6/21/07

Redfish are red hot right now ... go get ‘em
By Terry Madewell

Terry Madewell Photo

Slowly and quietly working the grassy flats can get you one of the Carolina’s most exciting fish ... the redfish.

Fishing along the South Carolina coast is excellent right now. There are a number of fish species being caught in good numbers and the redfish (or spottail bass) is certainly one of them. There are a number of different ways to catch these fish right now.

Successful saltwater anglers put it in perspective by knowing that tides play the primary role in how, when and where to fish for this much sought after fish species. Without a doubt the most important ingredient to your success will be understanding the influence of the tides. When the tide is high, fish will be scattered in the grass flats. When it’s low, they will be cruising the shallow flats. When it’s either rising or falling, they’re moving one way or the other. Knowledge of the profound influence of tides on the location of redfish is paramount to success. If it sounds simple, in one sense it is. But if you don’t follow this pattern, you can be surrounded by fish, but not have any in your box.

Reds are found throughout the South Carolina saltwater inshore area and you don’t necessarily need big boats or fancy equipment to catch them.

These fish are dogged fighters; they fight like a cornered wildcat. And perhaps most important, while the summer and fall are certainly excellent times to go for these hard-fighting fish, they are caught year-round by knowledgeable anglers. The tactics may change somewhat during the seasons, but if you follow the advice of the experts, redfishing becomes a red-hot year-round affair.

Most importantly there are a number of different options that will enable you to hookup to this hard-fighting fish. You can catch these fish from the grass flats, from the exposed, low-tide mud flats and from the surf.

There are two basic rigs which are effective according to most of the experts I’ve fished with and talked to. Both employ the use of 17-20-pound test line and a 1/0 hook. The hook size may change to larger or smaller depending on the size of the bait, however the general preference is a 1/0. Most of the time, the professional guides prefer to use a float rig with the float set so the bait lies nearly on the bottom. Some prefer a commercial float rig named the “Equalizer” which is a cigar-shaped float rig. You can also employ a simple bottom fishing rig which uses a small weight above a 2-3 foot leader.

One of the keys in this type of fishing is to get the rig close to the grass. As the water continues to rise, the fish will be cruising along the edge lines, waiting on the water to get high enough to get back into the grass flats. When the tide drops out and the fish are forced out of the grass, you can fish these same areas. However, experience has taught many anglers that the fishing is usually much slower on the falling tide. The reds have been gorging on fiddlers and they are usually not as willing to bite, but you can catch some fish on a falling tide. I personally plan my trips to take advantage of the rising tide.

Of course, one of the reasons some guides fish the rising tide is so they can get into the flats with their boats and look for “tailing” fish, a real summertime treat for redfish anglers.

There were flood tides in the Charleston area this weekend and I saw a number of fishermen working redfish in the shallow grass at high tide.

During flood tides (high tides that are higher than normal), you can get back into grassy areas where the redfish are actually feeding on bottom forage such as fiddler crabs. When they’re feeding in the thin grass in very shallow water, you can actually see their tails sticking out of the water. You pole the boat close, very quietly, and cast a lure in front of the feeding fish. Or, if you’re particularly good with a flyrod, you can cast a fly and hook redfish that way. This type of fishing is particularly exciting and offers the challenge of finding the fish in the grass flats and then catching them.

One good friend noted to me last year that you need to be selective in the type of grass you fish. He advised to look for the reds in a type of grass commonly referred to as “short grass.” The tall, thick marsh grass that is predominant is much too thick to work the boat through or even see the fish in. Plus, these short grass areas are preferred by the fiddler crabs anyway.

A lot of anglers will use flyrods, since they can usually get within very close range. Using a small crab fly, you simply cast the lure in front of the fish and simply quiver the bait by shaking the rod tip. Live fiddlers don’t move around much, so you don’t want to overwork the artificial lure. The red will detect any movement by the lure as it approaches and he’ll simply grab the lure. I’ve done this on several occasions and I can attest that a big redfish in a few inches of water, hooked on a fly rod in a shallow grass is something every fishermen should experience. Once the fish is boated, you’re off looking for the next one. It is certainly an exceptionally fun and productive way to fish for reds in the summertime.

But still there’s more. During the summer and fall a lot of big redfish are taken along the coast in the swirling and splashing surf. Surf fishing can really be productive, especially during the latter part of the summer and fall. As the summer progresses, many of the fish will move out of the shallow inshore areas and move out to the inlets and larger bays as well as along the surf. Look for areas where there are irregular features along the bottom that the fish can relate to or deep holes or even adjacent to the mouth of an inlet. This is primarily bottom fishing and the basic rig is a 3-foot leader with the hook and either a sliding egg sinker above the swivel or a three-way swivel with a pyramid sinker.

Regardless of how you fish for them, when a redfish loads on in that shallow water amidst the marsh grass, the excitement level goes off the scale. A lot of the fish are really good size and 30- 35-inch fish can be caught. This type of fishing has all the elements of a thriller novel and incorporates the elements of stalking the fish in the shallows, spotting the quarry before they see you, getting into position and making a good cast, then hooking, fighting and landing your adversary in shallow water at close quarters. While catching is certainly the primary factor, I’ll confess that simply seeing a school of big redfish finning around in inches of water, with the big “V” wakes pushing ahead and betraying their presence is as exciting as a big school of freshwater stripers thrashing on the surface. When you cast in front of these rascals and you see one, or several, turn and zero in on your lure, I guarantee that it’s all you can do to hold steady until they strike – which with the speed they possess, is not long in coming.

Go now and enjoy this great summertime action.