Florida Redfish Fishing Locations And Strategies

Florida is a great place to fish for Redfish. Up and down the gulf coast of Florida there are many great places to fish for this species. This article will touch on several of these locations with strategy tips on how to put them in your live well.

The grass flat areas of the Florida Keys are perhaps the best place in the United States to fish for trophy Redfish. The areas are all on the gulf side of the Keys. You should target your fishing in the gulf for Redfish. While you may catch some on the Atlantic side they are much more common in the Gulf.

The grass flats are roughly one to three foot deep. This term refers to large section of the water than maintain this depth for miles. They typically have a grass bottom. This grass is very thick and tough. The Redfish love these areas because the grass holds many of the species they use for forage. Shrimp, crabs, small fish and a large variety of crustaceans call these areas home.

When fishing the flats areas you are often sight fishing. You will see the tail of a Redfish protrude out of the water as it digs its head deep into the thick grass in search of food. Stealth is very important when fishing the flats. You will need to move into an area as slowly and quietly as possible. Once you see a fish the key is to cast your offering beyond the location of the fish and allow the current of the water to bring the bait into the desired area. If you cast directly at the fish you will only spook the fish and cause it to swim away unfed.

With Redfish you need to keep your line as light as possible. My advice is to use fluorocarbon line due to its invisibility factor in the water. If you have a good rod and reel with smooth drag there is no reason to use line that is heavier than six to eight pound test strength.

As you travel up the Gulf Coast of Florida you will find many other good fishing spots for Redfish. The area in an around Marco Island is especially good. There is a series of canals and backwater locations in Marco that hold large amounts of Redfish.

Heading further up the coast leads you to the Sanibel Island area. This section of Florida offers excellent Redfish angling potential. There are grass flats similar to what we have talked about before. Many of these areas are accessible from shore and great for the fisherman who does not have a boat. This is the area off Florida knows for its great wade fishing. Just be sure to keep the principles we talked about in mind. Stealth is still important.

If you want to fish the big water you can do so in Sanibel as well. There is a long beach in the lighthouse park area that offers great fishing potential for Redfish. When fishing for Redfish on the beach keep your casts parallel to the shore. You will catch these fish near the shore.