Author: Terry Lacoss
96965
Buccaneer Trail
Title: “Topwater
Reds at High Tide”
Caption: Redfish prey
on baitfish passing by key ambush points during a high falling tide where plugging
with surface plugs requires several angling skills.
A high falling
tide gathered baitfish at key ambush points at the headwaters of
Terry David
positioned our shallow water boat down current of a marsh island, jutting
perfectly out into the deeper portion of the flooded mud flat. Redfish would soon be schooling behind the marsh
point, waiting for mullet, crabs and shrimp to pass by within their strike
zone.
Now the time was
right as the flood tide began to fall, begging T.D. and me to cast our Mirror
Lure “Top Dog” surface plugs, breath taken close to the marsh point. Here it
was extremely critical to make your cast into the current and then work your
topwater plug slowly into the eddying water where redfish would get a good,
slow look.
Finally the head
of a 7-lb redfish rose up behind Terry David’s topwater plug and crashed down
on the mullet imitator. Terry David dropped his rod tip allowing the bay red to
take the plug deep into its mouth, then reared
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back on his stout redfish rod. During a desperate run, Mr. Red was able to
straighten the saltwater treble hook, and then retreat back into the deep
pocket of marsh grasses.
Terry David’s
following cast landed a ½ ounce gold spoon into the same pocket of flooded
grass. The big red was fooled once
again, but this time unable to straighten the strong spoon hook!
This same scenario
played out in a CoCodrie Louisiana duck pond when a high falling tide found
mullet schooling at the mouth of a major creek that fed the duck pond. The minute the tide began falling, it was
like a light switch had been turned on and
Doesn’t matter
what part of
Bait fishes
begin migrating out from flooded marshes, creeks and the backsides of bays
during the high falling tide. Take a closer look and you will soon identify nearby
ambush points where baitfish schools begin to use as a migration highway.
Positioning your
shallow water skiff down tide from the ambush point will allow you to work
surface plugs right in the face of redfish that are holding on the ambush
point. Redfish will in many cases swim
into the current and wait in ambush either at the face of the ambush point, or
just behind the ambush point where there is an eddy.
You will certainly
get more strikes and hook more reds when choosing 20-pound monofilament fishing
line. Regular monofilament fishing lines
float, where fluorocarbon fishing lines will sink making them difficult when
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working surface lures properly. Sinking fishing lines will also spook
redfish, particularly in clear water
conditions. Regular mono lines will also
stretch, which allows redfish to take the surface plug deep in their mouth,
verses fluorocarbon and braided fishing lines that have very little
stretch. However in cases where
submerged oysterbars, barnacle clad pilings, or mangrove roots, tend to cut off
your mono fishing line, tying 20-pound braid directly to your surface plug will
save your plug and keep your redfish hooked up.
Making a loop
knot connection to your topwater plug will also impart a better swimming action
to your surface plug.
Many red
fishermen including myself prefer a six and a half foot casting rod with a
medium light tip for casting accuracy and a medium heavy butt section for
working big reds away from structure. A
casting rod and reel setup will also afford for more accurate casts than spin
tackle, however spinning gear should be a consideration on windy days.
“Keep your
surface plug in the strike zone”!
Keeping your
surface plug working slowly in the redfish’s ambush point is key. Chugger type surface plugs can be chugged
hard, and then allowed to rest for a long two - three count before a second
chug is imparted. Cigar shaped plugs can
also be worked super slow by walking the plug to the
side, then allowing it to sit, before it walks to the opposite direction. While in many cases, reds will simply blow up
on a surface lure and miss the hooks. Replacing the rear treble hook with a new
VMC “Sure Set” treble hook will make that redfish connection more often. Here the top hook is a wide gap type hook
that actually reaches out to hook your redfish.
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The best time
of year for taking reds with topwater plugs, is by far the
fall time of year when a major mullet run
is taking place. Couple this with a fall
shrimp spawn and you have the best time of year for redfish on top! When a major shrimp hatch is taking place,
surface chuggers work best. When mullet are schooling, cigar shaped
surface plugs become more effective.
Some of the better color patterns include mullet patters, when baitfish
are schooling, chartreuse for dirty water conditions and gold or black for
overcast days.
Photo Captions:
#1 – (red 10 top head) Redfish ravaging schools of baitfish
will often blowup on a surface plug where the very last treble hook finds it’s
mark.
#2 – (red 10 sure set 1) surface plugs rigged with VMC “Sure
Set” wide gap treble hooks.
#3 – (red 10 sure set2) same caption as #2.
#4 – (red 10 Terry 4) White surface plugs
is an excellent color pattern for high tide reds, particularly when
baitfish are schooling.
#5 – (red 10 steve
best) Same caption as #4.
#6 - (red 10 ryan
best) Ryan Conner is pictured with a nice high tide redfish he took with a Rapala “Skitter Walk”.
#7 – (red 10 alex best) When a good
hatch of shrimp is taking place, chugger style
surface plugs like “Storms” Chug Bug are deadly for high tide reds.
#8 – (red 10 flood tide
#9 – (red 10 couple best) Same
caption as #8.
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#10 – (oysterbar shallow boat) Oysterbar points afford for excellent ambush points when a
flood tide begins to fall.
#11 – (red carrie steve casey fight 1) Carrie Casey fights
a nice red that slammed her surface plug.
#12 – (red jim fight 4) A nice red took a surface chugger
at a small marsh island during a high flood tide.
#13 – (red TD Spook 1) This nice red
literally chomped down on a Heddon “Super Spook”.
#14 – (red TD spook 2) Same caption
as #13
#15 – (red topwater plug box) A variety of chuggers and cigar
shaped surface plugs afford for heart stopping surface action for flood tide
reds.
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