Look at the size of the Redfish...
That guy looks pretty happy doesn't he? You would be too if you caught a redfish that size!
Louisiana has many great fish to offer anglers, but the redfish is one of the local favorites. These fish are extremely fun to catch and I am going to explain some of the common way to fish for them, where to find them, the weather that they bite the most, and much more.
There used to be very little limit as to how many that you could catch and of what size that you could keep. Conservation of the species has led to laws specifying how many, and what size that you can keep so make sure that you know the laws. If the Fish and Game officers find you with more than your limit, you will be fined, and probably have most of your equipment taken. It is possible that you even do JAIL time. You fish for a good time so there is no need in "Over-Doing" it!
A fishing License.Obviously, you need a fishing license. If you are a resident of Louisiana, your license will obviously be cheaper than if you are a non-resident. If you are caught fishing without a license, the punishment can be very harsh. You probably do not want to take any chances.A license is good from the time that you purchase it, until June 30, of each year. In other words, if you buy one in January, then it is only good for a few months. Most anglers, try to buy their license at the beginning of July, therefore, it is good for a whole year. The pricing for a license is as follows: Resident Fishing Licenses
Non-Resident Fishing Licenses
The Limits...
Once You have you fishing license... it is now time to hit the water! Be carful, and know the limits. Per person that is fishing , for redfish, you are allowed a total of 5. They MUST be more than 16 inches in length in order to keep them. Only one (1) that is over 27 inches, may be kept, so you need to keep four (4) that are between 16" and 27" and that big Bull Red that is over 27". You can have five (5) redfish that are over 16" and all under 27", but if you catch that big one, then, you can only have one (1) over that size. Like I said, DONT over-do it. The risk does not out-weigh the reward.
Habitat of a Redfish
These type of fish generally stay in extremely shallow water. They have been seen in as little as 6" of water where you could see their back fins and tops of their tails showing through the top of the water. Ideally, most people fish for them in 2-5 feet of water. When the tides come in, these fish like to move into shallow ponds, marches, and streams, in order to stay within their ideal depth. When the tide goes out, they tend to move into larger lakes, canals, and rivers. They are pretty much forced out of the small ponds. If you follow these guidlines, you will be sure to catch some fish.
"How am I supposed to fish for them..?"There are many, many, many different ways to fish for Redfish. The like dead shrip, cracked crab, minnows, or just about any piece of fillet from mullet or croaker. These baits are usually fished under a popping cork or sliding sinker rig. Many anglers have been very successful with these baits, when fishing a little deeper water. This way is a little less challenging, therefor if it is you first few times fishing, then I would suggest that you try this way first and then all you have to do is learn how often to "pop" the cork and watch for it to "disapear"! I usually wait about 20-30 seconds between popping the cork, but it really depends on the conditions, and the speed of how the fish are feeding. Watch out for those blue crabs though, as those suckers like to steal your bait!!
For the more experienced angler, you may want to fish with artificial bait such as ones that mimic the same actions of the bait that the fish is feeding on. Certain minnows on something like a 1/2" gold/silver spoon (depending on the water clarity) could work very well.
There is another option is that you could make your own lures, or modify some that you already have in order to tweak the interst of the fish. If you want to learn more on how to make you own lure, Click Here!
"When is the best time to fish?"Usually the redfish can be fished for year round, however, the weather does play a big role in the way that they feed.Mostly, Redfish feed alot right before a front moves through and even as the front is moving through. If you are out there, they will nearly jump on you line. BUT WAIT, right after a front goes through, you might as well be feeding those crabs that I was talking about before, because the Reds, they seem to disappear! So, watch out for that.
They do feed pretty well, while the tide is falling, and feed like "nobody's-business" the water is at low tide. As far as the canals, and bayous, watch the weather! If the wind in blowing out of the south, like it typically does through the summer, then the water is rising, and the Reds will more likely be in shallow ponds, and marshes. If the wind is blowing out of the north, like it typically does in the winter, then the canals, and bayous tides are lowering, and the Reds will be forced out into the bigger canals, lakes, and rivers.
If you pay attention to the "general rules" and follow them, then you should have absolutely no problem fishing in the south, and there are loads of different parts to fish in with all of the canals, bayous, marshes, lakes, ponds, rivers, etc!
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