The Summer run of Redfish is Red Hot!

Report Date: August 8, 2006

The Crystal River area has a summer migration of Redfish that can only be described as apocalyptic. These gigantic schools of redfish measuring mostly over 25" inches travel west towards deeper water during the months of August and September. During this time of year I target these traveling fish on beautiful rocky points, where the depths can vary from 2 to 15 feet. The tides are usually not an issue with these areas, however the winds can definitely put a strain on certain areas and techniques.

Stuart Levine, the proud father of Justin (age 9) shows off a nice 25" inch Redfish caught on a shrimp in a foot of crystal clear water. This was the biggest Redfish Justin, has ever caught and as you can see, his dad is extremely proud.

The top baits are Berkley Gulp baits and live baits including shrimp, pinfish, and crabs. Earlier this week we recorded 23 redfish in one morning. These fish ranged from 25 to 31 inches, and all were caught on Berkley Gulp shrimp.

When we have not been targeting Redfish in the Crystal River area, we have been making trips south towards Ozello and Homosassa. These areas have been excellent for sight casting Redfish because their home to thousands of little islands, all of which can be home to a Redfish or Trout on a given day. These islands constantly filter the saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico, which helps to keep the water consistently clear. We have been targeting tailing Redfish and even Trout in water less than 2 feet. Because of the depth and clarity I typically use lures that float or can be retrieved fast.

Jessie Wheeler is showing off a beautiful redfish that fell for a live pinfish. This fish measured 24 1/2 inches and put up an excellent fight on light tackle.

A variety of spoons, jigs, and topwaters can be used but I like lures that have red eyes and mostly white bodies.

Tripletail have still been surprising my customers on a daily basis. We have landed 4 Tripletail in the 8 pound range this month alone and if it's this good now, I can only imagine what it is going to be like when the temperature begins to drop. These fish are a blast on light tackle, plus they are always sight cast. There jumps are nothing like a Tarpons, but it still a sight to see.

Ryland, Kenny, and Blake enjoyed catching Redfish to 26" inches and even a nice Tripletail on a 1/2 day trip out of Twin Rivers Marina.

Red Hot Fishing Charters caters to all, so if you’re interested in creating a fishing memory or story feel free to give us a call or email today (352) 634-4002 or http://redhotfishingcharters.com.

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