The Tailing Redfish

There are a number of fishermen who believe that they have never had the privilege of witnessing a redfish that is tailing. Surprisingly, it is more likely that they have indeed seen this; they just did not realize it at the time. Redfish can often be found in conditions where the water is somewhat lower than usual. This can mean on an either incoming or an outgoing tide.

If you choose to fish around one specific area and you are having success, make sure to make a mental note of this exact spot as you will be more likely to find them in the same area time and again each year as redfish tend to prefer certain areas.

The mouth of the redfish was designed perfectly so that it could feed on the bottom of the water. With its blunt, large nose protruding beyond its mouth, seeing one of these fish feed beneath the waves is interesting as it uses its snout to push and sift through the mud and sand for food. Often, the fish will be hunting with its body completely vertical, resulting in their tail sticking straight out of the water. This is where the term “tailing” became popular.

Whenever casting your bait to a redfish that is tailing, you will need to know in which direction they are ultimately headed for. Keep in mind that if you cast behind these fish as they feed, you will be disappointed. Where you see one redfish, there are likely more. Once you recognize where the school is at, you will more easily be able to determine which direction they are all facing and you can cast your bait.

You can toss out virtually any smaller bait in their direction and it is almost guaranteed to be eaten up at once. As the redfish move along the floor, their prey moves away from them. This means that the redfish have had to resort to an instantaneous strike. If they happen to strike something they decide they do not want to eat, they simply spit it out.

I prefer to work with smaller, plastic grubs as well as a ¼ jig head. Chartreuse, white and pink are typically effective colors. If plastic grubs are not what you like to go fishing with, gold and silver spoons work rather well with these fish also. The next time that you think of breaking out your fishing gear and reeling in some fish, why not try for redfish now that you know a little bit more about how they operate.

On days when you are unable to make it out to the water, try out some great online fishing games to keep yourself entertained and your skills sharp.