Want to fish for Reds

[hunter7711]

Never fished for reds but want to give it a try. I'll be fishing the Pearl River basin south of Pearlington. I am assuming that my old bass equipment will be sufficient. Making a trip to Bass Pro this week and want to know what I should pick up as far a bait goes. Like I said I'm completely green and any help would be appreciated. Please be specific about what baits and type of baits to buy.

[sneakypete]

I would definitely get some jig-spinners - gold with a size 4 Colorado blade is standard, some 1/4-ounce jig heads, and some "Baby Bull Minnows" in purple with a chartreuse tail. Get the jigheads that are round and with a stout short-shanked hook. Make a spinnerbait out of all that, and you have the quintessential redfish lure.
And if I may, you will get a lot more information than that from my book, "Redfish", which should be available at your local Barnes and Noble, amaong others.
Bon chance.
Pete
Oh, and remember the definition of "drag" is to impede progress, not to stop it! :D Try to stop a good red, and something that is not so good will probably happen!

[hunter7711]

Thanks for the info, and I will order a copy of your bood.

[shadow]

I agree with what Pete said and I would also add.....use the same jig heads he is talking about (1/4 with short shank) and just add sand eel jr plastic to it and you should have a winning combination. The 3 colors that I would not be caught on the water without are 1.LSU (Purple and chrt), 2. Glow and chrt. and 3. Black majic. If all these fail, just try dead shrimp on the bottom, you can use the same jig heads for these too. Good Luck. Oh and Pete's book is a very good read and entertaining too!:D

[smoothlures]

1/4-1/2 oz red jighead and a 3-4" Gulp shrimp in New Penny. They love 'em and trout do too. Get a couple 3/4 oz gold spoons too.

[Freebird87]

Hunter,
I like Saltwater Assassin shad bodies and jerkbaits --same colors mentioned above except they call the dark one with the chartruese tail "Morning Glory", and I also used the "Chicken-on-a-chain" color--glow, watermelon and a chart. tail--on my recent trip to Big Lake. Both worked on the reds on a 1/8 oz jighead, bounced off the bottom or swimming just over the rocks. 1/2 oz gold Johnson minnow spoons, Gulp Shrimp on a jighead (try with popping corks) real shrimp, Topdogs or Zara spook topwaters. I hear they like the spinnerbaits mentioned above, but I haven't caught one on those yet, and didn't use them in Florida. Good luck --the bass gear and medium spinning outfits will work fine, just set the drag looser that you would for pulling bass out of cover! Let them run and wear them out. My 2 biggest recently were on my crappie rod --light action, 10lb PowerPro line, and drag set accordingly!