Redfish are one of the most popular sport fish in the United States. Some might even describe them as one of the most accommodating inshore gamefish. An enthusiast can catch red drums in almost any imaginable way!
Why are redfish so popular with fishermen? The reasons are simple: they strike hard when hooked, can get very big, and remain delectable when adequately prepared. Moreover, red drums don’t generally take long runs like numerous other game fish, they’re unfussy eaters but put up a great fight.
Finding the perfect redfish rig, bait, or lure can be challenging, as there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. With various options out there to choose from that can fill a cooler in no time, our team from Rite Angler wants to break down some of the best redfish rigs, lures, and baits.
Top Jig Rigs for Redfish
The best redfish lures, baits, and rigs will depend on where and how you want to fish and the size of the redfish you’re fishing for. The best redfish rigs for pier or beach fishing may not ideally suit fishing for red drums in grass flats or other areas. That said, here are our best rigs for redfish.
Most fishermen only need 2 to 3 redfish rigs for their purposes. Once you succeed with a few setups, trying out different options might help you achieve better results.
Jig Rigs
Jig rigs serve as one of the simplest redfish rigs for pier fishing, are incredibly versatile, and remain suitable for numerous kinds of baits and fishing techniques. However, fishermen must remember that jig heads, or any hooks for that matter, can easily become snagged in cover.
Jig rigs are suitable in almost any situation where we can find redfish close to shore, making them the ideal redfish rigs for pier fishing, jetties, surf casting, or when fishing from a boat.
The easiest way to set up a jig rig is by tying a jig head directly to the main line. Some fishermen may also choose to use a few feet of fluorocarbon leader as a helpful addition in clear-water conditions.
Simply bait a jig head with your bait of choice and cast it out, letting it sink to the bottom. When retrieving the lure, bounce the jig rig along the bottom. This technique will help the rig perform better and attract redfish who feed on the bottom.
Let’s take a look at the best jig rigs that you can use on your next fishing adventure.
Soft Plastic Jigs
The most common soft plastic jigs have a small “tail” that emits a scent to attract redfish. While fish like snook feed utilizing their sight, redfish typically feed by smell. You can determine the speed and action of the soft plastic jigs after determining where redfish reside in the water column.
To enhance your soft plastic rig setup for redfish, consider experimenting with different jig styles and sizes. Paddle tails, for example, create more vibration in the water, mimicking the movement of baitfish, which can be particularly effective when redfish feed aggressively.
Additionally, pairing your soft plastics with a weighted jighead allows you to control the lure's depth and presentation, making it easier to target fish at different levels in the water column. Remember to adjust your retrieve speed depending on the behavior of the redfish and the water conditions, ensuring your lure looks as natural as possible.
Topwater Skimmer Jigs
When fishing in shallower waters, flats, or clear water, topwater skimmer jigs can entice red drums to produce one of the most exciting topwater strikes a fisherman will ever experience. You can position a topwater skimmer jig anywhere in the water column, and they work well even near the bottom. With a medium sink rate, many topwater jigs provide the necessary time to present the bait properly.
Topwater skimmer jigs are especially effective in the early morning or late evening when redfish are more likely to feed near the surface. Their lifelike action and splash create a disturbance that mimics a fleeing baitfish, triggering aggressive strikes from redfish patrolling shallow waters.
Popping Cork Rig
The popping cork is a favorite for many fishermen aiming for inshore redfish. The setup works best in cold, shallow water under 5 feet in depth. Low water temperatures make the red drums more lethargic.
Popping cork redfish rigs make a chugging sound with a popping cork that stimulates and attracts redfish to the surface commotion. The “pop-pop-pop” sound simulates surface feeding or bait fleeing from predators. Game fish come to investigate the sounds or catch a scent of dangling bait enabling the fishermen to set the hook.
Best Baits for Redfish
Getting the redfish to bite is as much about the bait as the rig and lure. You must consider everything about the water where you fish and best redfish bait to make the ideal choice.
Shrimp
Live shrimp is one of the most widely available bait options for catching redfish. More importantly, redfish love the smell and taste of baited shrimp, rarely ignoring them. The secret to fishing with live shrimp is to try and keep the shrimp alive and healthy for as long as possible. A lively shrimp will keep moving in the water, helping a redfish to spot it easily.
Crab
Live crab is among the best baits available today for catching larger bull redfish. Larger reds will have a larger mouth, enabling them to devour an entire crab with little problem.
The best way to rig a live crab is to remove a leg and place the hook through a leg hole. You should guide the hook through the crab shell, firmly setting it in place. Moreover, when fishing for smaller red drums.
Top Redfish Lures
When selecting the best redfish lures, a few consistently stand out due to their effectiveness. These lures are designed to mimic the natural prey of redfish, making them irresistible to these aggressive feeders and the best lures for redfish.
Here are a few popular lures that can help you attract and catch redfish:
Shrimp Imitations
Shrimp lures are incredibly effective, especially when fishing in areas where shrimp are a natural food source. Their realistic movement and scent can easily entice a strike from a redfish.
Shrimp lures can be fished under a popping cork or on a jighead, making them versatile for different water depths and conditions. Whether you're fishing in shallow flats or deeper channels, shrimp imitations closely resemble the natural diet of redfish, increasing your chances of a successful catch.
Soft Plastic Jerkbaits
Jerkbaits offer a lifelike presentation that can trigger redfish to strike, particularly in clear water or when redfish are feeding on small baitfish.
These lures can be worked with a twitch-and-pause retrieve, mimicking the erratic movement of injured bait, which often provokes aggressive strikes from redfish. Soft plastic jerk baits are also highly versatile and can be rigged weedless, making them ideal for fishing in grassy flats or around structures without getting snagged.
Weedless Spoons
Many fishermen choose the classic tried-and-true spoon. It is the closest option to a utilitarian approach to catching numerous different types of saltwater fish. Today’s tackle market provides fishermen with an array of spoons.
Nonetheless, seeking a weedless option when fishing grass flats is critical to prevent the lure from getting stuck in the brush. Spoons are an excellent search bait for finding redfish as they cover a ton of water, enabling fishermen to figure out precisely where they can find the feeding red drums.
Selecting the best lure for redfish ensures you're equipped to handle these powerful fish, increasing your chances of a successful catch no matter where you cast your line.
Whether you're fishing in shallow flats or deeper waters, using good lures for redfish can make all the difference in your success.
The Right Tools to Fill Your Cooler
Hopefully, with the right redfish rigs, baits, and lures at your disposal, you’ve discovered some new ways to help you reel in more redfish. Many of these setups are ideal redfish rigs for pier fishing, shallow water fishing, and fishing from a boat. These rigs also work well for other inshore saltwater fishing applications like trout, snook, and flounder.
Rite Angler provides high-quality fishing tackle and other equipment for serious fishermen. Founded in 1990, we design our products for fishing men and women who understand the importance of quality equipment.
Rite Angler's product design uses only the best anti-corrosive materials. We focus on producing superior tackle options for all your fishing equipment needs. You can rely on Rite Angler for the proper lures, lines, and tackle to stand up against the elements (and the fish)!
FAQs
What is the best bait to catch redfish on?Live shrimp and live crabs are some of the best bait options for catching redfish because of their strong scent and natural movement, which easily attract redfish. Redfish are bottom feeders and rely heavily on their sense of smell, making these baits especially effective. Other excellent bait choices include pogies, mullets, pilchards, and greenies, all of which mimic the natural prey that redfish often feed on in their habitat.
What is the best line setup for redfish?A fluorocarbon leader paired with a braided mainline is the best line setup for redfish. The braided line offers strength and durability, making it easier to handle larger fish, while the fluorocarbon leader remains nearly invisible underwater, increasing your chances of fooling the redfish. This combination gives you the right balance of stealth and strength for successful redfish fishing.
What is the best bobber for redfish?The best bobber for targeting redfish is the popping cork. Popping corks work by creating a splashing and chugging noise on the water's surface, which mimics the sounds of prey being attacked. This noise triggers a predatory response from nearby redfish, drawing them toward your bait. It’s especially effective in shallow water where redfish hunt near the surface or in grassy flats.
What is the best size hook for redfish?The ideal hook size for redfish generally falls between 1/0 and 3/0, depending on the size of the bait and the fish you're targeting. A 1/0 hook works well for smaller live bait like shrimp, while larger hooks like 2/0 or 3/0 are better suited for larger baits like crabs or cut bait when targeting larger bull redfish. The hook size should be chosen based on both the bait size and the fish size to ensure a secure catch.
There is nothing like soaking up the sun with your hook on the water, tasting the salt on your lips, and basking in the thrill of that tug on your line. If you’re a dedicated angler, you live for that moment when your line tugs you realize that you have a bite on your saltwater soft plastic lures. Of course, we assume you’re using artificial bait. If you aren’t, here is why you should be using them and some tips for using saltwater lures.
Benefits of Artificial Lures
When deciding on a bait to use, you need to consider the pros of what you plan on using, as well as how to negate the possible downfalls.
Cost
The cost of live bait can be expensive, although this will vary based on the type of bait you use per piece. Using artificial lures can be a lot more cost-effective. Because artificial lures are reusable and less likely to be eaten right off the hook, you won’t go through as much bait every time you fish. You might end up staying out longer and bringing more fish home as a result without needing to re-bait more than a few times throughout the day.
Reduces Chance of Hooking Non-target Fish
When using artificial lures, you want to match the type of lure to what you are trying to catch. The level of specificity needed to catch target fish will also lower the chances of you catching non-target fish. If you are trying to catch large fish and using a large artificial lure, then your chances of catching small fish are unlikely.
No Special Storage
If you use live bait, you have to keep it in an aerated container or livewell where it remains cool and the bait can breathe. With artificial bait, you don’t need to have any extra equipment to haul around or worry about whether they’ve died in storage. You just keep saltwater lures with all your other fishing equipment and they will be there waiting for you.
Choosing Your Saltwater Lures
If you decide to use an artificial lure rather than live bait, then you definitely need to know what kind of lure you want and how to pick the ones that will benefit you the most. Here are some of the factors that impact your lure choice the most.
Know What You Are Trying To Catch
If you don’t know what you are trying to catch when saltwater fishing, then you won’t know what kind of artificial lure you need to use. This is because you want your lures to look like food to your target fish.
One example of this is snook. If your target fish is snook, then you will want to use lures that resemble their usual prey like this. Knowing what you want to catch and taking the time to select your artificial lures based on their food source will not only increase your chance of catching them but also decrease your chance of catching unwanted fish.
Match Your Lure To The Conditions
One of the most important things to consider when choosing your lure is the conditions of the water you plan on fishing, as well as the weather conditions. If you are fishing on a bright day in crystal clear waters, then light-colored saltwater lures are ideal. However, at night or on overcast days, you want to stick with bright or dark-colored saltwater lures. If you plan on using metallic lures, use silver for sunny and gold for gloomy days. One exception to this rule is black lures. Black lures will work in any conditions to draw a fish’s keen attention.
What Lures Work Best For Saltwater Fishing
Artificial lures are ideal for saltwater fishing, more so than live bait, because they are more durable. Because of the conditions that exist in bodies of saltwater, you need something that can stand up to the stronger current and the beating it can take. Saltwater soft plastics are less rigid and more able to absorb impact without breaking and becoming unusable.
Types of Saltwater Lures
Here are some different types of artificial saltwater lures to help you find what’s right for you.
Grubs
Grubs are an incredibly versatile lure and can be bought in packs. They work best when used with the right size jig head and used in fresh and saltwater.
Chuggers
Our pre-rigged chugger heads come in a variety of holographic colors and feature a heavy-duty skirt that reduces debris accumulation while optimizing movement. Great for trolling for Mahi Mahi, Tuna, Barracuda, Marlin, Sailfish and more.
Jiggin’ Dipper
These, like the grubs, are great for saltwater and freshwater fishing. Use in saltwater to catch fish like Striped Bass, Red Snapper, Snook, and Flounder to name a few.
These are just a small example of the amazing selection we carry. A large number of our product pages offer information on the fish each lure is geared towards. So you can spend less time researching and more time doing.
Saltwater Fishing Tips For Using Lures
What guide would be complete without some helpful tips?
Google a tide forecast before each trip. The tides play a huge role in how fish act, and how your lures move. Knowing what the tides are doing will help you plan accordingly.
Try different lures. Try as many lures as you want to find what works for you. Each person has their own way of fishing and sometimes using soft bait does not work as well.
Bring extras of everything. Always bring an extra or two of your essential equipment. This means line, swivels, lures, etc. Nothing ruins a fishing trip quicker than having to turn around and go buy more line or tackle..
Chat with us. If you have questions about our products, don’t hesitate to ask.
Whether you are looking for kits, nets, lures, lines, rigs, or almost anything else you may need for your next fishing adventure, Rite Angler has it. We specialize in artificial lures, including saltwater soft plastics. Visit our website to check out our specialized kits if you’re unsure what to buy to keep on your game this year.
Artificial lures have such an interesting history. In their early stages, artificial fishing lures were made of metal in the shape of a spoon but have since evolved into what we understand as lures today. Here are our top six best fishing lures suitable for any avid angler.
Lil’ Zipper Dipper
Charlie’s Worms Lil’ Zipper Dipper is the perfect freshwater or saltwater soft plastics lure for largemouth bass, walleye, lake trout, musky, pike, and more. These lures rig up easy for when you’re really itching to get your line in the water. Their baitfish shape means that they move more naturally in the water to draw attention.
9” Trolling Lure
Trolling is one of the most popular forms of fishing, and while some believe that it is a way of luck, that’s not entirely true. Having the right lures and getting saltwater fishing tips from your peers can give you a leg up. These 9” lures have heavy-duty skirts, life-like eye movement, and strong construction that makes them ideal for any big game fish like Mahi Mahi and Tuna.
Jig Head
Small but mighty, Charlie’s jig heads are one of the most customizable lures, which makes them some of the most versatile tools in an angler’s arsenal. With a simple jig head, you can liven up your live bait and make them more appealing to your target fish. You can also team them up with saltwater soft plastics that move in the water. No matter what you fish with, you should keep jig heads with you.
Flash Jig
This slim design flash jig is ultra attractive to fish of all kinds but works best for:
Tarpon
Grouper
Cobia
Snook
Striped Bass
Snapper
Spanish Mackerel
This flashy fish lure has a holographic ribbon and holographic details with mylar skirting and a two-tone eye pattern. If you are looking for a great all-around jig that is meant for larger target fish, then this is something you need to have on hand.
Jiggin’ Dipper
This Jiggin’ Dipper is fantastic. Really, it’s the best of both worlds. It has the allure of the bucktail jig combined with the natural movement of soft bait. It works in freshwater and saltwater, but keep in mind the weight of the lure and fish accordingly.
Check out our online shop for all these saltwater lures and more. If you aren’t sure what you want, or you want a variety to try, we offer fishing kits that are optimized for the type of fishing you plan on doing. Ask any questions you have and we’ll do our best to help you find what you’re looking for.
