Dave Derecola and Kevin McMurty caught these fish by spotting and stalking them on the shallow flats.

In January, the weather (and the fishing) can be hit or miss. This weekend was definitely a hit. Calm winds and warm temperatures made fishing both comfortable and productive.

On a trip with Dave Derecola, we set out to determine if live bait (mud minnows) would catch more fish than soft plastic lures (Z-Man 4" PaddlerZ and StreakZ curly tails). Dave was casting quarter ounce jigs tipped with mud minnows and I was using a 4" PaddlerZ (Redbone) on a 3/0 eighth ounce flutter hook. We were targeting redfish in shallow water. The first flat we checked a devoid of redfish. We did see two schools of big trout but were unable to get them interested in our offerings. As we pulled up to the second flat, a large school of redfish was there to greet us. Dave made an expert presentation (just the right distance ahead of the school) and was soon attached to an over-slot redfish. After releasing the fish, we slowly moved down the flat and reacquired the school. We were very careful to be quiet and keep a good distance from the fish. A stealthy approach, long casts and a slow retrieve were the keys to catching fish. Live bait and soft plastics produced fish equally well.

The next day, I fished with Kevin McMurtry. Given the near perfect conditions, we immediately headed to a shallow flat looking for redfish. Once on station, it was easy to spot patrolling schools of fish in the calm and clear water. Kevin was using mud minnows and I was casting a PaddlerZ. Initially, the fish had a definite preference for live bait and Kevin was catching most of the fish. After experiencing a couple of refusals on the PaddlerZ, I switched to a black and gold flake StreakZ curly tail on a quarter ounce jig (with a drop of Pro-Cure mullet scent). This proved to be a good choice as I began keeping pace with Kevin. I don’t remember how many fish we released but it was a lot (and most of them were big). Once again, the key to catching fish was a stealthy approach, long casts and a slow retrieve.

Spot and stalk sight fishing for redfish is a very exciting game. In fact, I think it is addictive (just ask Dave and Kevin). So the next time a good spell of January weather hits, don’t miss it!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at captaingreg@shallowwatercharters.com or (843) 224-0099.