Redfish on Ice

There is an approaching cold front which means one thing, put on many layers of the warmest gear possible and head to those deep holes or dead end canals for limits of redfish. Yes, freezing weather means the redfish will pile up. I would say slow roll a tout, but that might be too fast. It is more like cast out and barely lift the bait off the bottom. When the water warms during the day the fish become more active and you may need to change your approach. What occurs when these really strong cold fronts come in, is that the water pours out of the marsh. This moves the bait and the fish into either deep holes or dead end canals. Market shrimp or minnows work well under these conditions, but my preferred method is to cast a small tout against the bank and let it set or barely move it. Another thing to look for is leaches attached to the fish. This is a good indication the fish are hugging the bottom and you should slow your approach. If you really want to catch reds in an unusual method, break out your flyrod or crappie pole. Yes , I catch really nice reds using my crappie pole with a roadrunner jig head and a chartreuse colored tout. The fight is fantastic. If I am using light tackle, I always attach at least a 15-20 pound monofilament leader. So, this weekend when the temps are freezing, head to your favorite canal/lake, breakout that light tackle and have a blast catching big reds. I will see ya there.https:/IMG_1897.MOV  was right on point 

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