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John's Journal... Entry 81, Day 4

Redfish

click to enlargeEDITOR'S NOTE: Gary Davis, a charter-boat captain from Foley, Alabama, has fished the back bays of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area along Alabama's Gulf Coast all his life. He's guided for 30 years and consistently catches more inshore species than most other anglers do because he knows the secrets of successful back-bay fishing. Each day this week we'll look at the tactics Davis uses to catch different species of fish throughout the year in back-bay areas.

click to enlargeQuestion: When do you catch redfish?
Answer: We catch redfish in our section of the South throughout the year in the back-bay areas around Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama. In the winter months, the redfish move into the brackish water along the Intracoastal Canal and up the creeks and rivers that feed the Gulf of Mexico. During these summer months, the redfish will be on the gas and oil rigs at the mouth of the bays and the estuary areas, the jetties and any type of structure. They also hold on Dixie Bar, a shallow water sand bar at the mouth of the Mobile Bay. You can catch some really big redfish on the Dixie Bar in the summer months, but that's not the only place to find redfish. Redfish usually will hold sandbars at the mouth of any inlet along the Gulf Coast. Redfish stay in the Gulf all year long, and we catch them in back-bay areas all year long, but we catch the most in fall and winter months.

Question: How do you fish for redfish?
Answer: I use three different tactics to catch redfish. I will use a Berkley Inshore Power Grub with a 1/4-ounce head and hop the bait across the bottom. I prefer either clear or green with a red tail, clear with blue glitter, clear with red, white and blue glitter or red with silver glitter. Another tactic I will use with the grub is to simply drag it across the bottom. When I fish for 20- to 40-pound reds out on Dixie Bar, I use bait-casting tackle and choose either Berkley's Saltwater Big Game Line in 17- to 20-pound test or Berkley's XT Line in the same pound test. When fishing for those big reds, you have to make sure you have a full spool of line because the big fish will often make a 50- to 60-yard run before they ever slow down. They may make four to six of those big runs before you ever get them close to the boat. In the spring and summer, I want to be able to pull my anchor off the bottom quickly and keep the anchor off the bottom while I chase the fish with the boat. When you fish for big reds with light tackle, you can have a lot of fun and catch some really big fish.

click to enlargeQuestion: What do you use when you fish inshore for smaller reds?
Answer: I fish 12- to 14-pound-test Berkley XT line. I put a 1/4-ounce shot lead 12 to 18 inches up the line and a Berkley Inshore Power Tube, either Texas-rigged or open-hooked below the shot lead. Then I drag the tube across the bottom. If the redfish are finicky, I may enhance the tubes with Saltwater Formula Power Scent in muddy water or Power Nuggets and Power Nibbles in clear water.

To catch redfish, you have to have a moving tide. The faster the tide runs, the better the redfish bite. When the tide's not running, go home because the redfish will quit feeding. On a good day of fishing for the big bull reds, we may hook as many as 20 fish, but depending on the angler's skill, we may not get more than two of them to the boat.

click to enlargeContact Gary Davis at 218 West Marigold Avenue, Foley, Al 36535, (334) 943-6298.

TOMORROW: More Speckled Trout

 

 

 

Check back each day this week for more about Gary Davis -- Inshore Fishing Guide ...

Day 1 -Davis on Speckled Trout
Day 2 -Flounder Fishing
Day 3 -Sheepshead
Day 4 -Redfish
Day 5 -More Speckled Trout

John's Journal