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We fished Saturday afternoon. Saw the water temp was upper 60s (even hit 70 once) and we went to our spots that do well in those temps. 3rd cast-26.25" I caught a Red, fat and a hard fight. Was a blast! Within 100 yards of shoreline, picked up another 25" red. Slowed down a little but we caught until the tide went slack. Died off for a bit but as soon as it started moving we picked it back up. Fished gold spoons and Zman white. My daughter had a over Red spit the hook after a pretty long fight. Got a good look at him and he was definitely bigger than mine. Fished grasslines the whole time. Wound up with 3 keeper trout and 3 keeper reds. No rats caught, all were slot.

Sounds like a good time to me!!

Good to hear, I'm ready!

Nice!! Ready to get back out there


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Do you mind helping me out when it comes to this technique? I grew up fishing for snook and reds in Bradenton, but have been trying to figure out the Redfish here in St. Marks area. I have only caught reds trolling oyster bars. It's usually a bad day when I don't catch one -- which happened to be last Saturday.

When do you normally fish the grass edges and creek mouths? I'm not asking for your spots, but more about the technique. Is it on a high tide? Also, do you fish the actual edge of the grass or away from the grass? And when you refer to creek mouths are you referring to the deeper part or edge? I've heard when the water is cold the fish go up river and in deeper holes, but how cold are we talking?

Sorry for all the questions, but I see tons of videos of people pulling reds out of small creeks and my boat is made for this so i'd like to learn.

How did you fish for snook and reds in Bradenton ? I've never fished there but I gotta think there is some common ground ?

Gulf Coast wrote:How did you fish for snook and reds in Bradenton ? I've never fished there but I gotta think there is some common ground ?

Depends.Typically Snook liked a moving tide and structure (docks, bridges, mangroves). During the Summer the bait would move inshore and you could find snook on the flats. Also during the summer the snook would breed and there was a certain spot on a full moon near the mouth of the bay you could catch 70+ snook. One way to tell if someone was lying was to check their thumbs. If you caught a bunch of snook your thumb would get rubbed up from their mouths.

Reds were a little different. You could find them under mangroves on a high tide, but you could also find them schooling on the flats or on oyster bars. There were times I'd find them off docks and in channels as well. Pretty much you could find them all over, but I targeted snook a lot more.

When all else failed, find a flat with a bunch of sand holes and drift it. Or maybe a grass flat with a channel or bar cutting through and work the tide.

Thanks for the report, Doc. Glad you and your daughter found some.

fearthespear wrote:Reds were a little different. You could find them under mangroves on a high tide, but you could also find them schooling on the flats or on oyster bars. There were times I'd find them off docks and in channels as well. Pretty much you could find them all over, but I targeted snook a lot more.

When all else failed, find a flat with a bunch of sand holes and drift it. Or maybe a grass flat with a channel or bar cutting through and work the tide.

Substitute grass for mangroves and you pretty much answered your own questions. They'll move up into the grass to eat crabs and shrimp. Once the tide bottoms out, they'll tail on the flats. Oyster bars are good, along with broken sand/shell bottom. Reds will also orient around rock piles and rock grass here.

Good luck and post your research results.

fearthespear wrote:Do you mind helping me out when it comes to this technique? I grew up fishing for snook and reds in Bradenton, but have been trying to figure out the Redfish here in St. Marks area. I have only caught reds trolling oyster bars. It's usually a bad day when I don't catch one -- which happened to be last Saturday.

When do you normally fish the grass edges and creek mouths? I'm not asking for your spots, but more about the technique. Is it on a high tide? Also, do you fish the actual edge of the grass or away from the grass? And when you refer to creek mouths are you referring to the deeper part or edge? I've heard when the water is cold the fish go up river and in deeper holes, but how cold are we talking?

Sorry for all the questions, but I see tons of videos of people pulling reds out of small creeks and my boat is made for this so i'd like to learn.

Fish those grass edges and creek mouths the last couple hours of the incoming and the first few of the outgoing. Fish stack up on any kind of structure, bars, shell bottom and grass edges. I like at afternoon high when the water is below 70. Also throw baits that you can cover a lot of water with. Gold spoons, saltwater spinnerbaits, chatter baits, and i always check to see if they are hitting top water. Had red fish absolutely killing my top water plug the other day with 63 degree water temps!!

All good advice. get to know the area. There is one location we call Redfish point that looks like nothing special, but at real low tides you can see there are scattered oysters 50 yards off the grassline. We give that a wide margin and cast it well, often picking up trout and reds.

As far as where along the grassline, it depends on every trip. Sometimes they are feeding right in the edge, other times well off the grassline. We figure out the pattern on every trip and then stick to it. Same for baits. We usually start with a mixed bag of different lures and try to figure out the days pattern.

Creeks? Depends on water temp, salinity, clarity, weather, tide and time of year. Just need to figure out where they are each time you go.

Thanks for the tips! I am going to try to get out there tomorrow early in the morning. Looks like it will be an incoming tide all day. Last weekend I put in at the lighthouse and luckily my boat drafts shallow enough that I was the only one launching.

Better check your tide chart again. Rising until 10:30 and then falling. Not much water movement.

I went this am and there wasn't a lot of water even on the high.

Here's a good reference site:

http://www.tides4fishing.com/us/florida ... r-entrance

Just noticed. Must have had the wrong location...Going either way.

SK, you do as good as you did earlier this week? Any further out in flats, or still up tight?

fearthespear wrote:Just noticed. Must have had the wrong location...Going either way.

The Tides4Fishing is a good site. Moon phases and solunar tables, plus different aspects of the tidal movement.

Good luck. Hope you find some.

FTReelty, no it was definitely slower today. I was there right at the high and the trout were scarce. Water never did come in much.

I did manage to release a couple 28-inch redfish, fooled by an ADL gold spoon.

Made a few casts on the West Flats after lunch before heading in. Nada and no sign of life either. If you go, I'd stay tight or in back.