Fall Redfish: Great Tactics for Inshore Fishing Success

With Sept. 22 marking fall’s official beginning, days are growing shorter, and cooling temperatures will soon visit southern fisheries. Once inshore waters start feeling the effects of seasonal cold fronts, inshore waters will erupt with activity. The menu’s diverse, but without question, one particular species offers the ideal blend of availability, aggression and fighting form — redfish.

Late summer through early fall typically finds the adult “bull” reds gathering around passes, bays and nearshore reefs in preparation for their offshore spawning. The juvenile reds (generally about 28 inches and smaller) don’t take part in this annual ritual, but they typically gather in feeding groups — a truth that makes them easier to find.

The Redfish Rumble

Far from subtle, the redfish rumble their way across shallow flats, graze around oyster bars and wake along mangrove shorelines. Up close, it’s hard to miss the “nervous” water, but from afar, Capt. William Toney relies on the common redfish travel companion. “One thing I look for during the fall while searching for redfish is schools of mullet — They tend to follow each other,” the Homosassa guide said. “Western facing points on an incoming tide are always a good choice to work first.”

Indeed, mullet make the ideal escort, as their massive schools shield redfish from dolphins and ospreys. Moreover, the vegetarians have no interest in the crabs, shrimp and baitfish they displace, so opportunistic reds are quick to capitalize. “If it's calm, a big school of reds will make a "push" or a slight wake on the surface,” Toney said. “Other things I look for are the golden flash that a red will make when they roll off the bottom. Gold spoons, live shrimp and pinfish are my go-to baits.”

Tidal Tidbits

Tampa’s Capt. Billy Miller knows well the fall redfish potential. He’s also a fan of the mullet influence, but Miller’s quick to identify a couple of key indicators. “You have to pay attention to what the mullet are doing,” Miller said. “How far are they’re hanging away from the shoreline? If you don’t see them, they’re probably way up under the trees and the redfish will be up there around the trees.”

Conversely, Miller knows that spotting mullet several yards away from mangroves or other shoreline cover probably means the high tide is departing and the redfish have moved a little farther out. If the mullet are leaping and waking in a creek or pocket’s central area, that’s your low tide indicator, so Miller expects to find most of his reds holding in potholes.

To that latter point, fall and even more so into winter, finds larger holes and deep troughs playing significant roles during the negative low tides that occur when outgoing water falls below mean low tide. Intensifying the impact, a cold front’s hard north wind will push the water even lower and prevent the rising tide’s return.

This leaves a host of predators including reds trapped in backwater sanctuaries cut off from the main body of water by sand bars and mud flats. Kayakers and waders relish such opportunities, as it presents a captive audience that’ll eat just about anything your throw — especially after a few hour of isolation, during which the captives consume the limited food supply. Top offerings include topwaters, soft body swimbaits, paddletail jigs and popping cork rigs with artificial shrimp.

Stealthy Search

Beyond the mullet game Capt. Rick Grassett follows a more basic, yet broadly applicable fall redfish plan. With grass beds, bars, oyster, mangroves and passes, his Sarasota Bay home waters offer a sampling of the most common redfish habitats.

“When I’m targeting redfish in the fall, I usually look at tides first and then weather in the short term,” the Sarasota guide said. “I prefer tides that are low in the morning and incoming, which are usually close to new moon or full moon phases.

“The low tide will concentrate fish, either in potholes or along sandbars, so it makes them easier to find. I may only need to search 50% of the water instead of 100%.”

Grassett also points out that low water, plus the greater clarity common to the fall, makes it easier to see fish. This low, clear scenario early in the day often finds the fish ready to feed, as opposed to later in the day after they’re more likely to have been chased.

“As far as weather, either when a front is approaching or in the stable weather between fronts are good windows to fish,” Grassett said. “I usually avoid the day after a front if possible (due to high pressure and bright, still conditions).

“I like a mix of sand and grass,” Grassett said. “I think there’s a better chance to sight fish over sand, so either potholes or sand bars for that. North Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay and Gasparilla Sound are my favorite redfish areas.”

Grassett calls a 1/16-ounce DOA CAL jig with a shad tail his top choice for covering water and locating redfish, while a DOA Shrimp gets the nod for sight fishing. An Orvis-endorsed fly fishing instructor, Grassett often uses an 8-wt or a 9-wt rod with a baitfish fly pattern like his Grassett Flats Minnow.

Proximity Pointers

These days, it’s pretty tough finding consistent numbers of unpressured redfish. Wherever you do your casting, a measured approach always beats a bum rush. As Miller puts it, you don’t have to knock it out of the park on your first stop. In his experience, fishing his way into the main deal usually works best.

“I have an idea where they’re going to be, but I might say, ‘Let’s try right here on our way in,’” Miller said. “You don’t want to go in too fast. There are so many people enjoying this resource that the redfish have heightened senses and you can ‘bump’ them.

“Today’s redfish don’t bump and stop. If you bump them, they keep going.”

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