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Catching Bull Redfish
Catching large bull redfish has always been a passion of mine. There is something special about catching a twenty plus year old fish. The coast of North Carolina is home to the largest redfish in the world. The world record Redfish was 94 pounds and was caught from the surf on Hatteras island(SportFishing Magazine). These fish typically spend the majority of their time in the ocean off the coast and move inshore during the spring. I have seen these fish move in large masses from offshore waters to find shallow warm water and bait in the spring. This is an excellent time to target these fish in shallow waters. Bull reds can be found on nearshore wrecks and cruising the open ocean near the coast through the duration of the summer months. The Chesapeake Bay has become an outstanding place to target these fish during the middle of the summer. Along the beaches of Oak island, Bald Head, Wrightsville beach, and Topsail, there are great opportunities to chase these fish in both the spring and fall.
My favorite way to target these fish is when they are up on the surface cruising looking for food. Any lure will be absolutely annihilated by a big redfish when in large schools on the surface. They are competitive for food and will try to eat your lure out of anothers mouth during a fight. A large paddle tail with a ½ to ¾ ounce jig head or a large popper is a go to lure for these fish when up on the surface.
Another way to target these fish is when they move inshore to spawn. This is a time when it is extremely important to handle these fish carefully to promote a healthy future population. Fighting these fish as quickly as possible and removing them from the water as little as possible is important. During this time of year, the large redfish will break out of their larger schools and become more spread out. An excellent way to target them is with popping corks and finding bait balls of menhaden to cast at.
On days when the fish are hard to find, baitfishing is sometimes the best way to catch them. Lupton rigs are the best way to baitfish for bull redfish. These rigs are specifically designed to help prevent gut hooks. Menhaden, mullet, and crab are among some of the best bait for big redfish.
Whether it is spring, summer, or fall, reach out to Wilmington Fishing Expeditions for your next trip to chase bull redfish.
