redfish

Hunter with a bull red from this past week!

Bull season is upon us! Every year around September and October the bull redfish are gathering up to spawn. These are some of the most important months for redfish in the entire lagoon system. These fish are anywhere from 20-40 years old and produce thousands of spawn in a single cycle. Most anglers can find these bull redfish in larger deep canals, sandbar edges, and drop-offs with deep water close by.

When targeting these big bulls, it’s very important to upsize your tackle. I prefer a 4K or 5k size reel with 20-30lb braid and 40 pound leader. This ensures the fish doesn’t get too exhausted and makes for a clean, healthy release. When it comes to baits, any cut or live bait will work, from ladyfish to mullet. I myself prefer throwing artificial.

It’s pretty common to see the fish daisy-chaining in a circle, which makes for great sight fishing! Larger artificial baits like swimbaits, and large gold spoons are a few great options. Try to avoid treble hooks as they typically can cause issues if the fish gets hooked too deeply! Again, these fish are very important to our estuary and it’s critical we take the most absolute care of them!