The Great Redfish Migration

It's no secret that you can catch redfish year round in the many miles of marsh around south Louisiana. But, just about every year starting around late August, the redfish invade the many area lakes from Decade to Boudreaux, Wonder, Madison, Mechant, Lost and many others just to name a few. The peak action usually occurs late September through October. Although these lakes will always hold redfish, the large schools will disappear about as quick as they show up. It is a magnificent time to catch great numbers on top water or any other lure you want to toss. One of my favorite top water baits is the mirror lure Shepup in chartreuse. However there are many really good top water baits these days, it makes it a difficult decision to choose the right one. Perhaps more than lure choice, is how you work them. Keeping your rod tip down and using a "walking the dog" type retrieve will normally get the best results. A medium action rod in spinning or bait cast is also recommended. A rod with light action or soft tip may be too light for these heavier baits. I know folks love gold spoons or big spinners for reds and they do work well, but my second choice and perhaps my favorite lure of all time is the mirror lure Mirodine m17. The gold series is killer for redfish. Many of these lake are full of shad and this bait replicates the size and shape. As they say "match the hatch". It is a suspending bait that can be twitched and work slow or fast depending on the bite. Everyone has their go to redfish bait and no doubt will work for these schooling fish. It gets exciting when you are there at the right time. You will see baitfish running for their lives and many times everyone in the boat will be hooked up at the same time. The explosions on top water can be heart stopping. Watching the tides or looking for major feeding periods will certainly increase the chances of running into the schools of hard fighting tackle busting fish. Keeping an eye on your surroundings is also important when targeting redfish. It may be easier to spot the schools if there is no wind, but even with wind you can still keep an eye out for their location. Looking for ripples that are moving in a different direction than what the wind is blowing is a dead give away. Watching for baitfish popping out the water in an abnormal manner is also a good indicator that the redfish are chasing them. If the water is clear, look for areas where it may it may be muddy. Redfish leave a swirling pocket of dirty water when they are feeding in the shallows. There is nothing more exciting than seeing big schools of hungry redfish and this a great time to find them by the bunches. Good luck fishing. Hope to see ya on the water.

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