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| Last Updated: Friday, Dec. 23, 2011 |
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Spinnerbaits entice big fall redfish
all along the Alabama coastline
all along the Alabama coastline
TOP: Lisa
Snuggs examines
a redfish she
caught on a
spinnerbait.
SIDE:
Spinnerbaits
come in a variety
of sizes and
shapes. Most
bass anglers use
"safety pin"
spinnerbaits like
this one, which
also work for
redfish. Redfish
anglers can also
use jighead
spinners and
in-line spinners.
Snuggs examines
a redfish she
caught on a
spinnerbait.
SIDE:
Spinnerbaits
come in a variety
of sizes and
shapes. Most
bass anglers use
"safety pin"
spinnerbaits like
this one, which
also work for
redfish. Redfish
anglers can also
use jighead
spinners and
in-line spinners.
Sunlight glinting off the wobbling gold spinnerbait blade flashed in the
dingy water, attracting the attention of a spot-tailed marsh marauder, better
known as a redfish.
The enraged fish broke from its weedy shoreline lair and bolted toward
the vibrating bait, creating a discernible vee-shaped wake. With a quick
lunge, the beast smashed into the lure, mangling the dangling wires and
stripping line from the reel.
As temperatures cool in the fall, redfish along the Gulf Coast turn more
aggressive when hunting along weedy shorelines of the rich delta
estuaries. Prowling shorelines looking to inhale whatever morsels they can
find, redfish prey heavily upon shrimp, small fish and anything else they can
catch. Above all, they love to crush crabs.
“Redfish eat anything, but they love crabs,” said Bobby Abruscato, a
professional redfish angler and guide with A-Team Fishing Adventures in
Mobile, Ala. “I’ve probably caught more redfish on spinnerbaits than any
other bait. With the blades spinning, I believe redfish think a spinnerbait is a
crab. The flash from the blades might also produce some reaction bites.”
Anglers may use a variety of spinnerbaits to tempt redfish. Safety-pin
spinners, the kind most commonly used by bass anglers, employ bent
“arms” that suspend one or more blades over a usually skirt-tipped head.
An in-line spinner consists of a straight wire extending from the head with a
blade rotating around the wire.
Many saltwater anglers throw beetle or harness spinners, also called
jighead spinnerbaits. A jighead spinnerbait resembles a safety-pin
spinnerbait, but the wire harness temporarily attaches to a lead jighead.
Often, anglers tip jigheads with soft plastic minnows or shrimp trailers. Since
the components separate, a harness spinner gives anglers considerable
flexibility. They can switch blades, jigheads or trailers easily to adjust to
changing conditions.
Among the most versatile lures on the market, spinnerbaits work well
around thick cover. In dense grass, buzz spinnerbaits along the surface or
“wake” them just below the surface. In areas with submerged grass, run
baits just over the tops of grass tips, barely touching them. Pause
occasionally to let the bait helicopter down into the cover with the blades
whirling. Redfish often strike falling baits.
Although usually used in shallow water or around thick cover,
spinnerbaits also work in deeper water. In deeper water, “slow-roll” spinners
just off the bottom, barely turning the blades. Let the blades plink against
oyster shells. Occasionally hit the bottom to make a mud trail. Anglers can
also “yo-yo” baits up and down in deeper water.
As temperatures cool, redfish often head into deeper water. The fourth
largest estuary in the United States, Mobile Bay in southern Alabama
covers 413 square miles and measures about 31 miles long by 24 miles at
its maximum width. It averages about 10 feet deep, but several deep rivers
feed into the 250,000-acre Mobile-Tensas Delta system.
“Late November and December is a great time to catch redfish on
spinnerbaits in the Mobile delta,” Abruscato advised. “After the first freeze,
fish go to the river deltas to seek out the deepest water they can find. The
delta has some 20 to 30 foot depths. The Fowl River is the shallowest of
the rivers. It runs about 12 feet deep. The Grand Bay area is another good
area for redfish in the fall.”
The Alabama and the Tombigbee rivers merge into the Mobile River
north of the city that bears its name. The Tensaw River branches off the
Mobile River. Together, these and several smaller streams create one of
the richest and most diverse delta ecosystems in the nation. The Dog, Deer
and Fowl rivers enter the western side of the bay. The Fish and Bon
Secour rivers flow into the eastern side of Mobile Bay. The Spanish,
Appalachee and Blakely rivers also flow into the system. The line of
demarcation between fresh and salt water blurs daily so anglers frequently
catch redfish and freshwater species in the same areas at the same time.
“The Mobile Bay area offers a variety of fishing opportunities,” said
Capt. Lynn Pridgen of Captain Lynn’s Inshore Adventures. “Even on a bad
day, there are unlimited places where we can fish. Fowl River is a hot spot
during the winter. The Dog River can produce some decent fish. Redfish
move along the banks of those rivers chasing bait.”
With so much water available, anglers should find many places to toss
spinnerbaits at redfish. For booking trips, contact Abruscato through www.
ateamfishing.com or call 251-661-7696. For Pridgen, call 251-214-5196 or
see Captlynnsinshoreadventures.com.
dingy water, attracting the attention of a spot-tailed marsh marauder, better
known as a redfish.
The enraged fish broke from its weedy shoreline lair and bolted toward
the vibrating bait, creating a discernible vee-shaped wake. With a quick
lunge, the beast smashed into the lure, mangling the dangling wires and
stripping line from the reel.
As temperatures cool in the fall, redfish along the Gulf Coast turn more
aggressive when hunting along weedy shorelines of the rich delta
estuaries. Prowling shorelines looking to inhale whatever morsels they can
find, redfish prey heavily upon shrimp, small fish and anything else they can
catch. Above all, they love to crush crabs.
“Redfish eat anything, but they love crabs,” said Bobby Abruscato, a
professional redfish angler and guide with A-Team Fishing Adventures in
Mobile, Ala. “I’ve probably caught more redfish on spinnerbaits than any
other bait. With the blades spinning, I believe redfish think a spinnerbait is a
crab. The flash from the blades might also produce some reaction bites.”
Anglers may use a variety of spinnerbaits to tempt redfish. Safety-pin
spinners, the kind most commonly used by bass anglers, employ bent
“arms” that suspend one or more blades over a usually skirt-tipped head.
An in-line spinner consists of a straight wire extending from the head with a
blade rotating around the wire.
Many saltwater anglers throw beetle or harness spinners, also called
jighead spinnerbaits. A jighead spinnerbait resembles a safety-pin
spinnerbait, but the wire harness temporarily attaches to a lead jighead.
Often, anglers tip jigheads with soft plastic minnows or shrimp trailers. Since
the components separate, a harness spinner gives anglers considerable
flexibility. They can switch blades, jigheads or trailers easily to adjust to
changing conditions.
Among the most versatile lures on the market, spinnerbaits work well
around thick cover. In dense grass, buzz spinnerbaits along the surface or
“wake” them just below the surface. In areas with submerged grass, run
baits just over the tops of grass tips, barely touching them. Pause
occasionally to let the bait helicopter down into the cover with the blades
whirling. Redfish often strike falling baits.
Although usually used in shallow water or around thick cover,
spinnerbaits also work in deeper water. In deeper water, “slow-roll” spinners
just off the bottom, barely turning the blades. Let the blades plink against
oyster shells. Occasionally hit the bottom to make a mud trail. Anglers can
also “yo-yo” baits up and down in deeper water.
As temperatures cool, redfish often head into deeper water. The fourth
largest estuary in the United States, Mobile Bay in southern Alabama
covers 413 square miles and measures about 31 miles long by 24 miles at
its maximum width. It averages about 10 feet deep, but several deep rivers
feed into the 250,000-acre Mobile-Tensas Delta system.
“Late November and December is a great time to catch redfish on
spinnerbaits in the Mobile delta,” Abruscato advised. “After the first freeze,
fish go to the river deltas to seek out the deepest water they can find. The
delta has some 20 to 30 foot depths. The Fowl River is the shallowest of
the rivers. It runs about 12 feet deep. The Grand Bay area is another good
area for redfish in the fall.”
The Alabama and the Tombigbee rivers merge into the Mobile River
north of the city that bears its name. The Tensaw River branches off the
Mobile River. Together, these and several smaller streams create one of
the richest and most diverse delta ecosystems in the nation. The Dog, Deer
and Fowl rivers enter the western side of the bay. The Fish and Bon
Secour rivers flow into the eastern side of Mobile Bay. The Spanish,
Appalachee and Blakely rivers also flow into the system. The line of
demarcation between fresh and salt water blurs daily so anglers frequently
catch redfish and freshwater species in the same areas at the same time.
“The Mobile Bay area offers a variety of fishing opportunities,” said
Capt. Lynn Pridgen of Captain Lynn’s Inshore Adventures. “Even on a bad
day, there are unlimited places where we can fish. Fowl River is a hot spot
during the winter. The Dog River can produce some decent fish. Redfish
move along the banks of those rivers chasing bait.”
With so much water available, anglers should find many places to toss
spinnerbaits at redfish. For booking trips, contact Abruscato through www.
ateamfishing.com or call 251-661-7696. For Pridgen, call 251-214-5196 or
see Captlynnsinshoreadventures.com.
