REDFISH
When fishing for tailing redfish, I use spinning gear and live bait on a short leader with a little bit of weight so the bait won’t move much. The fish have their heads down feeding on the bottom in the shallows, thus their tails often protrude above the surface. Once the reds start tailing, their field of vision narrows, and you must get the bait right in front of their faces and keep it there.

If you’re sight-fishing for reds on grassy flats in the morning, you want the tide to be moving. You’re likely to see a half dozen to a dozen reds in a tailing pod.

Whatever your offering is, you need to drop it within 18 inches of the fish’s nose. They aren’t easy to spook, which is kind of strange, but the cast has to be close. Before casting, watch to see which way the fish is moving, then anticipate where your cast needs to land in order to be seen.

Canoes and kayaks are ideal crafts for slipping up on tailing reds. Good areas for wearing out reds in this feeding mode are around the flats and islands at the eastern end of Choctawhatchee Bay. The incoming tide is best. Casting 1/8-ounce jigs dressed with plastic chartreuse-and-red trailers is deadly. I caught and released my largest redfish from about a foot of water in this area. That hefty red took the canoe for a spin about the bay before we netted it.

Retrieving a jig in shallow water requires that you begin cranking your reel before the bait even hits the surface. You also need to keep up a speedy pace. Topwater baits are effective in the very shallow areas and are actually easier to use in this skinny water, since they pretty much stay out of the subsurface grass.

When the reds aren’t tailing, you need to fish deeper around structure or dropoffs along the edges of the flats. Live bait, jigs and lures all work for this action.

There is a slot limit for keeping reds. Your one fish per day creel limit must be at least 18 inches, but no longer than 27 inches.

OTHER SPECIES
Opinions vary, but flounder are usually considered one of the best-tasting fish that swim. Their flaky white meat makes them a popular target for anglers on the bay.

On a hot day, it’s fun to get out of the canoe to wade and work the shallow waters around islands and the edges of flats for these flat fish.

Flounder remain in the bay and up rivers all during warm weather months.

Just looking at its flattened shape, with both eyes on one side of its body, tells you these fish live on the bottom. The common dogma about your presentation to flounder is that it should be slow -- and then slow it down by half.

But these fish will swim to take a lure. I’ve had them come at my jig like lightning. They ambush their meals, which calls for a sudden fast reaction when they attack.

Choctawhatchee Bay is diverse and wickedly splendid for catching sport fish. Take some time to learn a section during the summer season, and it will pay off for years to come.