Catching Redfish

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mark Nichols, the president of DOA (Deadly On Anything) lures, knows the Palm City area of Florida about 40 minutes north of West Palm Beach on the Atlantic Ocean like the back of his hand. He's learned how to take speckled trout, redfish, tarpon and snook. His tactics also will produce these species anywhere you fish with his lures. This week we'll look at how, where and why Nichols, one of the first anglers to bring Mossy Oak into the saltwater arena, uses the techniques he does to catch these inshore species. Nichols enjoys wearing Mossy Oak Apparel's TrekLite shirts, pants and shorts for saltwater fishing. As Nichols says, "I'm not wearing TrekLite clothes to hide from the fish. These clothes are just lightweight, comfortable and cool, they dry fast, and they define me as an outdoorsman. What most hunters don't know is that TrekLite clothing is also appropriate for hunting and saltwater fishing."

Question: How are you catching redfish?
Answer: I'm catching redfish fishing really close to the mangroves. In this section of Florida on the Indian River near the Atlantic Ocean -- between Ft. Pierce on the norther and West Palm Beach on the south -- you also can catch redfish out on points and bars. My favorite tactic on redfish is to wait for them. Redfish can be a very spooky fish. So, the quieter you can approach a redfish, the better chance you have of catching it. Another thing that many people don't realize about redfish is that you can catch them in extremely shallow water. For this reason, I can't use a boat in many of the areas I like to fish. I've found that wading is the best idea. I've had a redfish come up to me in knee-deep water, see my knees and turn away without being spooked. Then I've made an 8-foot cast and caught that fish. When you're wading, you can get close not only to redfish but many other inshore species.

Question: Why do you like wade fishing so much?
Answer: When I'm wading, I'm one with my environment. I find that I'm more aware of everything that's going on in the fishing environment around me when I'm wading than when I'm in a boat. I can also move much more quietly when I'm in the water wading than when I'm in a boat. One noise that I believe spooks fish that many anglers aren't even aware of is the sounds that waves make slapping against the hull of the boat. As you wade back to the boat, you can hear that sound. So, I just believe I can move more quietly wading than I can in a boat.

Question: What lure are you using for redfish?
Answer: My favorite bait is the Terror-Eyz, but if I'm fishing in grass I prefer the DOA shrimp.

Question: How are you fishing the shrimp for redfish?
Answer: If I'm fishing in mangroves, I'll cast into the shadows and let the bait fall. If you're fishing on a sunny day, you'll rarely get a strike if your cast lands outside of the shadows. Another good place to fish is around docks. Once again, I'll cast the shrimp around the shadowy areas of the dock. The shadows of bridges can also be deadly for catching redfish.

Question: If you're fishing for redfish in open water, what baits do you prefer?
Answer: I like to fish the DOA Terror-Eyz and bounce it off the bottom. I'll also use a deep-running DOA Bait Buster and bounce it up off the bottom. If I don't know where the fish are holding, I'll use a bait called the DOA Tough Guy, which is an artificial pinfish so that I can cover a lot of water with the lure and find the schools of redfish.

For more information on DOA lures, call (877) DOA-LURE (362-5873), or visit the website at www.doalures.com. To learn more about Mossy Oak Apparel's TrekLite clothing for hunting and fishing, go to www.mossyoak.com.

TOMORROW: How To Fish for Snook