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| Capt. Jesse releasing a Mosquito Lagoon bull redfish caught by one of his clients. |
When a client steps on the boat with the intentions of catching a bull redfish in Mosquito Lagoon, I begin the morning boat ride, typically before the sun is even up and with a live well full of bait. While it is possible to catch a redfish over 20 lbs on artificial or fly, it is incredibly tough and all the planets need to be aligned. As we idle through a no wake zone, and after pleasantries have been exchanged, we beginning talking about what to expect. When you have an idea of what to expect, especially when adrenaline is firing through your body, it makes things go a little easier.
A redfish over 20 lb's is at least 10 years old, if not older. It is safe to say a 10 or 20 year old fish has seen just about everything in the book. With that said, the most important element in fishing large, experienced fish is to ease into their habitat. If these large fish sense your presence, game over. You are not going to get one to eat. The next most important element in fishing bull redfish is your presentation. When you were 10 years old, had you ever seen a cheeseburger or a slice of pizza magically move towards you? The answer is no. The same is true for fish, fish know that everything they eat tries to get away from them. With that said, when you make a presentation to a fish, present your bait in a manner that is natural to the fish. If you are fishing active fish that are swimming around a flat, you need your presentation, whether it is live bait, cut bait or artificial to not spook the fish. Fish know things landing on top of them from the sky are not natural and if you land a bait directly on top of a fish, it is going to spook. So, pick out your target, identify which direction the fish is moving and lead the fish. Give the fish enough of a cushion with your bait that it is close enough to the fish that he will see it but not so close that the noise from the bait hitting the water spooks the fish.
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| Mike, from Orlando, with his first bull redfish on the flats. |
Bait selection isn't as hard as one may think. You want to offer a bull redfish a bait that is natural to them. Pay attention to what is on the flat that you are fishing. Are you seeing crabs on the flats? Are you seeing pinfish or mullet on the flats? Determine what the prevalent food source is and match it. During the summer and fall, the Lagoon is loaded with mullet. I don't use a lot of live bait, it's just not a style of fishing that I particularly enjoy. With that said, it has its application. If I am going to fish live bait, I like to use live mullet. The predatory fish make the mullet nervous, typically the mullet swims up to the top of the water and the fish eating becomes visually engaging to the angler.
Fighting and landing big fish can be difficult. They are very strong and heavy. During the summer time, the oxygen levels in the water are low. You need to do your best to fight and land the fish as quickly as possible. This will put the least amount of stress on the fish's body as possible. Keeping in mind, these fish are mature breeders, their presence is critical to the conservation of our fishery. Play a game of angles on the fish, when the fish fights towards the left, angle and pull your rod to the right and vice versa. Once you have the fish boat side, put one had around the fish's tail and your other handle needs to come underneath the fish's shoulders (between the fish's head and stomach area) and cradle the fish up and into the boat. You want to support the fish's body weight as much as possible. Many anglers will never have an opportunity to land a breeder redfish, so when it happens for you, get a couple good pictures so you can brag to your buddies. Keep in mind, this fish has been fought and stressed for at least 10 minutes, this will give the other guy or girl on your boat plenty of time to find a camera and get it ready. Do your best to keep this fish out of the water for as short a period as possible.
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| Amanda with her biggest redfish with Flyin' High Charters. |
When releasing a big redfish, take your time once you have the fish back in the water. Releasing the fish is the most important element of this whole process. This may be the fish of your lifetime. You want to insure that the fish is released no worse for the wear and healthily swims off to breed and provide another angler with the memory of a lifetime. I cant stress the importance of taking the necessary time to adequately revive a fish.
I hope these tips help you catch the redfish of a lifetime!
Capt. Jesse Register
www.FlyinHighCharters.com
407-448-2017
