Without a doubt, redfish are one of the most popular saltwater species in the South. That's especially so in Florida's Panhandle. And the stretch of the Gulf of Mexico shore from Ft. Walton Beach to Apalachicola Bay is one of the most productive places to target these fish year 'round.

There are dozens -- maybe even hundreds -- of spots where anglers consistently catch redfish at various times of the year. No doubt some areas are better than others, but the bottom line is, if you want redfish, the Panhandle is the place to be.

Many people believe that redfish action shuts off during the colder winter months, but that's not true. It just gets a little harder to find them. In the winter, the fish move (sometimes in a matter of days) from inshore flats to river and creek mouths, then on up the rivers. At times, they may go miles up those waterways seeking the right temperatures.

That's what happened this past winter, while I was fishing with Dwayne and Candi Allen on Apalachicola Bay. Dwayne is a fishing guide and, with his wife Candi, operates the "Book Me A Charter" guide service out of Apalachicola

When I said I wanted to target redfish, Candi immediately started fretting. "It's the middle of winter," she pleaded. "The redfish could be anywhere. We can't guarantee redfish when it's like this." But she agreed to talk to Dwayne and see what he thought.

Like any good guide, he offered to give it his best try. And did he ever find redfish!

When we left the dock that morning, it was cold -- and very, very foggy. Candi was with us, along with my son Joe. She pointed out that Dwayne was always fishing with paying clients, so she never gets to go along. When this chance came along to actually fish, she jumped at it.

As we motored slowly through the pea soup fog, Candi gave us a running commentary on the Apalachicola Bay area, covering both the ecology and the politics of the region. She and Dwayne both grew up right there and have seen a lot of changes.

Apalachicola Bay is at the heart of Florida's west coast fishing, and the nursery ground for most of the northern Gulf Coast. Kill this bay and you destroy a multimillion-dollar recreational and commercial industry. Unfortunately, its beauty is probably going to be its demise. Major developers have already targeted the area for condos, upscale private homes, and water-oriented enterprises.

After a bit, we pulled up to a huge oyster bar.

"This is Dry Bar. It's the biggest oyster bar on Apalachicola Bay," Dwayne explained. "You really need a shallow-draft boat to fish it properly, and high tide is the best time to fish it."

Unfortunately, we were on a falling tide. Adding to our dilemma was the fact the hurricanes of 2005 had changed the sea and landscapes.

"Some of our landmarks are gone, washed away by the storms," Candi noted.

Sand bars have moved, oyster bars covered over, and sunken wrecks were moved or broken apart. But on the plus side, new areas have been created. Like the rest of the anglers in the area, the Allens have been working hard to locate them. For example, new cuts through bars have provided ambush points for schools of redfish and trout. But Dry Bar, where we were, sustained little damage.