# Stubborn Reds..



## litlblusrn4bigred (Jan 8, 2007)

chunked mullet will work great if the fish dont seem to be eating artificial very good, unless you hook up with a lady fish, they love lady fish steaks. If you are going to use top water, throw on the outside of the school, that way you wont spook them. Skitter walk in the white color has ALWAYS proven a good lure for me. good luck.


----------



## litlblusrn4bigred (Jan 8, 2007)

By the way, patience is a virtue.  If taking the wife, then do the chunked meat thing.  I usually cut a bunch of mullet up or lady fish and throw a bunch to the school as best as I can with out spooking them, I know easier said then done but, if you can manage to get some food to them they will stick around long enough to hook up with a few.  Also, if you get on a school like that, if the bottom isnt too soft, then get out and wade the area a bit, very stealthy approach, then they have no idea you are there. Again, good luck.


----------



## phishphood (Dec 15, 2006)

Yep, what he said. I actually have the best luck with a ladyfish chunk over mullet, but both will work. My wife likes the laid back fishing approach, so we soak some bait from time to time.


----------



## MATT (Apr 30, 2007)

use a cast net, then it don't matter if they feel like eating....


----------



## tailchaser (Mar 16, 2008)

The cast net idea sounds best to me,  throw a few times, take a hundred or so pictures, and go home.. ;D

I was back again this morning well before sunrise to see schools of mullet, catfish, some small ballyhoo, and the same schools of reds, tails out of the water so far that the dorsal fins were almost out. After hours of chucking topwater, jerkbaits, and gulp crabs.. I get only more refusals... .. The water stayed like a sheet of glass until I left at about 10,  I sat on the bow and used my feet to move me along,  It's much quieter than poling, and I don't throw a pole shadow 100' across the flats.  I got much closer to them, close enough to start counting spots.  But still no takers.  I think I'm gonna try the chum and soak bait approach..  Maybe I can chum with frozen shrimp,  I get it almost free at work..  

I did, however manage to pull an enormous gator trout, just shy of 32"..  While digging for the camera, and piece of us currency, she flipped right off the bow, and back into the water.  Weird though,  I caught it on a gulp crab :-?,  10' from the boat  .. That was the biggest trout i've caught so far..


----------



## phishphood (Dec 15, 2006)

That is one heck of a trout to jump the camera. Sure would have like to see a pic of it.

On a shrimp note, I've had a couple occasions that the only thing they would eat when mullet didn't work was a fairly large peeled shrimp on a circle hook. They would pick up the shrimp with the shell still on, but would drop it almost immediatly. Spoiled fish.


----------



## litlblusrn4bigred (Jan 8, 2007)

those "ballyhoo", are not ballyhoo, they are needle fish. 

I heard that they will get eaten by redfish as well.


----------



## Ron_W. (Dec 14, 2006)

Good job on the trout. When your bait is within 2 feet of the reds I hope you are working it dead slow. I mean 1 or 2 inches at a time. Obviously these fish have found a good food supply and don't intend to chase much of anything. Sometimes a slow but very erratic twitch of a jerk worm bait will get a reaction strike but few hookups if there not really hungry.
Check the solunar tables the fish may be a little more aggressive during a major solunar period.


----------

