Hello Frens,
It’s another episode of The Natural Life, we are going to talk about fishing. Fishing is a great past time, and a great way to provide your family with fresh, natural, delicious meat. This article will cover fishing for Red Fish specifically since they are my favorite fish to catch. We’ll go over everything from the fish’s behavior, the gear you need, and a few techniques to get them in the net. Let’s begin!
About Red Fish:
Red Fish quick facts, source: https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fish/red-drum/quick-facts/
Red drum have also been called redfish, spottail, red bass, and channel bass.
The life span of a red drum can exceed 40 years.
Red drum inhabit inshore and offshore waters along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Key West and throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
The majority of the red drum life cycle is spent in nearshore waters and estuaries.
Since red drum are not normally long distance travelers, they don't stray far from the areas in which they were born.
In Florida waters, red drum can reach lengths up to 45 inches and weights up to 51 pounds.
Red drum begin spawning in the fall when daylight hours decrease and water temperature begins to cool.
Commercial harvesting of red drum is prohibited throughout the gulf coast states with the exception of Mississippi, which has a very limited inshore fishery.
The red drum is an extremely popular Florida game fish due to its ability to fight for extended periods of time and to its popularity as a food fish.
Florida State Record: Conventional Tackle
52 lb, 5 oz
Cocoa: George E. Hogan, Jr., 2/24/1996
Florida State Record: Fly Fishing Tackle
43 lb
Banana River: Greg Braunstein, MD, 5/7/19
At certain times of the year, red fish are known to school in massive numbers. Here is a video of the event, this would be awesome to witness, farmer has not had the privilege yet.
Gear:
Tackle/Fishing Rig set up - There are two methods of catching redfish. One is fishing on the bottom. The other is fishing closer to the surface using a cork. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. This post will only cover fishing with a cork.
Fishing with a cork is the most popular and easiest method for catching redfish. The rig will look something like this (below). It allows you to float your bait right by where you think the redfish might be waiting. It keeps your hook off of the bottom so you don’t get hung up on structures. You can relax and watch your cork. The cork is designed with metal balls that rattle when you “pop” the cork. They also make a splashing sound when you work the cork which catches the redfish’s attention and attracts them to your bait dangling a couple feet below the cork. You adjust the depth of the bait by the length of the leader from the cork to the hook. Adjust your bait so that it is 1-2 feet from the bottom, depending on how deep the water is you are fishing in. Make this adjustment by the length of the monofilament leader from the cork to the hook. The set up looks like this.
What to Buy
Here are the items you need to set up your popping cork rig:
Ugly Stik 7 Foot Rod/Reel Combo - You’ve probably noticed, I’m not big on all the fancy gadgets and high dollar equipment. I use stuff that is good enough to get the job done. Here is a suitable rod/reel combo that will land red fish all day long with no problems, of course there are better, nicer ones out there, please, buy whatever suits your fancy. I use ugly stik rods because they are tough and put up with alot of abuse. You want at least a 7’ rod, because it gives you extra leverage setting the hook. You want to use 15-20 pound test line, since most of the redfish you will be catching are in the 5-10 pound range, you don’t need really heavy line.
I like this type of popping cork
With a length of monofilament leader from the bottom of the cork to your hook.
From there you will tie on a 1/4 ounce jig head for your hook, like this one
You’ll tie this popping cork rig to your fishing line using a Trilene knot, this knot will work for pretty much all of your fishing needs…
From there you will put on your bait. Redfish are not picky, if there are fish close to where you are fishing, when you pop the cork they will come to investigate the rattling sound and the splash the cork makes when you pop it. When they come close, they see your bait and will most likely attack it. As long as you have your rig set up right, you will have luck. You can use the following for bait with success:
Live Shrimp
Frozen Shrimp
Bull Minnow
Plastic minnow
Plastic Shrimp
There are thousands of artificial bait options. Plastic bait options are nice because you don’t have to worry about the bait staying alive, you can just throw them in your tackle box. They are also nice because one plastic minnow could last you all day. Frozen or live shrimp you will have to replace the bait periodically. It’s good to have several different plastic bait types and colors so you can keep trying different ones until you find one they like.
How to Catch Fish
Considerations:
Another aspect to fishing in salt/brackish water is tides. You want to pay attention to the tides when planning your trip. They tend to be more active when the tide is moving, either in or out. Try to plan your trip when the tide is at low, and beginning to rise, or vice versa. However, you can never plan everything perfectly, don’t worry too much about it and just go fishing when you can, you never know, you might catch a boat load when you least expect it!
Now that you’re all set up, you need to find a place to fish. If you don’t have a boat you can try public fishing piers, but I like to ride along the shore line looking for that perfect spot. You want to fish around grassy marsh areas, in little openings along the edge of the bank, around fallen trees or piers.
IMPORTANT: Before you begin fishing, check your drag by pulling out some line from your reel. The drag should be set so that the line comes out when you pull rather hard on it. You don’t want the drag set so tight that it doesn’t unwind. You also don’t want your drag set to loose where its really easy to unwind.
Step by Step:
Start by casting your rig out as far as you can and try to get it close to the edge of the marsh, or structure where you think there might be some fish waiting. When the cork hits the water, the bait will sink from the weight of the jig head, let the cork sit for several seconds and settle down.
Make sure you keep your line tight at all times, and periodically pull up on your rod firmly causing the cork to splash and make a “pop” sound, along with the rattle of the metal balls on the cork. Real in the slack of the line and let the bait and cork settle for about 5-6 seconds and then pop again. You can then let the bait rest there for an extended period of time, or you can continue to work the bait in, and then re-cast.
Make sure your line is always tight, because when you see your cork go under, you want to set the hook immediately by pulling up on your rod really hard. You have to constantly watch your cork, because if you don’t set the hook right when the cork goes under, you will miss catching the fish.
Once you have one caught on your line, keep your rod tip pointed up at all times. You also want to keep the line tight at all times. The redfish is going to fight like hell, and you really just let him pull out line as much as he wants, while you keep your rod tip up, and keep the line tight. Try to keep him from pulling the line near any structures, if the line touches any structures, it will probably snap the line and your fish will get away. Let him run as much as he wants until he begins to tire out, then you can start to reel him in. Depending on how big the fish is, you might need a hand net to land him.
Reminder: Always learn the local laws and limits for red fish and make sure you have proper license before you go.
Fillet and Prepare:
Put the fish directly on ice or keep them alive in a live well or on a stringer/net in the water until you are back home and ready to filet them up. Here is a video showing you how to filet them.
Finally,
I’m going to leave you with a screen shot of a recipe we relly enjoy. You can use this recipe for many different type of fish, he recipe shows salmon, but you can use whatever fish you have available to you.
Let me know if you have any questions!
We all gone make it.
Your fren,
Farmer