We all love it when we can’t keep a bait in the water because the fish are so active, but many of us don’t have access to a boat that can take us there. In this article, I will explain how to catch redfish and trout in the fall, even without a boat! I learned this technique in Coastal Georgia but, with the right temperatures and tides, I am sure it can be replicated in many other areas.
My favorite time for inshore fishing is the fall and early winter! The bait moves shallow, fish follow, and some of your best fishing can be had in the afternoon when the weather is beautiful. I have a certain creek that I love to fish in during this time of year. This technique requires minimal gear and can be fit into an hour or two so you can get back home for dinner or get a good fishing session in after work.
What You’ll Need
- Bucket
- Aerator
- Ice Bucket or Portable Cooler
- Popping Corks (Or Floats)
- Leader Material
- Hooks
- Live Shrimp (Or Gulp! Shrimp)
- Rubber Boots
Where To Fish
My favorite location is a long winding creek that empties out into a small cove between a sandy beach and a pier. Any medium-sized creek you can access on foot will work. We simply walk out through a game trail in the marsh grass and look for a point that overlooks a deep bend in the creek. Downstream are some really shallow areas that essentially trap bait and fish during the low tide.
The large mudbanks on either side of the creek absorb sunlight and warm the water providing a healthy environment for bait and fish to gather during colder months. As you approach the creek you can hear fish splashing and bait popping. My favorite times to fish an area like this is during incoming and outgoing tides. Slack tides seem to bring a lull to the action.
Rigging & Presentation
I always use some type of float with a leader and plain hook for this type of fishing. What varies most often is the style of the float and hook. In warmer months or simply when using artificial baits I prefer to use an oval popping cork with a titanium wire. The oval shape reduces some noise that could spook fish and the titanium wire holds up better to strong redfish and errant casts into the marsh grass. With live baits or during colder and calmer water conditions you can simply use any type of foam or wooden float.
Leader length depends on water depth. You want your bait to drift naturally with the current as the fish will be waiting in certain areas to ambush. If your bait gets hung up on the bottom you will reduce the number of bites you get and can have your bait stolen by crabs or baitfish. Hook size is, in my opinion, a personal preference. I have experienced the most success using a 2/0 size treble hook. Others may prefer a circle or Kahle hook to allow fish to take the bait and hook themselves. Downsizing your hook as much as possible serves to create a more natural presentation.
Attaching your bait to the hook correctly is a lesson in itself. Handling live shrimp is something you will learn as you go but is critical to your success. Redfish and trout seem to ignore any shrimp that is not alive and swimming. The best way to hook a shrimp for this type of fishing is directly between the eyes and brain. I also like to pinch the tail before throwing my bait in the water. I believe this releases some scent that makes it easier for fish to find the shrimp.
As for artificial baits, I will simply hook a Gulp! Shrimp directly through the nose. This allows for it to swing freely and drift in the current like a real shrimp. Another tip I love to use when fishing live or artificial baits is to use a loop knot to make sure that the hook and bait swing freely and are not twisting in the current. See this article to learn how to tie a loop knot.
After You Learn How To Catch Redfish + Trout
One thing I am very passionate about is the quality of the wild game and fish I am consuming. If your filets smell like fish you did something wrong or it isn’t fresh. There are some quick and easy things I go over in this short article that can change the way you think of fresh fish as table fare. Take care of your catch and you can enjoy some of the flakiest, whitest, and most delectable meat the ocean has to offer.
Remember to always bring a tape measure and study up on your local regulations before fishing. Keeping an undersized fish is not worth the potential cost of a ticket or worse. You could lose your fishing privileges altogether!
You might be covered in mud and fish slime but I bet you feel pretty good. There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get by catching your own dinner. If you’d like to take it a step further learn how to catch your own live bait here. We hope you learned a bit about how to catch redfish and trout in the fall!