Red drum, AKA the redfish or channel bass depending on the part of the country you live in are one of the most versatile fish out there. Big breeders on jetties, wrecks and reefs, belly crawlers in negative low-tide canals, tailers on flats, hidden predators under mangrove bushes and docks. No matter how you fish for them, they are undeniably awesome fish, and my personal favorite inshore fish.
Red Drum LOVE Cut Bait
Tons of baits will work for reds; shrimp, shrimp imitations, live baitfish of various assortments, paddle tail lures, crabs, flies; but a stinky bait on the bottom may just be the one to rule them all. This is because red drum primarily hunt by smell and will home in on a bait from a long way off.
Once you understand where the strike zone is, that is, where the fish are feeding and the lanes that they are traveling, you can really clean up.
FISH ON!
The Maverick was in the shop with a trim tab issue, so we took the Alumacraft on this particular day. A classic fish slayer. We pushed off the beach and pointed the bow toward a shallow flat to make bait. Pinfish would be the ticket today.
It didn’t take long after catching our bait to not only get to the spot, but to catch our first fish of the day.
Our process was simple, find fishy shorelines with perfect habitat (a mix of grass, sand and oysters), anchor up, cast and wait. It worked beautifully.
All of our fish on this trip were slot fish, mine were slots, Jarek’s were decidedly on the upper end of the spectrum.
In Sum
Aside from the catching, it was a fun day on the water with a great friend. I was lucky enough to share a boat with my good friend Jarek. We hadn’t fished together in some time; I am glad we were able to get out there and make it happen. You should do the same.
If you want to the watch the video recap of this trip, click here.
Until next time, tight lines.
