Catching Redfish with Live Bait

The most popular live baits along the Texas Coastal Bend for catching redfish are shrimp, croaker, piggy perch, small crabs, mud minnows or finger mullet.

The key to catching redfish with live bait is to rig them to allow them to maintain the most natural action possible.  Live bait is often free lined, rigged with nothing more than a hook and possibly a small split shot added to aid in casting.  They are also rigged under a small popping cork, egg shaped cork or torpedo cork.  The most popular colors would be pink or chartreuse.

Combined with a 20# fluorocarbon leader and a 3/0 to 6/0 Kahle hook depending on bait size, live bait should be cast to pot holes and drop offs and allowed to swim to the bottom.  Every 15 to 20 seconds, give a short twitch of the rod tip to add a little action, careful not to move the rod too much causing him to drag through the grass.