Redfish

Redfish

redfish on a grassflat
  • Peak Season: May-October
  • Best Charter:Full Day Inshore Fishing
  • Best Technique: Sight Casting, Working Flats
  • Best Bait: Jigs
  • Table Fare: Good

Fishing Charters in Flamingo

Redfish are most commonly found inshore in Flamingo where they feed on anything they can catch. From the flats to the channels, mangroves to oyster bars, Redfish are at home in a variety of environments and can be caught on a multitude of offerings on light tackle. Redfish are somewhat bottom feeders (as indicated by their downward facing mouths) where they root for crabs and shrimp. They are extremely aggressive though, and are not shy about eating free swimming fish and even top waters when they are fired up. Redfish in Flamingo will strike jigs bounced along the bottom most often, but won't pass up most any other lure thrown their direction. Redfish range from 14" rats to 35" beasts and will eat the same lures used for snook. Just like any other fishing charter in Flamingo, Redfish are unlikely to be the only species to take your lures because there are trout, snook, black drum, sheepshead, sharks, rays, snapper, and more living in the same vicinity. Although the most consistent redfishing action occurs in Flamingo, there have been reports of redfish caught while fishing in Biscayne Bay. Unfortunately the sightings are still sparse, making redfish an inconsistent target while on a backcountry fishing charter in Miami. 

redfish on fly

How to Catch Redfish

Like seatrout, heavy leaders for redfish are unnecessary but are still advised because of the plethora of other game fish in the area. Not only that, but redfish have a bad habit of scraping your line against unforgiving oysters and mangroves, and are liable to cut you off during their fights for freedom. Redfish are hard fighters and an extremely fun target on light tackle in shallow water, making long runs across flats to get to the safety of deeper water. Sight casting for redfish is a blast as well and they don't always spook when you hit them on the heads with your lure. Redfish are a delicious adage to any Cajun style dinner, and the fillets are best served blacked with a bit of spice thrown in. Redfish's golden colors and hard fighting attributes make them an enjoyable game fish to pursue in all of the different biomes they inhabit.

Redfishing Miami