How I Catch Redfish in Thick Grass (Even When It Feels Impossible)
- By: Pat Ogletree
- on
We have seen it before, a shallow flat that has redfish cruising around but it’s choked with grass, how do you go about fishing it when everything you throw just comes back as a giant clump of weeds?
Grass is a great thing for the entire ecosystem, but too much of it can make it difficult to fish. In this video I’m going to show you how I approach that situation, and you can use these tips to turn that frustration into success!
👉Grab The Hoss Helix Weightless Hooks Here
Recommended Gear
- Rod: Slam Stick Spinning Rod
- Reel: Otis 2500 Spinning Reel
- Lure: Polk County Tweaker
- Hooks/Jigheads: Hoss Helix Weightless
- Mainline: 10 Pound Daiwa J Braid
- Leader: Ande Monofilament
So next time you see fish crawling through that thick summer grass, don’t turn away—grab your rod, use these tips, and go catch ’em with confidence.
Want To Save Big On Your Tackle?
Salt Strong Insiders get up to 20% off our gear—order at FishStrong.com!
That means our rods, reels, rigs, lures, and more… plus free shipping on orders over $50, early access to new gear, and tackle tester perks.
👉 Click here to unlock your Insider 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).




What other Lures are good for catching red fish?
Great question Burnett. With all the choices out there it’s hard to know what will work on redfish. The good news is that’s what we specialize in, redfish, snook, trout and flounder. Any of the lures that you see at Fishstrong, our tackle store, will work on redfish. Each has it’s time and place but all will work.
Here’s a video on where to get started if you’re new to lures:
https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/best-fishing-baits-for-beginners/
What is the hook holder device on your rod?
It’s called a Finman. Something I have been trying out. It has it’s pros and cons but overall it works well.
Very educational for conventional bait casting and spinning but what about the fly fisherman? What is the best way to deal with these heavy grass situations for them?
Honestly, I’ve never used a fly rod, I couldn’t help you with that. However, there are a bunch in the Community that do, try and post the question there and I’m sure you’ll get some good responses.
That’s a lot of cool catches of thick reds. Thanks for the video and intel Pat!
You are welcome! Thanks for watching!
thanks
Thanks for watching!
how are you attaching lure to rod? it looks like your just sticking it on.
Use a line to leader knot (Double Uni or FG) then tie a loop knot to tie your lure on. Unless you’re asking how he’s storing it on the rod
Are you asking about when not in use?
Good advice. I need to give those weightless/weedless hooks a try. Thanks.
They work in the right situation!
Excellent video and information. Do you think the jerk bait would be just as good as the tweaker with the hoss hook in grassy areas?
Jerk baits work well in that situation, the Tweaker will cast farther though
I bet top water frogs would be good
When they’re feeding aggressively they do but if they’re just cruising around you’ll get a lot of follows but few commitments.
Well pat here in northeast fl thick seagrass is not a big problem unless your fishing tailing redfish in the shallows but this is not usually done until fall and very early spring usually if grass is present its shoreline grass but not seagrass probably because seagrass usually doesn’t grow in murky water with a mud bottom here in northeast fl sandy bottoms are not common I have seen some thick shoreline grass close to points and points but its not seagrass if you ever fished here in northeast fl you would know what I mean in fact the whole eastern Atlantic seaboard from northeast fl to Virginia is like it is here thanks for the info and all you do😉👍
This is definitely a niche thing for sure. Learned it from years of bass fishing and it translates over.