3 Tips To Find Redfish (When Fishing In A New Spot)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on November 16, 2020
Do you fish the same spot over and over again?
Many people do, but here’s the problem: fish are moving all the time!
If you only have one or two go-to spots and the weather makes a drastic change, those spots could be fishless, and you could end up going home skunked.
So to stop that from happening to you, you need to be trying out new spots every now and then.
Not only will it make you a better, more complete angler, but it’s also a blast to scout out a new spot, fish it, and be successful there.
Now we’ve talked a lot about how to quickly find good fishing spots using online maps, but in this video, you’ll learn how to find fish once you’re already on the water.
Specifically, you’ll learn what the three signs of feeding fish are, plus how to decide which lures or bait to use.
Check out the video below!
How To Find Redfish In A New Spot [VIDEO]
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Lure & hooks used:
I recently went out to a brand new spot right after a cold front when the wind was blowing, the water was murky, and it seemed like there was no bait around.
The conditions were crummy, but I still had an awesome day despite them.
Here’s how I did it:
Tip #1: Look for activity
There are three things to look for on the water to find feeding fish:
- Bait
- Blowups or boils
- Birds
In the first spot, I found mullet swimming near the bottom.
They’ll often get spooked and stir up crabs or shrimp, so you can usually find redfish around them.
In the second spot, I saw redfish busting baitfish and shrimp near the surface, which was an obvious giveaway to where they were.
And the third thing to look for is wading birds.
If they’re wading through the water and feeding on baitfish or shrimp, you can bet that there are some reds around, too.
Now, what if you get out on the water and don’t see any of these?
That’s what this next tip is for…
Tip #2: Cover ground
Sometimes your first spot won’t have any of the activity from tip #1 in it, and that’s ok!
You’ll just need to cover ground until you do find the activity.
It might take a bit of paddling or motoring around, but it’s worth it to find the activity rather than wait in a dead zone and hope fish will come by at some point.
Tip #3: Match the hatch
The Alabama Leprechaun rigged on a weighted hook was the ticket to get the reds to eat this day.
I also had a paddletail with me, but as I saw lots of shrimp in the water, I had a hunch that fish would be more keyed in on something with a darting, fleeing motion, like a jerk shad.
And since it was cold and the fish were more lethargic, I did a slow retrieve with a couple of pops and a long pause.
Conclusion
To find redfish in a new spot, you need to cover ground, look for activity, and match the hatch.
I used these tips in my latest trip to a new spot and, even though the weather was bad, I still managed a couple nice reds.
Have any questions about finding redfish in a new spot?
Let me know down in the comments.
And if you know someone who wants to get better at catching redfish, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Tony, Excellent assesment thank you. I returned to SS after starting on ALL new location struggle bus stype of stuff. I had questions to bait activity, I see tons of bait boiling at the last 2 hrs of fall tide in the creeks, sneeking a trout or two is not hard but I’m casting outside the bait and feel it’s a tough sell against the plentiful bait. I’m targeting the obvious predator fish and exploring new areas as I’m bored with the predictable places. Cold front just hit, shallows hold the warm and it’s as if I can’t get ahead of the bait. Would you start at the creek mouth and work IN or fall out of the creek with the bait and cast with the flow for natural presentation? My results are inconsistent and looking for your feedback. thank you.
Thanks Justin!
If you see bait boiling on the surface, be sure to keep your lure tight to the bottom because if it is a deeper creek, the predators will hold tight to the bottom, keeping the baitfish up top. I will work my way into the creek and fish starting at the entrance that way you don’t spook anything on the way in. Working the lure with the flow of the current is “textbook”, but not always necessary.
Excellent video and I just bought a kayak and I am trying to learn some of the tricks that you employ. Great way to fish. I notice that you have 2 rods ready to go and could you tell me please what rod/reel combo that you are fishing with? It seems to handle the redfish very well. I will be fishing for reds, flounder, & speckled trout.
Thanks DW
Thanks David!
I use a 7’6 Century Weapon Jr. that I had custom made from Black Pelican Custom Rods. The reel is a 3000 Stradic FL. I also use The Weapon from Century that is a bit heavier than the Jr. The Jr. is a great all around inshore rod.
Thanks Tony, I appreciate the advice
Also would you recommend living on the east coast of Florida west coast of Florida or coastal bend area (corpus, port a, and rockport)
Sounds like your conditions this vid are the norm for South Carolina! LOL.
All relative to where ya live! Those fish up north are more acclimated to colder temps compared to Florida fish. Its like when the air temp gets below 60 we break out the heavy jackets, while the guys up north laugh at us haha.
How do you work your rod like that I try and it looks nothing like that and it hurts my hand
Hey Caden!
It’s all in the wrist. It can be uncomfortable if you aren’t used to it. Thats why light rods and reels are a must when fishing artificial lures.
Thanks Tony I’ll keep at it!
Also do you reel at the same time or work then reel?
You only want to use the rod tip to work the lure, not the reel. When you start the retrieve, make sure you have all the slack out of your line with the rod tip straight out. Then pop the rod tip a few times and after the last pop, lower the rod tip back down and reel in the slack and repeat.
Thanx!
Thanks Tony!
My pleasure Larry!
Thanks for the video, Tony
My pleasure Jerry!
Tony
Thanks for another great video. I noticed on the rod that was sitting in the rod holder on your kayak that you had it rigged with an in line small blade. Was it the Owner Flashy Swimmer twist lock on a white paddle tail. Are you having any luck with it? I have tried it and have had some success with a jerk shad.
Tom Widman
Hey Tom! That was a slam shady 2.0 on a jig head on a gold spinner bait. I usually have good luck with it this time of year in dirty water. I didn’t use it much on this trip though as the jerk shad was getting the job done.
Good information Tony.
Thanks Mel!
Could you talk some more about condition details, about water depth and clarity, wind and temps in all of these videos please. Spill the beans.
Hey William,
That information is reserved for our Insiders (which I see you are). There is a full report on this trip here:
https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/locating-fish-in-a-new-area/