Captain Chad Starling
904.502.7408
TeamBuckRogers.com
Each Fall Jacksonville experiences a real phenomenon. It happens between September and December. This area of Northeast Florida is where Bull Redfish conduct their annual spawn. Each year, thousands upon thousands of these fish flood the St. Johns River and surrounding creeks.
This makes for a very exciting time for fishermen and you don't have to go far to find them either. These fish can be found from the jetties to the Buckman Bridge and even beyond.
The best method for targeting them is bottom fishing the drop-offs of the St. Johns River. Although many fishermen have a favorite tide, these fish can be caught on any given day and on any tide if you are in the right place and they are actively feeding.
The best rig is a matter of opinion, of course… but for me, I use a 3-way swivel rig with a bank sinker from 6 to 20 oz's, depending on current.
Redfish are designed to be bottom feeders, so keeping the bait on the bottom is the key.
Baits of choice range from blue crab, which is probably the most popular and croaker or mullet plus other types of cut bait.
Care must be taken when landing these fish and they should either not be removed from the water at all or put back in the water as soon as possible so as to avoid injury or death. Next week we will have an article with some great information regarding this issue.
Your gear needs to be medium heavy so the fish isn't super tired once landed. medium to heavy rods with a minimum of 30 to 40 lb test line and a hook from 4/0 to 8/0. If you want to experience this in person, we run bull redfish charters all the time and would love to have you.