Best Redfish Lures & Seasonal Strategies: Where to Catch Red Drum All Year

If you’re targeting Red Drum—also called Redfish or Spot Tail—knowing the Best Redfish Lures, seasonal strategies and where to catch them, gives you a serious edge. Success comes from understanding all these factors. Seasonal redfish behavior, lure selection, where and how to position your boat or kayak to intercept them is key.

Whether you’re stalking tailing reds on the flats or using live baits near the jetties and channel edges by boat, mastering when, where, and how to target these bronze-backed bruisers is key to year-round success.

Why Redfish Behavior Changes by Season

Redfish adapt to water temperature, light levels, and bait migration. Spring and fall trigger aggressive feeding. In contrast, extreme heat or cold pushes them into deeper, more stable environments.

Key environmental factors:

• Water Temp: Influences energy levels and depth preference.
• Tide Cycles: Trigger feeding windows during water movement.
• Bait Movement: Determines lure match and where redfish stage.

Matching the Hatch: Seasonal Baits And Profiles

Use baits and lures that mirror natural forage:

• Spring: Fiddler crabs, glass minnows, small shrimp
• Summer: Mullet, menhaden, larger shrimp
• Fall: Finger mullet, peanut bunker, blue crabs
• Winter: Slow-moving shrimp, crabs, and cut bait

Pair your presentations with seasonal behaviors for best results.

Read: “Catch More Red Drum: With Their Favorite Prey“

What Are the Best Redfish Lures by Season?

Spring

• Z-Man EZ ShrimpZ under popping cork – Mimics lively shrimp.
• Gulp! Shrimp (natural) – Scented and highly visible.
• Gold Spoon (1/4 oz) – Reliable flash in stained spring waters.

Summer

• Topwater lures (Spook Jr., Skitter Walk) – Target early and late when fish are shallow.
• Paddle tails in mullet colors – Match active summer baitfish.
• Soft plastic jerkbaits (weedless) – Use over grass flats.

Fall

• Spinnerbaits with paddle tail trailers – Cover water fast.
• Crab imitation soft plastics – Ideal around oyster beds.
• MirrOlure MirrOdine – Lifelike twitchbait for structure.

Winter

• Gulp! Swimming Mullet – Slow retrieve along bottom.
• Scented plastics on jighead – Subtle movement matters.
• Cut mullet/crab chunks on circle hook – Use on stationary rigs.

Current Red Drum State Regulations

What Are The Best States To Target And Catch Redfish?

Best Redfish Locations in North Carolina

• Spring/Summer: Flood tides near Savannah and Charleston
• Fall: Cape Lookout and Pamlico Sound marsh creeks

1. Pamlico Sound & Neuse River

• Launch: Oriental or Goose Creek State Park
• Hotspots: Creek mouths, potholes, grass beds
• Tactic: Soft plastics + scented baits in late summer/fall

2. Cape Lookout & Core Sound

• Launch: Harkers Island or Beaufort
• Hotspots: Tailing flats behind Cape Lookout
• Tactic: Push pole + long casts to tailing fish

3. Wrightsville Beach & Masonboro Sound

• Launch: Trails End or Wrightsville Beach ramp
• Hotspots: ICW marsh drains, Whiskey Creek
• Tactic: Walk-the-dog plugs at dawn

4. Cape Fear River & Bald Head Island

• Launch: Snows Cut or Southport Marina
• Hotspots: Rock walls, deep current seams
• Tactic: Scented soft plastics and live bait on jigheads

Best Redfish Locations in South Carolina

• Spring/Summer: Flood tides near Savannah and Charleston
• Fall: Cape Lookout and Pamlico Sound marsh creeks

1. Winyah Bay & Georgetown Jetty

• Launch: East Bay Landing, South Island Ferry
• Hotspots: Jetty, Parsonage Creek
• Tactic: Crab or mullet on the drop tide

2. Charleston Harbor & Rivers

• Launch: Remley’s Point, Charleston City Marina
• Hotspots: Ravenel Bridge, James & Daniel Island flats
• Tactic: Flood tide sight casting + bridge bulls

3. Port Royal Sound & Beaufort

• Launch: The Sands (Port Royal), Station Creek (Fripp)
• Hotspots: Coosaw River bends, oyster points
• Tactic: Soft crab, stealth kayak poling

4. ACE Basin & Edisto Island

• Launch: Live Oak Landing, Dawhoo ramp
• Hotspots: Penny Creek, Mosquito Creek
• Tactic: Kayak/paddle-in spinnerbait fishing in fall

Best Redfish Locations in Georgia

• Spring/Summer: Flood tides near Savannah
• Fall: Cape Lookout and Pamlico Sound marsh creeks

1. Savannah & Wassaw Sound

• Launch: Thunderbolt or Hogan’s Marina
• Hotspots: Bull River, Little Tybee shell bars
• Tactic: Cork rig with shrimp near convergence tides

2. Sapelo Island & Doboy Sound

• Launch: Shellman Bluff, Belleville ramps
• Hotspots: Blackbeard Island, oyster drains
• Tactic: Weedless spoons + drifted jerkbaits

3. Brunswick & St. Simons

• Launch: Blythe Island Regional Park
• Hotspots: Mackay River, Torras Causeway
• Tactic: Cut crab on ledges, flood tide grass fish

Best Redfish Locations in Florida

• Summer: Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River flats
• Fall: St. Augustine through Jacksonville, oyster bars

1. St. Augustine / Matanzas Inlet

• Launch: Devil’s Elbow, Butler Park East
• Hotspots: Low tide pools behind dunes
• Tactic: Push pole into backwaters, shrimp under cork

2. Mosquito Lagoon & Indian River

• Launch: Haulover Canal, Oak Hill
• Hotspots: Potholes, mangrove edges
• Tactic: Weedless plastics + visual stalking

3. Tampa Bay / Fort De Soto

• Launch: Fort De Soto Park, O’Neill’s Marina
• Hotspots: Shell Key, grass bar edges
• Tactic: Crab baits + cork rigs near tide seams

4. Pensacola Bay & Santa Rosa Sound

• Launch: Shoreline Park, Big Lagoon
• Hotspots: Bayou mouths, grass lines
• Tactic: Jerk shads, shrimp, early topwater

5. Florida Keys (Islamorada / Marathon)

• Launch: Whale Harbor, Duck Key
• Hotspots: Long Key Bridge, flats south of Islamorada
• Tactic: Cast to mangrove shadows, natural colors

Best Redfish Locations in Alabama

• Spring: Biloxi Bay tidal cuts
• Fall: Bayou La Batre drop-offs and creek mouths

1. Mobile Bay / Dog River

• Launch: McNally Park, Dog River Marina
• Hotspots: Grass edges, Dog River Bridge
• Tactic: Cut crab and finger mullet

2. Bayou La Batre

• Launch: Bayou La Batre Public Ramp
• Hotspots: Shell edges, creek mouths
• Tactic: Kayak/paddle in with shrimp or spinnerbaits

3. Weeks Bay

• Launch: Fish River Boat Ramp
• Hotspots: Submerged docks and points
• Tactic: Shrimp under cork or paddle tails

Best Redfish Locations in Mississippi

Spring / Summer:
Redfish hunt shallow along grass edges and oyster bars in Biloxi Bay and Back Bay. Early morning is best with popping corks or spinnerbaits near bait-rich zones.

Fall:
As bait piles up in the Pascagoula River and Grand Bay, redfish stage along creek mouths and submerged shell. Bayou La Batre drop-offs and creek intersections; fishing improves with lower tides and clear skies.

Winter:
Target deep holes and tidal confluences around Bayou Cumbest and Back Bay. Slow drag scented plastics or soak crab on the bottom.

1. Biloxi Bay / Back Bay

• Launch: Biloxi Small Craft Harbor
• Hotspots: Dock pilings, oyster patches
• Tactic: Tandem cork rig with shrimp

2. Pascagoula River & Grand Bay

• Launch: Pascagoula WMA ramps
• Hotspots: Deep bends near marsh mouths
• Tactic: Troll jerkbaits or anchor with crab

Best Redfish Locations in Louisiana

• Year-Round: Venice, Hopedale marsh systems

1. Venice & Mississippi River Deltas

• Launch: Cypress Cove or Venice Marina
• Hotspots: Roseau cane points, outer ponds
• Tactic: Cut crab and gold spoons

2. Hopedale / Delacroix Marshes

• Launch: Campo’s or Sweetwater Marina
• Hotspots: Marsh ditches, grass lines
• Tactic: Spinnerbaits + shrimp baits on flood tides

3. Lake Pontchartrain

• Launch: Bayou Liberty, Seabrook
• Hotspots: Bridges, canal entrances
• Tactic: Jigged swimbaits, bait soakers on bottom

Best Redfish Locations in Texas by Season

Spring / Summer:
Redfish flood shallow grass flats in West Galveston Bay, Aransas Bay, and the Laguna Madre, and Sabine Lake marshes. Look for tailers on calm mornings and fish weedless paddle tails or shrimp under corks.

Fall:
Aggressive redfish school up around Port O’Connor, Matagorda Island, and Rockport back lakes. Also Port Aransas jetties and passes. Mullet migrations create explosive bites near spoil islands and deeper grass edges.

Winter:
Fish retreat into deeper troughs in South Padre, Copano Bay, and channels near Texas City. Slow, bottom-oriented presentations with crab or shrimp pay off in colder temps.

1. Galveston Bay Complex

• Launch: Eagle Point, Texas City Dike
• Hotspots: West Bay flats, reefs
• Tactic: Cork/shrimp combos, weedless plastics

2. Port O’Connor / Espiritu Santo Bay

• Launch: Clark’s or Froggie’s Marina
• Hotspots: Matagorda Island back lakes
• Tactic: Drift & sight-fish with crab imitations

3. Rockport / Aransas Bay

• Launch: Copano Causeway, Cove Harbor
• Hotspots: Redfish Bay, Estes Cove
• Tactic: Early topwater, midday soft crab rigs

4. South Padre / Laguna Madre

• Launch: Port Isabel, Adolph Thomae Park
• Hotspots: Rattlesnake Bay, Cullen Cove
• Tactic: Long-leader fluorocarbon sight-fishing

How Do You Catch Redfish When the Shallows Get Too Hot?

When summer temps rise, redfish retreat to cooler water:

• Fish early morning or late afternoon
• Target creek mouths, deeper troughs, and ICW bends
• Use crab or shrimp on Carolina rigs to reach holding fish

As summer temperatures soar, shallow flats can become inhospitable for redfish, prompting them to seek cooler, more oxygen-rich waters. Understanding their behavior and adjusting your tactics accordingly can lead to successful catches even during the hottest months.

Optimal Fishing Times

Redfish are most active during the cooler parts of the day. Plan your fishing trips during:

• Early Morning: Just after sunrise, when water temperatures are at their lowest.
• Late Afternoon to Dusk: As the sun sets, temperatures drop, and redfish become more active.

These periods offer the best opportunities for sight fishing and increased feeding activity.

Strategic Locations

During peak heat, redfish often retreat to areas with more stable and cooler conditions the below are good redfish tips on areas to target red drum.

• Inlets flanked with Jetties are Ideal creating cool habitats and deep channels: Jetties can be some of the best locations to drop you live bait offering. Insure you are ready to connect with that bull red drum as these areas provide deeper cooler moving water. The rocks and deep holes attract the baitfish feeding on smaller sea creatures in this nutrient rich flowing cooler water. Red Drum seeking relief from the heat in these areas and use the rocks as a place to feed, caution as you may catch a tarpon if you don’t watch out.
• Creek Mouths and Deeper Troughs: These areas provide shade and cooler water, attracting redfish seeking relief from the heat.
• Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) Bends: The bends in the ICW often have deeper holes where redfish congregate during hot periods.
• Mangrove Shorelines: High tides allow redfish to move into mangroves, offering both shade and abundant forage.

Effective Artificial Lures

When natural baits are scarce or regulations restrict their use, artificial lures become invaluable. Here are some top choices:

Shop For Fall And Winter Redfish Lures Just Click The Images Below

Natural Bait Alternatives

• Spoons: The Johnson Silver Minnow is renowned for its effectiveness, especially in murky waters. Its flash and vibration mimic distressed baitfish, enticing redfish to strike. Use silver in clear water and gold in stained conditions, these spoons are some of the best redfish lures. 
• Paddle Tail Swimbaits: Lures like the Slam Shady 2.0 or BOMBER are excellent for shallow waters. Rig them on a 1/8 oz. weedless hook to navigate through grass and debris. Their natural swimming action appeals to redfish in search of an easy meal. 
• Topwater Plugs: During low-light conditions, topwater lures like the Heddon Super Spook Jr. can provoke explosive strikes. Their side-to-side action imitates fleeing baitfish, triggering predatory instincts. In calm early morning or at dusk top water lures hands down are some of the best redfish lures to use at this time and in these conditions.

To Shop For Spring and Summer Redfish Lures Click Images Below

If you prefer using natural bait, consider:

• Live or Cut Shrimp: A classic choice, especially effective when fished on a Carolina rig near structures.
• Whole or Crab Chunks: Particularly appealing to larger redfish, especially when fished near oyster beds, mangroves or bridge casons.
• Finger Mullet or Menhaden: These oily fish emit strong scents, attracting redfish from a distance.

Ensure your bait remains fresh and cool, using aerated bait-wells or insulated containers, insure water is fresh and injured or bleeding baits are separated, so live baits do not die.

Gear and Presentation Tips

• Line and Leader: Use fluorocarbon leaders (20–30 lb) to reduce visibility and withstand abrasion from structures. Fluorocarbon leaders paired with the Best Redfish Lures is a winning combination.
• Stealth Approach: Minimize noise by poling or drifting into position, especially in clear, shallow waters.
• Retrieve Techniques: In hot conditions, redfish may be lethargic. Employ slow, steady retrieves to entice bites.

By adapting your strategies to the summer heat, you can continue to enjoy productive redfish outings.

To Shop For Fall & Winter Redfish Lures Click Images Below

How Do You Rig Blue Crab and Shrimp for Redfish?

Blue Crab

• Break into halves or quarters
• Hook through a leg socket or shell edge
• Fish on bottom using a Carolina rig

Shrimp (Live)

• Use shrimp harnesses to avoid killing the bait
• Rig under a popping cork or freelined with split shot
• Keep shrimp lively and change water often

To Shop For Shrimp Harnesses Click Images

Menhaden (Live) Or Mullet

• Use a non-piercing bait needle or bridle rig to keep menhaden alive longer
• Rig under a popping cork with a strong fluorocarbon leader
• Allow natural swimming motion near structure or current seam
• Below shows how to rig your live baits for redfish

What is A Current Seam?

A current seam is the visible line or boundary where two different water currents meet — usually areas of slower and faster water movement, or where a river empties into the ocean and two different colors of water meet, brown river water and blue ocean water.

Why They Matter for Fishing:

• Predatory fish like red drum or tarpon hold just inside or beside a current seam, where they conserve energy but wait to ambush bait being flushed past by the moving water.
• These seams often form:
  • Where eddies form around jetties, points, or channel edges
  • Near bridges, rocks, or submerged structure
  • Where incoming and outgoing tides collide
  • Or Where Rivers meet the Ocean

What It Looks Like:

• You’ll often see a visible line in the water — calm on one side, rippled on the other
• Might also have floating grass or foam lines following the seam
• You can observe a visible difference in water color

This makes it an ideal zone to cast your popping cork rig with live bait like shrimp or menhaden — the bait will drift naturally along the seam and draw strikes.

What Are the Best Boat and Kayak Tactics for Redfish?

Boat

• Use trolling motor quietly
• Anchor windward and cast with the current

Kayak

• Drift silently into creeks and around oyster bars
• Use anchor pole or stakeout stick to hold position

How Do You Approach Tailing Reds in the Flats?

• Pole or paddle quietly – motors spook fish
• Wear polarized lenses – amber or copper work best
• Keep sun at your back – enhances visibility
• Cast ahead of fish – intercept, don’t spook

When Is the Best Time and Tide to Catch Redfish?

• Tide: Outgoing tide near structure, or high tide over grass
• Time: Dawn and dusk when light is low
• Season: Fall offers the best combination of aggression and bait presence

What Are the Best Live Baits for Redfish?

• Live Shrimp – Under cork or freelined
• Finger Mullet – Hooked through lips or back
• Menhaden – Hooked Live or chunked
• Blue Crab – Halved or quartered, deadly on bottom

Use a fluorocarbon leader for stealth and abrasion resistance.

FAQ — Redfish Gear, Color, and Tide Strategy

Q: What rod and reel setup works best? A: 7’ medium-heavy rod with a 3000–4000 spinning reel. 15–30 lb braid and 30 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Q: What color lure works best? A: White, bone, or silver in clear water. Chartreuse or gold in stained water.

Q: What tides are best for redfish? A: Moving water is key. Outgoing tides around grass and creek mouths and jetties are best.

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