Why do redfish tail in shallow water?
Redfish tail in shallow water when they are searching for food on the bottom. Their bodies are vertical in the water column as they hunt for crabs, shrimp, fish, snails and other creatures and all we see is their tails breaking the surface of the water.
Black drum and sheepshead can also be seen tailing in shallow water as they search for food but the redfish is the most famous species for this hunting technique.
Obviously, you will need to search for tailing redfish in shallow waters. I like to look for tailing redfish in water that is 2 feet deep or less. This occurs daily in many areas where the redfish thrive. The extreme tides that occur in the spring during March and April are great times to sight fish for tailing redfish but any low tide can bring tailing redfish around.
I am a FISHING CHARTER CAPTAIN. I have been fishing for redfish, snook, speckled trout and just about every other inshore species of fish for more than 40 years. Sight fishing for tailing redfish is one of my favorite things to do.
In the article below, I will talk about the conditions necessary to catch tailing redfish and the best baits, lures and tackle to help you catch them when you find them.
Let's get started.
Watch the video below to learn more about the best baits and lures for redfish.
Redfish tail in shallow water when they are searching for food on the bottom. Their bodies are vertical in the water column as they hunt for crabs, shrimp, fish, snails and other creatures and all we see is their tails breaking the surface of the water.
Black drum and sheepshead can also be seen tailing in shallow water as they search for food but the redfish is the most famous species for this hunting technique.
Obviously, you will need to search for tailing redfish in shallow waters. I like to look for tailing redfish in water that is 2 feet deep or less. This occurs daily in many areas where the redfish thrive. The extreme tides that occur in the spring during March and April are great times to sight fish for tailing redfish but any low tide can bring tailing redfish around.
I am a FISHING CHARTER CAPTAIN. I have been fishing for redfish, snook, speckled trout and just about every other inshore species of fish for more than 40 years. Sight fishing for tailing redfish is one of my favorite things to do.
In the article below, I will talk about the conditions necessary to catch tailing redfish and the best baits, lures and tackle to help you catch them when you find them.
Let's get started.
Watch the video below to learn more about the best baits and lures for redfish.
Where can you find tailing redfish?
Redfish can be caught from Texas around Florida and all the way up to the inshore waters of New Jersey. This is a very geographically diverse species of fish. They like clean water estuaries the most. Tidal creeks are my favorite places to find redfish but any structures like docks, bridges, marsh grass shorelines and shallow grass flats with sandy pot holes are also good places to start looking for them.
Redfish like hard bottoms to forage for food. This usually means that there are oysters nearby. The crushed oyster shells mix with the mud and sand creating a hard bottom. Whenever I see a nice oyster bar that is when I start thinking about sight fishing for tailing redfish.
Redfish and oysters go together like peanut butter and jelly; college football and chicken wings....... You get the idea.
You will also want to find a spot with clean moving water if you want to find tailing redfish. Look for clean water on the surface as the tide moves into and out of the tidal creeks. If the water is nice and clean, then it is also like to be full of dissolved oxygen for the redfish to breathe effectively.
If the water is muddy and dirty, then that is a good sign that the water is not oxygenated very well and you probably will not find any tailing redfish nearby.
The next thing that you are looking for are baitfish of some sort. Redfish are voracious predators and love to eat finger mullet, mud minnows, pin fish and just about any shiny little white bait fish that they can catch.
If you can find hard bottoms, clean moving water, and baitfish, then you have a good chance to find tailing redfish during the lower parts of the tide.
You will find that during the change from dead low to incoming tide brings the redfish to the shallows first. These greedy fish like to get first dibs on the shrimp, crabs and small fish that are trapped in the shallow pools as the tide comes in.
I have seen them belly crawl with most of their bodies out of the water to get to the pot holes and puddles with the incoming tide. Redfish feel safe from most predators in the shallows but will disperse as the tide rises.
Sharks and dolphins love to eat redfish so your best shot at a tailing redfish when the tide rises is in the various marsh grasses that can be found along tidal creeks. The redfish will go into the grass to feed safely away from their predators that are too big to go into the grass.
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You can find the complete guide to catching redfish right on this website by clicking on this link.
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Conclusion:
Redfish are one of my favorite fish to catch. I am usually fishing for redfish, speckled trout, tarpon and snook when I am fishing for fun. Sight fishing for these fish is a blast and can be enjoyed by just about any fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico all the way up the Eastern seaboard of the United States.
You just need to have the right environmental components to find tailing redfish. You need clean, shallow moving water, baitfish and a hard bottom. If you can find those characteristics, then you have a decent chance of finding some tailing redfish to catch.
Redfish have a very evolved sense of smell so a bait with added scent will work the best. Berkeley Gulp shrimp and swimming mullets with a 1/8 ounce jig head are my favorites but a hungry redfish will eat just about anything if you present it properly.
I hope that you enjoyed this article and I hope that you catch a ton of redfish the next time that you go fishing.
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