As we bid farewell to 2013 most anglers closed out the final weeks of the year with good catches of Redfish and Trout. We have been hanging around the flats and feeder creeks at the lower tide stages to target schools of active Redfish. Most often we have found them cruising edges of oyster beds and grass in search of easy prey. We have targeted those fish with a variety of Z-Man and DOA swim baits on light jigs and flutter hooks. We have also used cut mullet and blue crab on a 3/0 circle hook with just enough split shot weights to hold it in place. The reds can get wary this time of year, so if you have a few fish pick up your bait and drop it then it’s time to downsize those rigs. In the pics below Marcus, Jeff and Charlie all had memorable days casting to visible fish. If you have never done it now is the time of year to get it off your bucket list.
Trout have been responding well in 8 to 15 ft of moving water near drop offs and channel ledges. We have been “dead sticking” DOA shrimp and Z-Man Streak Z’s for those fish. When we dead stick a bait we simply rig it with a 1/8 or 1/16 oz jig head or weighted hook. Then cast it up current and let it drift down current. I usually experiment with hopping it or just lifting it off the bottom every 15 seconds or so until it draws a strike. These strikes can be shattering or subtle, so light line and a keen sense of what your lure is doing often helps put a few more fish in the boat. If you have any questions about the targeting or techniques discussed here please feel free to contact me. Your local tackle shops will also be more than happy to share information with you. I expect there will be a few less anglers on the water for the next several weeks and that will bring some of the best opportunities to experience some fantastic fishing in a serene setting. Take that trip out to the water with me and let’s put some fish in the boat!
