Redfish Fishing Bible: Everything You Need To Catch Red Drum 

Do you love redfish fishing?

Do you live for catching redfish?

Do You love targeting a big bull red?

Have you always wanted to be more successful when red drum fishing?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this one of a kind redfish fishing guide will be your number one source to redfish fishing and catching the ultimate prized bull red. We have been fishing countless hours to compile the necessary knowledge needed to be successful while inshore fishing. Find the top strategies for where you should be targeting redfish, the best fishing techniques on red drum tackle, ultimate redfish rig on the market, best inshore lures, and the spots you have to redfish at least once in your life. Adding all this to your arsenal will make you a better angler but ultimately help you fill a cooler full of redfish.

Release of a Redfish While Red Drum Fishing  

Our Top 5 Secret Strategies for How To Catch Redfish All The Time

Jetty Fishing for Red Drum: How to Fish For Redfish at Inlets and Passes

One of the best places to go redfish fishing is jetties. Jetties are a rock formation that defines a channel and serves as a breakwater to protect harbors or coastline. These channels are often deep to allow all boat traffic in and out. The Jetty is a narrow strait between the ocean and the inter-coastal waterway. Because of this, the currents are usually strong with the tides. All fish traveling to the open sea or inter-coastal must pass through this making it a highly targeted area for fishermen.  Redfish love to reside around jetties because of the endless supply of food they provide. From mullet and other baitfish to crabs, redfish find everything they need at the jetties. Bull redfish can be found thick around the jetties during certain times of the year. This time of year is usually late summer into early fall.

Redfish fishing At The Jetties (Photo Credit: Louisiana Sportsman)

If you are fishing from a boat near the jetties, look for drop-offs of 8 to 30 ft. This ledge is the perfect place for a school of bull redfish to sit and ambush baitfish as they wash over the ledge with the strong currents. Once you successfully throw into a school and catch your first redfish. Chances are if you cast back into the same spot, you will continue to catch fish until the school picks up and moves.  Big redfish around the jetties live on a diet of mullet, pinfish, mud minnows, and crabs. It is in your best interest to fish for reds with what they are eating. Maybe you love throwing artificial baits? This can still be successful by throwing down the rocks with your favorite redfish lure or towards the jetties from a boat. The redfish in the shallow water rocks will be enticed to feed on your bait.

Bar Fishing for Redfish: How to catch redfish from shore

Often around shipping channels, you will find human-made mounds that help define the channels edge. Like the jetty ledges, this creates a natural area that redfish will tend to sit. The base of these mounds can be as deep as 20-30 feet and protrude up to only a few feet deep. Many of these areas are accessible by foot from shore, where anglers can walk up and fish. These areas often get hit hard, but when the fish are thick, they produce a bunch. During fall and early winter, when baitfish are moving offshore seems to be a great time to fish these bars. The redfish will ambush mullet leaving the bay. It is a great idea to fish with mullet or a topwater lure across the tops of the shallow channel bar.

Sight Fishing for redfish: Fly Fishing For Redfish 

Poling for redfish is a different type of inshore fishing. It is all done with sight and sound. You will pole around the grass flats looking for redfish feeding on baitfish and crabs. The flood tide often will provide a buffet of tasty meals for the redfish, such as fiddler crabs, shrimp, and blue crabs. It is because of this you will find large redfish in less than a foot of water. Often, you will hear a redfish gulp or see it “tailing” to give away its location. When poling, you are a silent killer creeping the flats waiting to throw on a hungry redfish. Many of the grass flats that anglers fish for reds is dependent on the tides.  When you finally run up on a redfish, make sure to throw past it and bring your retrieval right in front of it. This will prevent spooking them and almost guarantee a strike from a hungry fish. You will want a weedless lure to throw to help minimize grass snags. Some anglers choose to fly fish for tailing reds. Fly fishing for redfish is a finesse style of fishing that is challenging to master, but such an adrenalin rush when you hook them. Many anglers swear sight fishing for reds is the only way to catch them. We think it’s just another effective way to land your next redfish.

Fishing A Flood Tide: Flood Tide Redfish In Florida

Flood Tide Redfish in Florida 

Having lived in Charleston South Carolina, I have experienced flood tide fishing at its best. When the tides are higher than usual and flood the normally dry grass flats, the redfish will follow on a quest for their next meal. Flood tides happen only eight months out of the year and only about 10 to 15 days a month. Knowing when they will occur will help you plan when to go redfish fishing. These tides often get so high, hiking out into the marsh is just as effective as fishing from a boat.  Some of the best times fishing is hiking out into the salt marsh, with the water up to your waste and having redfish pop all around you. Flood tide redfish fishing in Florida is just as good as low country fishing. Your quiet movement through the water will help you get within range of throwing on many of the nearby reds. Redfish, during flood tides, feed on a diet of small blue crabs and fiddler crabs that are often not within reach of normal tides and times. There is something great about redfish fishing high flood tides. If you have never fished a flood tide for redfish, mark it down on your angler bucket list to try.

Marsh Creek Fishing for Redfish: Catching Pumpkin Redfish

Marsh Creek Fishing For Pumpkin Reds ( Photo Credit: Pinterest )

The best thing about fishing the inshore marsh is the fact there are so many fish. As the tides flow in the baitfish, shrimp and crabs will travel down the creeks in search of food. The bottom of the marsh is composed of mud, sand, or oyster shells. This makes for a prime area to find mullet feeding around oyster shoals, shrimp on the mudflats, and mud minnows along the muddy banks near the marsh grass. All of these are a significant food source for the redfish. This also makes marsh fishing such an essential place for catching redfish. Often you can anchor up in channels and watch reds cruising up and down the creeks. My best experiences have been anchoring up at the mouth of a channel and fishing the falling tide. The redfish will move out of the channels and across your baits.  Certain times of the year, every cast you make will yield a fish on. Only fish with what they are eating, so stock up on live bait (mullet, mud minnows or shrimp) Artificial bait is another great option for the mouths of these creeks and oyster shell shoals. Bounding a jig head with a fluke tail will always entice nearby redfish. Marsh fishing for redfish is always a great time and seems always to produce a lot of fish. Take your family redfish fishing for the day, and they will never forget the memory.

Redfish Rig & Redfish Lures Techniques That Will Change How You Fish

Redfish Rig with Cut Bait:

Redfish rig for live bait

Redfish live on a healthy diet of mullet, shrimp, mud minnows, and crabs. They are part of the drum family, which means they are bottom feeders and rely on their sense of smell, sight, and sound to ensure they find a tasty meal. Redfish need an abundant food supply because they are always on the move, and grow rapidly. To take advantage of this, anglers, opt for using cut-bait to catch them. There are a few advantages to using cut bait. The first advantage is dead cut bait emits an aroma that redfish will smell and cannot resist. The more stinky bait is often, the better it is to draw redfish out of cover and grass. Some of the best cut baits are what you can catch in the cast net. This includes mullet, pinfish, and other inshore species of baitfish. Some other great baits that work well for redfish are dead are shrimp, oysters, and cut blue crabs.

If you’re asking yourself, “Why should I use cut bait over live bait?” Here are a few pros and cons as to why you should use cut bait.

Pros of Fishing with Cut Bait

• Easy to get and effortless to use.
• Most bait shops sell cut bait.
• Cooler and ice are all that is needed to keep it fresh.
• Most inshore fishing baits make for excellent cut bait
• If you catch to much bait in the cast net, freeze it for future trips to use later.

Cons of Fishing with Cut Bait

• Sometimes it becomes fragile and can be stolen off the hook easily.
• Will catch everything inshore including sharks.
• If you leave it out, it will stink and create a mess. DO NOT FORGET IT IN A COOLER

To effectively fish with cut bait, you only need a few things. The Carolina rig for redfish is a simple design every angler should be using. All you need are a hook, 4/0 to 12/0, depending on the size of the redfish you are hunting. You will need a swivel, egg weight or bank weight (1/2oz to 8oz depending on currents), and a 12" liter line. Some people will add a bead in front of the weight to prevent tension on the swivel knot. This is the perfect rig for fishing cut bait on the bottom while inshore fishing.

Redfish Lures: Jigging for Redfish

Inshore slammer jig head 

Most anglers will swear by using artificial baits for redfish. The more you fish for redfish, the more you realize the challenge it is to catch them on artificial bait with jig heads. When using redfish jigs, the goal is to mimic live bait. A jig head is topped with a soft plastic bait that looks real in the water. One of the best jigs on the market is the inshore slammer. This jig head is available in both Kahle hook and standard 3x strong j-hook. Fish the slammer jigs in any water conditions with confidence. Knowing how to fish artificial baits will make it irresistible to nearby reds. It is always fun catching redfish on live bait, but there is something much more rewarding landing them on redfish lures or jig wit artificial.

The Best Locations On Earth To Target Redfish That You Have To Try Once In Your Life

Best locations On earth to target redfish.

Now that you know exactly how you should be fishing for redfish, you need to know where to go. Red drum is a species of fish that is one of the most sought after by most anglers from Virginia to Texas.  The thrill of catching a large bull red is enough to get anyone out of bed. Since we know how fun it is to target red drum, we thought we would compile a few places that every angler must fish for reds before they die. After careful consideration, these are our top six redfish destinations that will change the way you think of redfish fishing.

How to Fish for Louisana Redfish in Venice

When you think of the capital of redfish fishing, the first place that comes to mind in Venice, Louisiana. It has always been known for its fisheries, both inshore and offshore. Limiting out on redfish is something that is done frequently in these parts. The Venice jetties have been known to harbor the big bull reds, but the marshes will be loaded with reds as well. Some of the hot spots for targeting reds is Bay Coquette, Yellow Cotton Bay, and the Wagon Wheel. Artificial baits are a hot commodity for reds, and the popping cork with its distinct sound is the best way to attract reds in this Louisiana waters.  You can’t go wrong for going to Venice, Louisiana, to target redfish.

Fishing for Redfish Is a Way of Life in Charleston, SC

By far, one of my favorite areas to target redfish is in the beautiful inshore waters of Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston flood tides attract anglers who love sight fishing to try their luck at landing a tailing redfish. Fishing the low country for reds is truly an experience. Finding the large schools in and around the oyster shoals will keep you catching them all day long. Bring your weedless artificial bait to fish the flats and catch your next Charleston redfish.

Even The Redfish Are Bigger In Galveston, TX

Some of the best scented soft plastics companies have come from Galveston, Texas. This is no mistake because of this one of the best locations for fishing for redfish. Galveston Bay and surrounding areas like Trinity Bay are areas predominately made up of oyster reefs. This creates a natural cover for schooling reds feeding on baitfish. The shorelines are grassy, and reds are caught in waters that are 6ft to 12ft deep. One of the best lures for this area is redfish jigs and scented soft plastics. It is because of all this that Galveston, Texas, makes our list as to a city you have to fish for reds.

Georgia Fishing For Red Drum in Brunswick

Brunswick, Georgia, has always been the mecca for redfish. The surrounding landscape consists of grass marshes and oyster flats perfect for finding reds. It is this landscape that creates the ideal area for redfish to feed. When fishing Brunswick, Georgia’s premier Golden Isle region, you will have access to Blackbeard creek where reds can be found all year. If sight fishing for reds is your thing, you can travel a little south and be in perfect coastal creek and marshes of Jekyll Island or St. Simon Island. This part of Georgia produces some of the best water for redfish fishing.

Florida Redfish at Mosquito Lagoon, FL

You can not talk about fishing for redfish and not mention a Florida redfish location. Florida is a premier place for targeting red drum while inshore fishing. Anglers come from all over for their chance at catching a bull red. One place that comes to mind over the rest is Mosquito Lagoon. This area of Florida is home to some of the biggest reds around. The terrain consists of grass flats, oyster bars, and deep troughs, making it prime redfish real estate. Some of the best areas of mosquito lagoon are tiger shoals and the whale tail. No matter if you want to use cut bait and enjoy your day on the water or sight fish for reds by poling, you will find everything you need in Mosquito Lagoon. Florida.

Beaufort North Carolina Fishing for Reds

The last place we recommend traveling to, to try your luck at redfish fishing, is the beautiful town of Beaufort, North Carolina. This city is truly a beautiful part of the country and perfect for catching reds. The stocked waters of the Bogue, Core, and Pamlico sounds around Beaufort offer the ideal areas for redfish to flourish and tons of food to get them big and fat. The biggest redfish ever caught was taken from the waters of North Carolina. Finding the redfish should not be a problem. Most anglers will limit out on reds while being out on the boat redfish fishing in Beaufort.  This is one reason why Beaufort, NC, makes the list of best redfish locations.

This complete guide for how to catch redfish should make you a better angler while out on the water. We can not catch the redfish for you, but we can provide you with the knowledge to master catching red drum. Please do not hesitate if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Please feel free to leave us a comment below or email us at [email protected]. Maybe we missed something that you love doing while redfish fishing, we would love to hear it and update our blog. Make sure you send us all your awesome redfish fishing photos to be featured on our social media pages. At elliottenvisions, we love redfish. We have created the ultimate Redfish Species page that includes valuable information on catching them. Find informative information on fishing for bull reds this fall, beginner's guide for catching redfish, and amazing redfish recipes. Get stocked up today with the best redfish jigs and lures on the market for your next fishing trip. Make sure you get out on the water this summer and enjoy your time redfish fishing with your friends and family.