redfish

This week on the Space Coast has been interesting, to say the least. Brutal storms have been hammering the coast and really changing up the water conditions. With the influx of rain and run off, the river has come up quite a bit. This typically makes a good scenario for redfish crawling mangrove shorelines in search of an easy meal. For those anglers who like to throw plastics, this is among the best times to do so.

Anglers can find the best results looking for areas that have water up tight to the trees and mangroves. The harder the cast, the better the odds; meaning, if there is a small gap in the mangroves chances are it will be holding fish.

Another great indicator to look for has been large black mullet. The entire region has been seeing more and more small finger mullet in the 2-5 inch range, but paying close attention and looking for these larger mullet pods will yield much better results. These fish aren’t eating the large mullet but they are eating all the crustaceans and other organisms they are kicking up.

My favorite way to start the morning this time of year is with a topwater plug such as the Rapala skitter walk, or a soft plastic jerkshad such as gulp. The better you can imitate a mullet, the better your odds. If live bait is more your style, a 4/6 inch finger mullet rigged free line put close to the trees has been producing quite well, and as the sun gets high and the bite seems slower. try using a large chunk of either mullet or ladyfish when available. This often works well, especially when winds are quite heavy.

Hopefully the bad weather comes to a halt and everyone can get out and enjoy some great spring fishing!