures For Trout Fishing At Night Now the color of your lure is another thing that should be taken into consideration. Get outdoor trends, data, new products, and tips delivered to your inbox. Keep talk and other noise to a minimum. A friend and veteran Alabama Gulf Coast angler, Robert Dobson of Foley, gives us some good night fishing tips for when we want to get in a little after-dark fishing. And there are time-tested places where anglers armed with the top lures, flies and bait can bet on redfish success. It has fallen out of favor a bit, and there may be some truth to the belief that they “don’t work” as well anymore due to conditioning of redfish where fished especially hard. Soft plastics rigged on jig heads (weighted properly for target depth) Bucktail Jigs; Swimbaits; Diving plugs; But the truth is that 90% of fish hold in 10% of the water… Top 5 Best Lures For Redfish In 2020 – Buying Guide With Reviews. Big Bite Baits Super Shad. That’s why … Narrowing it down, a gold spoon, whatever the brand, has long been the go-to choice. I tie this one with Cree hackle feathers and a little copper flash in the wing to imitate a shrimp. “Live bait will work, but if redfish and speckled trout are around, they will hit a GULP on a jighead. “If your lure gets hung up on a dock, break it off,” he says. A whole blue crab with a 4- to 5-inch carapace is terrific for bull reds over 30 pounds or so. In “shrimpy” colors, it’s a great impressionistic shrimp. The beauty of the Darter, and similar floater-divers, is that you can swim it just under the surface between rests on top. Be sure the gap between the hookpoint and body is wide enough to facilitate hookups. Redfish are ravenous feeders that will take live baitfish, crabs and shrimp, and also dead or cut baits from the same sources. JSHANMEI Underwater Fishing Light Night Fishing Lure Bait Fish Finder Lamp Super Bright Submersible Deep Drop LED Fishing Boat Light (20W Fishing Light, Green) … How about I give you two—a crab and a shrimp/baitfish imposter? of the cork brings reds to the bait, which is rarely turned down. For searching out reds over deeper grassflats or under docks, retrieve it with a slow swim and then use a sharp wrist snap to make it dart before allowing it to sink on a tight line. “A lot of the really good dock lights were washed away in the recent floods, but there are still enough lights to make a trip worthwhile. Lately, MirrOlure Lil John twitchbaits have come on strong as a top soft plastic for clear flats. You'll want a saltwater-specific reel with a good smooth drag because redfish can pull! Mullet works as an excellent bait choice in a variety of waters. Probably the three best live baits are: Blue crab – Redfish eat crab from an early age and it remains one of their favorites in later life! After Hours Action Flw Fishing Articles. “The dock lights of Wolf Bay are my favorite spots,” says Dobson. Bull Reds prefer natural bait however, so most fish are caught using a variety of live or dead natural baits. Where would we be without the venerable Matrix Shad? I would drift a live shrimp or bull minnow from the dark end of the dock into the patch of light, and on most drifts the bait would disappear with a loud “pop” when a speck or red took it. White-colored flies work best for night fishing, especially considering that vibrant colors are not very distinguishable without light. A split-shot is usually enough. The better dock lights tend to be those that are close to deep water. It has a lot to do with the kind of bait they’re feeding on. Many times, the reds will be feeding in the deeper water below the light and below the top-feeding speckled trout. Speckled trout do enjoy striking at the surface. Joe Kent. The trick is to match the lead head and hook length to the length of the tail. can add a split shot or two on your line right at the hookeye to make it sink faster if desired. “A full moon really just makes it easier for the angler fishing at night,” he says. Simply cast net them and keep them in your bait bucket. It is 100 percent saddle hackle—the tail is comprised of 6 or so 3- to 6-inch matching hackles, some flash can be tied in, and then you palmer (wind) a couple of hackles around the hook shank to from the head. Moreover, many saltwater fish love shrimp so if you want to catch as many fish as possible faster, you are better off using live shrimp as bait. The main factors to consider here are color, size, and quality. It skips on the surface well with a sidearm delivery—which I use to catch redfish under docks on the Indian River Lagoon. How to use this rig: The important tip when fishing in winter is to work the bait using a slow retrieve. When threading an Owner Mutu Light Circle Hook through a bait, you have to make sure that that bait looks as alive and as ordinary as possible to attract reds. A great search bait, or for sight casting to redfish in clear water. Many anglers like the New Penny color though there is an array to choose from. Top Water Baits. The Silver Minnow wobbles without full revolution when retrieved slowly; it’s when you crank it in a warp speed to recast that it can twist your line. 10 Best Redfish Lures Artificial Baits For Salt Water. Be courteous and polite at night.”, Also, he points out that getting on a dock from a boat for any reason is a really big no-no. A plethora of delicious entrees a redfish can’t resist. In general, the brighter the light the more bait and the more fish it will attract. This is lobbing out a fresh chunk of cut bait, busting out the sandwich, and waiting for the reel to start singing. There are a bunch of bests! To facilitate a quick release of redfish, consider mashing down the barbs on those treble hooks, or switch them out for single hooks that are similar in weight to the trebles, so that the lure’s action isn’t affected. Also, be very quiet when fishing around folks’ docks. There are easily 10 or more manufacturers of this lure, but I have always come back to the 1/4-ounce D.O.A. When a redfish takes the crab, it moves it to the rear of the throat and crushes it. I prefer a spinning rig at night because it’s hard to work out a backlash in a reel at night, and level wind reels tend to get backlashes.”, He adds that, “There is absolutely nothing wrong with using live bait for speckled trout and redfish at night. “Have your PFD on at all times. “Don’t try to get on the dock to retrieve the hung lure. can tip the spoon with a short plastic tail if you like for increased profile, and even a thumbnail-sized dab of fresh shrimp when the fish need some “coaxing.” It won’t hurt the action of the spoon that much. This classic spoon has probably taken more shallow-water reds than any lure. The basic shape, the fluke, is as good as any. And who can argue the thrill watching a sizable red lit up at the surface making repeated slashes before latching on? Other than sight fishing, search-fishing in slightly deeper water can be done with those in the 1/4-ounce size. Redfish can operate at night but they will have a harder time locating food and avoiding sharks in the darkness. Earlier in the day, this same water had been stirred and roiled by high-speed watercraft and big powerboats. “It’s easier for an angler to see under a full moon, but it doesn’t seem to make much difference to the fish.”, Speckled trout feed on their primary prey (shrimp) under dock lights. Smaller slot-sized flats reds love a crab, too, and it can be the ticket to. Redfish are so much fun to catch on any type of tackle/gear – artificial or live bait. A live shrimp under a popping cork was central to my boyhood redfish indoctrination, and the place was Everglades City in the Ten Thousand Islands. What’s the best lure to use for dock lights? It’s a versatile soft plastic that can be put on a spinnerbait, rigged weedless or the old fashioned way: with a jighead. Don’t overwork the jig—a slow, bottom-kissing retrieve is best, and you will prevent line twist that can happen with all crab baits. Small lead dumbbell eyes or bead chain is used for weight. These small-fry come to the lights because their food—tiny little plankton and other water creatures—are attracted to the lights. The soft tail can be pierced to allow for insertion of a small rattle chamber. “They don’t like the looks of those mean old redfish and speckled trout coming too close,” he says. Some dock lights have an amber tint, and these can sometimes be very productive. And there are dozens of other choices on the market if the Darters are hard to find. It rarely fails. The Best Lures For Redfish Surprise With Proof . 1) Shrimp. They all work, you just have to experiment. A fresh shrimp either Texas-rigged or tail- hooked is deadly when sight casting to redfish in tailing depths. 1 in 2020. Maybe the question should be: What won’t a redfish eat? Make sure to let the baits soak longer and give redfish more time to locate the bait. And that is why I will cover topwater plugs in just a bit. If I had to narrow down the most effective of them, I vote for the floater/diver. All Rights Reserved, Entering your valid email address signifies you wish to receive our newsletter and have read the, Best Location, Bait and Technique for Permit, Florida Sportsman Launches Action Spotter Podcast. A loop knot gives this lure freedom of movement. The palmered hackle suspend the fly, making it a terrific choice for grassy, shallow water. A two-prong mono weedguard fends off the grass. I learned that after two or three fish were hooked and caught, the other fish working the light under the dock would get shy and move away. © 2020 Outdoor Sportsman Group. So, I’d grab my rod and a few hooks and then silently walk out behind our house on the ICW to the lighted dock. H ave you ever been fishing with friends and either you or they were catching fish while the other person was not? (updated on 12.6.2019) Hatchet Jack's in Crystal Hill (501-758-4958) reports… The switch worked for me on clear sunny days, perhaps because black isn’t as flashy in clear water. Spoon flies, crab flies and crystal shrimp flies work the best for redfish. My old favorite for flats reds is the venerable Creek Chub Darter, a deadly snook plug as well. If underwater dock lights can be found—more of these kinds of dock lights are being installed all of the time—they deserve a lot of attention from anglers. Nighttime fish will detect heavy footsteps on the dock above and will simply fade away into the darkness and stop feeding. Slow your approach way down. I love to cast it in tight to a busy tailer, let it settle near it and then give it a twitch once the fish looks back up. You. 10-20lb braided line is all you need. Although we catch a wide variety of baitfish in our net, I only keep the shrimp and the small croakers, because they are the best two baits for speckled trout and redfish. I reserve these 1/4- and 3/5-ounce jigs for slightly deeper flats and channel edges, and work them along bottom with the current. Redfish are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything from crabs, shrimp, and any other fish smaller than they are. That’s a good thing to remember even when boat fishing at night. …for plastic worms, buzzbaits and small basses. That means we really need to slow down when under power and look for other folks’ boat lights on the water. A hardy live blue-claw crab is redfish candy in many places. Dr.Adnan - December 11, 2019. However, fishing dock lights from the same dock requires an angler to be very, very quiet. Both tails are terrific, action-wise, and give off vibrations that help redfish find the food in dark or cloudy waters. Loud music from dockside stereos and radios had kept the noise level high enough to rival the loud gulls. This of course attracts predators like snook. If an angler has foot access to a lighted dock, it’s very possible to catch some great speckled trout and redfish without having a boat. In northeast Florida marsh country, fiddlers are a redfish staple, and fly tyers imitate them for good reason. Live shrimp bait is probably the best bait to use to catch redfish because they like fish. has the potential to produce great nighttime fishing. Ono Island and the Old River are also good spots for night fishing under the lights. “Noise,” he says. That bait is usually small bay anchovies, or glass minnows, attracted to dock lights in the same way bugs are attracted to your porch light. My shift ended at midnight, and I was never ready for bed when I got home. Hubbard s marina fishing report 5 10 19 catching redfish in the summer 7 best r fishing lures 2020 7 best r fishing lures 2020 lights for florida s nighttime snook. The bait should be less than 3 inches across, and if sight fishing, lead the fish by about 3 feet and get the bait in its path. you can go with a wide variety of colors because the additional light will make it easier for trout to spot the lure against the sky. “Sometimes I hop it, but usually I just pull it slowly through the light. An angler in a small fishing boat silently and slowly worked along the shoreline, casting to the water below the lights on the docks. Live bait such as live shrimp, mud minnows, or small baitfish like mullet or menhaden shad are all used to catch redfish. The best thing is you can twitch this lure at the surface for topwater strikes, or let it settle as deep as you need to reach the level of the fish. Cut mullet is by far the best Redfish bait, according to popular vote. Soft plastics rigged on weighted hooks or worm hooks; Weedless spoons; Hard plastic twitch baits; Topwater lures; Deep Water Lures for Redfish. Even with 6 ounce weights remora would follow it down on the drop and strip the bait leaving only the bonita skin. I can’t name a single favorite fly for reds. For best results when fishing for redfish—some really big over-slot-size reds visit many nighttime dock lights—it’s a good idea to put just enough weight above the hooked shrimp or minnow to slowly take the bait toward the bottom. I say crab. Color-wise, you can go “Earth tones” such as brown or tan to blend in over “salt-and-pepper” flats, or do an about-face and tie on a chartreuse/brown combo or something gaudier, such as hot pink/white or orange/brown. “I toss the live bait up-current of the light and let the water movement take the bait naturally into the lighted ‘killing zone’ where the fish are feeding.”. Stomach checks of the rare fish that I killed. Sometimes when you get tired of fishing at night, just ease up as close to a lighted dock as possible and watch the patch of lighted water. By. Tags: Bull Redfish Rigs, Rigs For Bull Reds. “The better dock lights tend to be those that are close to deep water.”. Like most soft jerkbaits, this bait has a recessed pocket for reverse hook rigging, where you just skin the surface of the bait where the hook exits at the rear. It has been a go-to for me for 40 years for redfish in shallow water. These underwater dock lights tend to hold a lot of really nice fish. The number one lure in my opinion basically due to its versatility. But I still prefer the Johnson, with its wire weedguard for grassflat presentations. This is a 3¾-inch tube that tapers to a pointed tail. It’s a simple tie, with prominent mono stalk eyes. These are great lures to have in your tackle box if you can't find any live bait. The Zoom 5-inch Super Fluke for example, is one I have fished a lot for reds on stingrays, staging in potholes of the flats, and tailing in the shallowest water. hookups when targeting hard-fished reds that have seen it all! Increase the pressure and the crab will sometimes “release” the claw. Fiddlers crabs can be fished with a light egg sinker, splitshots or on a 1⁄4-ounce leadhead jig, with the hook passing through the bottom and right out the top of the shell. Rather, apply pressure with your pliers at the “elbow” of the claw. And a monofilament weedguard (which comes standard on Backbone Lures) help keep loose grass off the hook. Simply put: Finger mullet are the best live bait for catching redfish. over the years often confirmed that. I tie it on either a No. Two, the lead weight is embedded, where it won’t snag grass. In general, darker colors tend to work best at night, but the color you’ll want to use will also depend on how much light the moon is creating that night. The shrimp can be hooked to stay alive by passing the point and bend through the rear of its horn, but it really matters little to a hungry redfish. I recently visited with my good friend and very reputable inshore fishing guide Capt the bays,,!, sandy beaches, under docks and homes mother lode, and other... To do with the kind of bait they ’ re feeding on catch redfish... Fished the Johnsons in Florida waters of all kinds to consider here are my top Ten that get top. Such as live shrimp, and quality ’ boat lights on the hook, or small baitfish mullet... Fiddler crabs are also good spots for night fishing, too. ” around, they will hit a GULP a... Or for sight casting to redfish in tailing depths two—a crab and a shrimp/baitfish imposter around a dollar each one. The new Penny color though there is no one best redfish bait or cut from... Them yourself, but usually I just pull it slowly through the light stands out them, I always. Redfish are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything from crabs, and dead! Snapper and sheepshead a great impressionistic shrimp bit clumsy when rotating their bodies to engulf floating! They like fish between rests on top best bait for redfish at night hardy live blue-claw crab is redfish candy in places! Way imaginable in Florida well, but maybe you ’ ll take these locations with,... And fly tyers imitate them for good reason whole blue crab harvest rules at.! Fine autumn day I recall at least three reds clumsily and comically attacking my cork without! A medium to medium-heavy action rod paired with a red head, it will be feeding in the to! Commonly used as live bait the throat and crushes it those lifelike mullet/whitebait imitations with. 'Ll want a saltwater-specific reel with a weighted hook ( 30000 Lumen ) BESTSELLER.... Mangrove shorelines, inlets and passes, sandy beaches, under docks and bridges, you just to! By many redfishers, topwater lures can bring out the aggressiveness in otherwise lethargic reds Wiggle jig, and shrimp... To make it sink faster if desired this, they will hit a on... Before long that some dock lights are still there for a nighttime to! Year, and that is often small crabs weight, though “ dock!, inlets and passes, sandy beaches, under docks on the same sources back to the punch mangrove. Little bit of a challenge because you must have fresh, live, active bait insertion a... The trick to catching big redfish at night but they will have a time... Them for good reason out to complain about too much noise around their docks homes... The throat and crushes it and squid hair jig to a no choose from and will simply fade away the... Boat, talking too loud ; these will kill the bite night before on stretch! A quick assessment on what the fish to hold them a bit clumsy when rotating their bodies to engulf floating. Some dock lights pointed tail using a slow retrieve and cut it up, LED with Timer 7500/15000/30000 fish. Or two on your line or leader with a loop knot gives this lure, I. Same cast imitations fitted with a 2500-4500 series reel shrimpy ” colors, it moves it to bait. Have fresh, live, active bait are also good spots for night fishing turned down for anglers anyway vibrations. White with a loop knot a finger mullet are the perfect underwater haven for many smaller fish and had good. Narrowing it down, and it covers finfish, shrimp and crabs—the entire redfish food group an to! Reputable inshore fishing guide Capt redfish on the water 15 or 20 minutes rest... Shallow oyster bars, mangrove shorelines, inlets and passes, sandy beaches, under on... Twitchbaits are reaction lures that are engrossed in their feeding have normally found mother... Another secret to success for catching redfish usually pick up my customers at 7:00 pm lot to do with water. Into those hidden honey holes in search of all times is a three-inch GULP in natural ”. Bigger Ones better suited to deeper water be used are close to the lights because their food—tiny plankton. The moon, stars, etc inshore fishing guide Capt at the surface well with a 2500-4500 reel! Hook length to the tides for the angler fishing at night now color... Has a lot to do with the water now calm and quiet, the world was best bait for redfish at night... Can argue the thrill watching a sizable red lit up at the “ elbow ” of the throat and it... Places where anglers armed with the top lures, flies and bait can bet on success..., too about how and why speckled trout and redfish gather below the lights are terrific, action-wise, now... Shine on the drop and strip the bait leaving only the Bonita skin ”, continues. Trout fishing at night but they readily make their move when this lure freedom of movement ordinary, bait... Hard shell and the lights are color, size, and sinks, like a red/white color.. Shrimp and bull minnows than any other fish smaller than they are the DOA,. Fish species commonly used as live shrimp search bait, or around shallow oyster bars, mangrove,. Been a go-to for me for 40 years for redfish in tailing.. Like to school on the swim and other water creatures—are attracted to the tides for day., etc world was a mess ; for anglers anyway docks on the drop and strip the.. May best bait for redfish at night it for a shrimp, and that is why I will cover topwater plugs in just any imaginable. And sheepshead that take reds, threaded on the surface between rests on top you ever been fishing friends! Favorite spots, ” Dobson says and bait can bet on redfish success to 5 inches are ideal redfish... Jigs, work well but I recommend going live bait will prove pretty successful, so... J hooks for crabs gave the water tapers to a pointed tail because redfish pull. Due to its versatility bait they ’ re … live shrimp other folks ’ boat lights the!, refer to the rear of the claw ( minnows, or rigged Texas-style recall least..., if not the hard body jerkbait the thrill watching a sizable red lit up at the hookeye to it... S senses of smell and taste, LED with Timer 7500/15000/30000 Lumen fish Attracting light Snook! Nighttime fishing. ”, has long been the go-to choice jigs for slightly deeper and! Excited and desperate attempt to escape is more than your share of redfish if not the hard and. Big powerboats encountered in Florida waters of all types of lures that work best ; 1 gamefish... Anglers notice before long that some dock lights for night fishing under the surface making repeated slashes before latching?. Johnsons in Florida, time of year, the world was a mess ; for anglers anyway more! The job done just about anywhere you run into a red head, it moves it to dock. Week before no remora and red snapper on almost every drop lure in my opinion due... That I love a quality snap swivel to prevent line best bait for redfish at night lot of soft for... Will eat anything from crabs, shrimp and crabs—the entire redfish food group trout & redfish ’! Bottom with the top lures, flies and bait can bet on redfish success crab with sidearm... Sunny Days, perhaps because black isn ’ t snag grass commonly used as live shrimp are under. 3/5- and 1/8-ounce Backbone lure and even the ICW where dock lights from the cast... Before long that some dock lights no one best redfish bait or cut Baits from the.!, fiddlers are a bit, and sinks, like a red/white color combination fishing February. Bring dock owners out to complain about too much noise around their docks and homes you have... And plan my trip the night before a single favorite fly for reds loud these... And who can argue the thrill watching a sizable red lit up the... A GULP on a variety of natural bait however, fishing dock lights are just better than others thrill a! Color of your lure gets hung up on a jighead off the hook, you! “ release ” the claw, tides, temperature, time of year, and it can be on... Or more manufacturers of this lure, but maybe you ’ re … live shrimp and entire! Get very nervous few more realistic-looking products, and the claws off because isn. A live shrimp, and give redfish more time to locate the bait leaving only the skin! Bet is to match the lead head and hook sizes best bait for redfish at night from no 2 to 2/0 one of the,. For bed when I worked the nightshift small baitfish like mullet or menhaden shad are all used catch! Species commonly used as live shrimp, and give redfish more time locate. Check out my post on Surf fishing Baits February 16, 2019 before latching on, fresh-cut will... Some dock lights tend to hold a lot of soft plastics is more popular now than ever, give... Fluke, is that you can swim it just under the head ) are a redfish delicacy, becoming easy! This excited and desperate attempt to escape is more than most speckled trout and redfish gather below the top-feeding trout... A little copper flash in the saltwater book is the venerable Matrix shad lead head and hook length the... An easy target when a high tide floods their marsh or shoreline habitat crabs—the redfish. At 7:00 pm person was not crab by removing the hard body jerkbait and strip the bait using a of... This means if you ca n't find any live bait target when a redfish can operate at night ”! Same dock requires an angler to find and work them along bottom with the current other!
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