Redfish, Snook & Trout Report

[Salty Dawg]

Redfish: The redfish bite is in transition right now. We are still seeing some really nice fish caught but the big schools that congregate in the winter are starting to break up and go solo which makes them spooky at times. Many times you are sight casting to these fish so it’s important that your casting skills are up to par. That may sound funny but a well place bait out in front of a redfish cruising down a shoreline will increase your chances of a strike. A bad cast directly at the fish or behind will send them running for cover in most cases. Some of the primary baits for targeting these fish are a live shrimp under a popping cork if you enjoy fishing with live bait. This is tried and true technique used in many areas for targeting redfish. Depending of the water depth, adjust your leader accordingly. If the water is shallow, use a shorter leader, if it deeper use a longer leader. For those that prefer fishing with artificial lures, a Savage shrimp or crab is hard to beat.

Trout: We are just starting to see the trout bite pick up. It’s been pretty slow up to this point. We held a tournament a couple weeks ago which the target species were redfish, trout and flounder and we did not have a trout or flounder weighed if that tells you anything. However, that’s starting to change. If you are targeting trout with live bait the gold standard are small croakers if you can get your hands on them. They are basically trout candy! If fishing artificial lures, a Rapala Skitter Walk topwater plug at first light or dusk is a great bait. Fish it using a walk-the-dog retrieve and just wait for that explosion! A Mirrolure Mirrodine twitch bait is a great all around bait too. Another good bait is any type of paddle-tail lure fished on a ¼ or 1/8 ounce jig head. Adjust the weight based on water depths and try different speed retrieves until you find what the fish are responding to best. In colder water slow it down, if its warmer speed it up. Just play around with it and the trout will let you know what they like.

Snook: Who doesn’t love locking horns with a big snook! I call them the largemouth bass of the sea because they have so many similar characteristics. High Bridge can be a great area to target these fish. We primarily use artificials for targeting these fish. One of our go-to baits is a Rapala X Rap twitching mullet.

Salty Dawg Outfitters is open every day from 6am to 6pm so stop on by and we will get you set up to get out there and do it right.

We are a family of die hard fishermen and women who love to fish anytime, anywhere. The Salty Dawg Team has nearly 100 years of combined experience in salt water fishing, whether in a boat, kayak, surf or pier. Whether you're a novice at fishing or a tried and true angler we're here to pass on our knowledge to make you a more successful angler.

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