A LAST SHOT AT BULL REDS
by Chester Moore for Texas Fish & Game
By November, the official "bull redfish" run is pretty much over. For those unfamiliar with the term, the "bull redfish run" is when large, sexually mature redfish (called "bulls" whether male or female) enter the surf and points of structure in the near-shore Gulf of Mexico to spawn. This period lasts from late August well into October.
Anglers interested in tangling with these massive fish still have hop in November. There are still plenty of big reds hanging around.
"You would be surprised how many redfish you can find still hanging around the jetty systems out there in Novermber," said diehard bull redfish angler Bill Killian.
Killian said he starts his fishing around the boat cuts in the jetty systems to take advantage of reds foragin on baitfishes dispersed from the bays after big cold fronts: "The boat cuts are a good place to start, because during tidal movements, you have a lot of baitfish moving through, especially after a big norther hits. The boat cuts in a jetty system are the point with the most intense tidal flow, because they are a small opening. You will get lots of shrimp, shad, and crabs pushing through, and the reds will move then lie in wait."
Killian recommended that anglers set up about 50 yards downcurrent of the boat cuts and fish with a big chunk of mullet: "Mullet is my favorite bait this time of year because it is pretty easy to get, and when you cut it, there is a lot of scent in the water. I like to use the cut from the head down to the pectoral fins."
Killian uses a 36-inch steel leader with a circle hook with the barb filed down: "The steel leader is in case the red runs toward the rocks; they can't cut the leader, and the circle hook increases the chance of setting the hook and releasing the fish. I file the barb down because you really do not need a barb to catch these fish, and it causes less stress on the fish when you let it go."
Other great spots to find bull reds at the jetties any time are the deep holes usually found around the southern tip of the rocks and back about 50 yards. These spots are where the current wraps around the rocks and carves out large holes. Fish these spots with a fish-finder (Carolina) rig on the bottom with a steel leader and circle hook. Your best approach to catching bull reds in these spots is to fish right along the drop-off from shallow to deep on the deep side. All predatory fish use drop-offs to feed, and bull reds are no different.
