Just spied this awesome article on muddy-water redfishing from Saltwater Sportsman. Here's a good tip about an off-the-wall bait:
Crawl a Mudbug
Bait shrimp, even frozen ones, may not be available from midwinter to early spring, but large populations of crawfish will be, and like humans, redfish do eat crawfish!
Acquire the smaller bugs for redfish bait. Those between 3 and 3 12 inches long seem best. Buy them alive, put them in a small ice chest with a wet towel covering them, and keep them cool but not cold.
There's also a good tip about using skirted jigs tipped with shrimp. One new one I'd recommend is the C&H Alien jig.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Low Country Redfish Cup
The next stop on the Low Country Redfish Cup will be in Savannah at Hogan's Marina on Wilmington Island.
Round 2 : Savannah, GA
04/23/10: Captains Meeting 6:30 pm Hogans Marina
04/24/10: Launch at First Safe Light
Entry Fee is only $140.00 (cash only) per tournament.
One time 2010 Low country Redfish Cup Membership Fee of $50.00 per team is due at Tournament #1.
Round 2 : Savannah, GA
04/23/10: Captains Meeting 6:30 pm Hogans Marina
04/24/10: Launch at First Safe Light
Entry Fee is only $140.00 (cash only) per tournament.
One time 2010 Low country Redfish Cup Membership Fee of $50.00 per team is due at Tournament #1.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Choose the Right Fishing Line
Choosing the right fishing line can be a daunting task. But by comparing the costs and benefits of each one, it should be easier to narrow down your choices to suit your needs.
There are four main types of fishing line: monofilament, fluorocarbon, nylon braid and super-braid.
Monofilament line is the most familiar to the average angler. It is a semi-transparent line that has a good deal of stretch. This translates to shock absorbency, making it good for trolling or crankbait applications. Stretch, however, can cause missed hook sets when using floats or soft-plastic artificial baits. Trilene and Stren are the most popular brands.
While the cheapest option, this line tends to develop line memory, a stiffness which causes the line to take the shape of the spool. Monofilament line should be changed out every few months to prevent this.
Fluorocarbon, to the naked eye, is similar to monofilament. It is a stiffer line that is so translucent that many brands claim they are "invisible" underwater. It also is more abrasion resistant, so it will not fray in oyster shells or heavy cover.
Fluorocarbon is denser than monofilament, so it sinks faster. The downside is that it is more expensive, quickly develops line memory and has to be replaced frequently. Some lines, such as P-Line, are co-polymers that combine the best aspects of monofilament and braid.
Nylon braid, known by the name Dacron, is the oldest type of fishing line, but many anglers still use it. Nylon braid is used in conjunction with wax floatant to give the line buoyancy when using floats or bobbers. These lines tend to flatten out over time, and must be waxed periodically to keep them buoyant.
Nylon braid has less stretch than single-stand lines but is similar in diameter. When Dacron is stretched, though, it becomes vulnerable to sharp edges and teeth. Because of this, Dacron is primarily used as a spool backing for other lines.
Gel-spun super-braid is the newest type of line and is quickly becoming the most popular. It is a very high tensile strength, and a much lower diameter than other lines. A 30-pound test super-braid has the same diameter as 8 or 10 pound monofilament. This enables the angler to use more and heavier line on smaller reels. It also has almost no stretch, which allows for quick hook sets.
The lack of shock absorbency, though, means that trolling with braid can lead to pulled hooks. However, the thin diameter and high abrasion resistance make this line a good choice for heavy cover or around oyster beds. Super-braids, such as Power Pro, are suitable for most types of fishing, but they come at a cost higher than other types of fishing lines.
There are four main types of fishing line: monofilament, fluorocarbon, nylon braid and super-braid.
Monofilament line is the most familiar to the average angler. It is a semi-transparent line that has a good deal of stretch. This translates to shock absorbency, making it good for trolling or crankbait applications. Stretch, however, can cause missed hook sets when using floats or soft-plastic artificial baits. Trilene and Stren are the most popular brands.
While the cheapest option, this line tends to develop line memory, a stiffness which causes the line to take the shape of the spool. Monofilament line should be changed out every few months to prevent this.
Fluorocarbon, to the naked eye, is similar to monofilament. It is a stiffer line that is so translucent that many brands claim they are "invisible" underwater. It also is more abrasion resistant, so it will not fray in oyster shells or heavy cover.
Fluorocarbon is denser than monofilament, so it sinks faster. The downside is that it is more expensive, quickly develops line memory and has to be replaced frequently. Some lines, such as P-Line, are co-polymers that combine the best aspects of monofilament and braid.
Nylon braid, known by the name Dacron, is the oldest type of fishing line, but many anglers still use it. Nylon braid is used in conjunction with wax floatant to give the line buoyancy when using floats or bobbers. These lines tend to flatten out over time, and must be waxed periodically to keep them buoyant.
Nylon braid has less stretch than single-stand lines but is similar in diameter. When Dacron is stretched, though, it becomes vulnerable to sharp edges and teeth. Because of this, Dacron is primarily used as a spool backing for other lines.
Gel-spun super-braid is the newest type of line and is quickly becoming the most popular. It is a very high tensile strength, and a much lower diameter than other lines. A 30-pound test super-braid has the same diameter as 8 or 10 pound monofilament. This enables the angler to use more and heavier line on smaller reels. It also has almost no stretch, which allows for quick hook sets.
The lack of shock absorbency, though, means that trolling with braid can lead to pulled hooks. However, the thin diameter and high abrasion resistance make this line a good choice for heavy cover or around oyster beds. Super-braids, such as Power Pro, are suitable for most types of fishing, but they come at a cost higher than other types of fishing lines.
Don't Miss Georgia's Shad Run
If you mention "shad" to most anglers, what comes to mind is the small baitfish that is a popular forage food for black bass and stripers.
Gizzard and threadfin shad are small species that rarely reach more than a pound and are often netted for bait. American shad, however, are larger battlers that can be caught with fly or spin tackle and often reach 4 or 5 pounds.We also happen to have an amazing, but largely unrecognized, American shad fishery here in Georgia. The current state record is an 8-pound, 3-ounce monster from the Savannah River.
American shad live most of their lives offshore. However, once a year, the mature shad swim up rivers along the East Coast, beginning with the St. Johns river in January and gradually moving up the shoreline. South of Cape Hatteras, this run is much like a salmon run, where the adults spawn just one time before dying.In coastal Georgia and the Low Country, this run will last through March. The Ogeechee and Savannah rivers present some of the best fishing opportunities for shad.
Anglers using spinning tackle will use small jigs known as shad darts, as well as spoons.Though shad mainly eat plankton, they have a habit of striking at small fry and shrimp, which these lures imitate.To locate the shad, slowly troll parallel to the bank in 7-10 feet of water while dragging several darts and spoons.
If the current is strong, you may need a small diving planer or umbrella rig to get the lures down to a proper depth. Once a school is located, anchor up and vertical jig the shad darts on light 6-pound spinning tackle, similar to crappie fishing.
A fun alternative is to fly fish with small bead-eye streamers on a sinking tip line and get the fly to the proper depth.The best colors for lures and flies seem to be white, chartreuse and yellow.
Once hooked, an angler will almost instantly know if they have hooked a male or female.Females, fat with roe eggs, will not give much of a struggle. The males, however, are hard battlers whose acrobatics are so great that some even call them "freshwater tarpon."
Shad, especially served with the roe, are extremely delicious when prepared correctly.They do have many small bones, however, and some cooks will soak the fillets in buttermilk to soften them. Other locals use special filleting techniques to remove the bones, but these remain a well-guarded secret.
The daily recreational catch limit on American shad is eight in Georgia, but try to only keep a couple of the female roe shad, as these represent the future of the fishery.
Gizzard and threadfin shad are small species that rarely reach more than a pound and are often netted for bait. American shad, however, are larger battlers that can be caught with fly or spin tackle and often reach 4 or 5 pounds.We also happen to have an amazing, but largely unrecognized, American shad fishery here in Georgia. The current state record is an 8-pound, 3-ounce monster from the Savannah River.
American shad live most of their lives offshore. However, once a year, the mature shad swim up rivers along the East Coast, beginning with the St. Johns river in January and gradually moving up the shoreline. South of Cape Hatteras, this run is much like a salmon run, where the adults spawn just one time before dying.In coastal Georgia and the Low Country, this run will last through March. The Ogeechee and Savannah rivers present some of the best fishing opportunities for shad.
Anglers using spinning tackle will use small jigs known as shad darts, as well as spoons.Though shad mainly eat plankton, they have a habit of striking at small fry and shrimp, which these lures imitate.To locate the shad, slowly troll parallel to the bank in 7-10 feet of water while dragging several darts and spoons.
If the current is strong, you may need a small diving planer or umbrella rig to get the lures down to a proper depth. Once a school is located, anchor up and vertical jig the shad darts on light 6-pound spinning tackle, similar to crappie fishing.
A fun alternative is to fly fish with small bead-eye streamers on a sinking tip line and get the fly to the proper depth.The best colors for lures and flies seem to be white, chartreuse and yellow.
Once hooked, an angler will almost instantly know if they have hooked a male or female.Females, fat with roe eggs, will not give much of a struggle. The males, however, are hard battlers whose acrobatics are so great that some even call them "freshwater tarpon."
Shad, especially served with the roe, are extremely delicious when prepared correctly.They do have many small bones, however, and some cooks will soak the fillets in buttermilk to soften them. Other locals use special filleting techniques to remove the bones, but these remain a well-guarded secret.
The daily recreational catch limit on American shad is eight in Georgia, but try to only keep a couple of the female roe shad, as these represent the future of the fishery.
