How To Find Redfish In 2026 (90/10 Fishing Rule)
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
Most anglers spend the majority of their trip fishing water that simply does NOT hold feeding fish.
The truth is, 90 PERCENT of the fish are concentrated into just 10 PERCENT of any given area.
Miss that small zone and it does not matter how good your lure, tide, or weather is.
Watch as we break down how the 90/10 Rule actually works inshore, and how it shifts with TIDES, WIND, SEASONS, AND STRUCTURE.
If you want to stop wasting casts in dead water, this is one you should not skip.
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Key Takeaways
- The 90/10 Rule applies year-round in saltwater, but the exact location of the zone is constantly moving
- In winter, fish prioritize deep water with nearby shallow structure for temperature stability
- In spring and fall, fish shift toward food-rich current and structure like oyster bars and points
- Seagrass mixed with sand, mangroves, channels, and irregular shorelines create the highest-percentage zones
- Fish movement is driven by wind, tide, solunar periods, and water temperature, not just time of day
- Wade anglers can access some of the most productive 90/10 zones using public shoreline access
Final Thoughts
The 90/10 Rule explains why some days on the water feel effortless while others feel impossible. Fish are not randomly scattered. They are positioned with purpose, driven by structure, temperature, current, and food. When those factors line up, small areas can hold an overwhelming majority of the active fish. Learning to recognize those zones, and knowing when to move on from dead water, is one of the biggest turning points an angler can make. This approach removes guesswork and replaces it with deliberate, repeatable decisions.
Important Reminders
The 2 core benefits we promise to Insider Club members is to be able to find and catch fish easier than ever before while saving money on fishing equipment.
So I am including links to the quickest ways to achieve each :
1) Finding Fish System
2) Insider Club’s Group Discounts
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
I will admit i doubt if this club would be as successful as it is and has been if it wasn’t for teaching about the 90/10 zone rule and while I do sometimes use the smart fishing spots app I mostly go with your other 3 basic rules birds, bait, and or boils coupled with some good old fashioned common sence has caught me more fish then any computor generated app ever has but I know that in todays electronic world its hard to teach the old ways because the younger generations were born into an electronic world where using ones brain isn’t as easy as pressing a button on a smart phone or computor im just glad im an old baby boomer that thinks differently and knows how to use common sence logic not given to me by someone on a social media platform like Facebook or others I don’t have any of these and don’t want them either and catch plenty of fish without them besides for me the challenge of doing it the old fashioned way gives me more satisfaction because I figured it out on my own but thats me and like I always say I only speak for myself and what others do is there buissness and how I do it is mine just saying how I feel nothing personal thanks for the info and all you do🤔😉👍
Well done Joe and Luke as this provided more granular detail about the 90/10 zone from what I recall before. The discussion about how there may be 90/10 zones within a much larger colored smart spot might help frustrated Insiders who get skunked fishing one or more spots. There’s no way of knowing if dolphin or another boat/kayak have blown up an area minutes before an SFS user arrives to fish it, or whether that person understands the importance of positioning and stealth. In other words, there can’t be guarantees like you said with a number of unknowns.