# Best red fish baits?



## chimneymasterbassmaster (Aug 12, 2011)

What are the best red fish baits for surf fishing? Is it different in the bays or jetties? I'd like to target descent size fish. Galveston area.

Thanks


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

I like to use live bait, and cut bait. In the winter crabs work also, I usually cut them in half. and you will catch some black drums too.


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## rockport_reds (Oct 8, 2011)

I like to throw soft plastics at first day light in the first gut and have had pretty good success here lately, I fish at Port A. When i set surf rods out i like cut skipjack or whole mullett. At the jetties i use a lemon rig with live finger mullet or piggy perch. We were catching over size reds and ling at the Port A jetties with live bait. I have had the most success with soft plastics at daylight, all slot reds with mixed trout, good luck


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## AC123 (Feb 23, 2009)

mullet (cut, whole or live)


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## jagarcia10 (Mar 10, 2011)

Live mullet, cut mullet, cut whiting, cut/live croaker, cut skipjack, whole/cut shad, shrimp and crab(winter works best).


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

i have seen fights over the mullet heads at the old flagship pier this time of year ,oh the memories.


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

Hey Rock Port Reds- What's the best color in the plastic's. My go too plastic is BA's Red Shad and it has produced some nice Trout and Reds, up here on the upper coast.


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## rayfish (Apr 5, 2006)

Whole 8 to 9 in. mullet, cut whiting, cut croaker in that order, take a bait rod and castnet and catch whats in the area . Fresh is always the best.


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## tank8677 (Apr 20, 2010)

^^yeap fresh bait is the key..cut mullet, whiting, shad, crab, shrimp, even live mullet 5-8 inches works too.


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

Mullet hands down in the size rayfish said.


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## rockport_reds (Oct 8, 2011)

Troutless, I was using the DOA's until the skipjacks ate all the ones I had, switched to the Berkley Powerbait Power Mullet and have had really good success with reds, trout, and flounder. In the surf I have been doing really well with slot reds. I don't know where the trout are in the surf but the red fishing has been really good. I rig it up with a 1/4 jig head and work the guts and the shoreline until i find them.


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## chimneymasterbassmaster (Aug 12, 2011)

rockport_reds said:


> I like to throw soft plastics at first day light in the first gut and have had pretty good success here lately, I fish at Port A. When i set surf rods out i like cut skipjack or whole mullett. At the jetties i use a lemon rig with live finger mullet or piggy perch. We were catching over size reds and ling at the Port A jetties with live bait. I have had the most success with soft plastics at daylight, all slot reds with mixed trout, good luck


Thanks for the tips! Most is probably the same in the Galveston area. I would guess. I know a little about Port A- it's nice. I've got most of the bait you mentioned but was wondering what the best hook was for good-size reds and flounder. Trebles, circle hooks? Seems like the flounder like the mullet but are hard to hook- what's up with that? And apparently not shrimp? I'll mostly fish the surf or jetties if it's calm for reds, I think, and maybe the Sea Wolf Park or Ferry Landing for flounder.I'm new to this and still learning every time I go. Seems like there are a lot of tricks. Appreciate you sharing! Oh yeah, does the way you hook the bait matter? Thru the lips, above the anal fin, quartered cut bait or heads are better? What's your opinion?


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## rockport_reds (Oct 8, 2011)

I like to hook all my live bait in the back. Mullet like to swim near the surface. If i want them to swim down, I hook them below the lateral line, If i want them to swim up i hook them above the lateral line. Live croker and piggies I hook above the lateral line. As far as hooks go, fish with what you feel comfortable. I learned to fish for freshwater bass, so i have a tendency to set the hook hard so i use a J hook. Circles don't work for me since I do like to set the hook. When using surf rods that are set and in rod holders i use a circle hook so they hook themselves since I have a tendency to drink beer and bs while waiting. good luck


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## weimtrainer (May 17, 2007)

We have had great success wading in the surf on the falling tide throwing 3/4 oz. Gold Spoons with red bucktails for many years, from PINS to Bolivar. "Old School" I guess, but keeps the tackle box simple. Also pick up a few trout on the same spoons in either silver or gold, the larger trout on gold primarily. Easy to throw into the wind too. When I put out the surf rods, we will use live mullet hooked either thru the eyes or in the middle of the back, also with good success.


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

whatever happen to fresh cut shad? ive killed the bullreds with cut shad.


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## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

iridered2003 said:


> whatever happen to fresh cut shad? ive killed the bullreds with cut shad.


I believe they're like brown eel, it's hard to find fresh.
Like Tank said, fresh mullet that you just caught in a castnet is hard to beat. Live for daylight and cut for night, they can smell it up better.


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

johnmyjohn said:


> I believe they're like brown eel, it's hard to find fresh.
> Like Tank said, fresh mullet that you just caught in a castnet is hard to beat. Live for daylight and cut for night, they can smell it up better.


ive used mullet many times, but shad has been killer at and around the south and north jetties. ive done good on the slot reds this summer with cut piggy and live finger mullet. cut piggy has been good for me this year. most of the time im throwing spoons, but the wife got me hooked on cut piggy as shes killed the redfish this summer.


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## Mustad7731 (May 23, 2004)

*Bait for Bull Reds -- Long Rods*

I personally have had best luck with Fresh Mullet Heads, followed closely
by Fresh Whiting Heads...Both 4 to 6 oz worth...fished in the 2nd and 3rd guts.
I use the rest of the fish too, but You asked for "the best"...

I read a study by TP&W made during the late 60's that said a Bull Red's
diet was 40% shrimp, 40% crabs and 20% mullet and small fish...I've never
caught a Bull Red on either of the 80%...and I've tried both...I guess I 
wasn't holding my mouth right....LOL....
Mustad7731
Jackie


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

I agree a 100% with you Jackie on the best. The heads are way better, but like you, I use the whole fish. Most of my Bull Red fishing is out of a yak. But out in 10 15' or so of water there's no telling what you will catch, mostly BR's and Sharks.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Day in and day out give me a whiting head with about 3" of meat. Seems to keep the bait robbers away and you can let it sit out there and wait for for a run without reeling in often to check bait. Mullet head being the next best.
I ain't as tough as I used to be and all of that reeling in, wading out, and casting to check baits wears me down.


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## Jean Scurtu (Dec 6, 2011)

*Best red fish baits*

I was catching a lot of red fish fishing on the bank at ROLLOVER PASS with jig and GULP MINNOW GRUB 3 INCH or GULP SWIMMING MULLET 3-4INCH, PEARL ,CHARTREUSE .


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## setxdargel (Jun 8, 2011)

Biggest live Croaker I can get!


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Brown eel hands down for me! I used to use it a lot in the 80's when I fished Galveston. They used to carry it in the bait camps there, but you had to ask for it. It will be frozen, but that's ok. It is tough and will stay on your hook for a long time. I once caught 4 sharpnose sharks on the same piece of eel. One night on the flagship, I was using a piece of brown eel and kept getting runs on it, but the hook wouldn't set. I got mad and took it off my hook and threw it down on the deck. Someone later picked it up and put it on their hook and caught a bullred....If I had all baits mentioned in front of me, I would choose the brown eel for a bullred. The only set back with it is that you will catch a lot of gafftops.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Try filleting big mullet with skin on. Hook thru skin twice and theyll tear it up. Learned that trick from this old salt i know


-mac-


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## BlueHeron (Dec 20, 2011)

Past few months i've been fishing nearly everyday in port o'connor starting the
end of october. I started at the jetty fishing opposite the intercoastal using http://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/soft-bait/gulp/ripple-mullet-gulp - glow chartruese outcatching those using bait. The area has a little grass before the sand flats begin. They also work great on flounder. Now the tails will disappear eventually but that did not stop the reds from keeping at them. Past 2 nights ive hooked into the reds and flounder on them in this cool weather over shell in the intercoastal side of the poc jetty.

Further away on sand flats in the shallows I use the Gulp glow shrimp- and sugar and spice glow shrimp. http://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/soft-bait/gulp/shrimp-gulp. I have had amazing results with those 2. Limits no problem if I was keeping. Day time and night time does not matter these 2 work amazingly well. If the water is a bit chocolate milk but still see the bottom I use the sugar and spice or if im spooking the reds with the all glow I switch to the sugar and spice. Sight casting everytime on the flats is just a blast. I mainly go for reds and these 3 gulps focus on them and flounder. In my opinion if the flounder are there so are the reds. When the trout come in the reds usually disappear. When they leave the reds come back. Just a interesting observation ive noticed the past couple of months. I use the 4" shrimp. If you have other gulp jars with the brown sauce... You can drop a glow shrimp in over night and stain it to make it a brown shrimp. Looks great. Tonight caught a nice slot red just after sundown in brown water working the ripple mullet at a pace of 4secs a turn on the reel. Verrrry slow. few super light jerks. Let it sit for 6 secs or so at times you might be suprised. Just think fish like you're going for flounder. I mainly use 1/4 hoagie jig heads. Love the coil for gulps as it keeps them on. Rat reds will thrash your gulp shrimps but the larger slot reds somehow are gentle on them. New penny seems to work well on trout. I mainly fish at night but i have used the same 3 gulps day and night and they have produced limit after limit,, that would be if I kept them more often which if there are fillets in the freezer I don't bring them home. I read someone having problems with flounder. Easy. Drag your jig on the bottom tug it lightly every once in a while. If you get the bumps. Let it sit. Let it sit. When your line moves off reel it tight and set the hook. They have large enough mouths but they have to mash it in there first. Hope this helps. Hate to sound like a fanboy but they really do work amazingly well. They just have to be in the area your working.


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Also for bullreds, if you can part wtih it, would be a jumbo fresh dead shrimp. Especially good this time of year.


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## That Robbie Guy (Aug 11, 2009)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Try filleting big mullet with skin on. Hook thru skin twice and theyll tear it up. Learned that trick from this old salt i know
> 
> -mac-


x 2, but I always scale them first.


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