Red Drum Tip

Fishing Topsail Message Board
Topsail Area Charter Boats
2008 NC Recreational Coastal Waters Guide
Fishin' Topsail Facebook

Hello from Topsail Beach, North Carolina! The time to find red drum schooling in the inside waters is close. Sometimes these prized fish can be spooked really easily especially when they are in shallow (as shallow as six inches) water searching the oyster beds for a meal. When they are spooky, I have a technique that I use very successfully. I have an assortment of what I call "bass hooks." These J shaped hooks have a wire weed guard that make them easier to fish in heavy cover, such as submerged tree tops, log jams, rock piles, or oyster beds. I will tie one of these weedless hooks directly to my 15 lb test shock leader, without any weight, except the hook and bait, which is usually a gulp shrimp or swimming mullet, unless I can get finger mullets or live shrimp. I position my boat, so it will drift very quietly (no paddles, oars, or trolling motors) across or very near the schooling reds. My bait is drifting behind the boat, without any added action from me. Just a dead drift. Once I have found the fish, it is very seldom that I don't get a hookup using this technique. I use really light mono or braid, six or eight lb test, and add a shock leader of heavier line about the length of the rod I am using. This helps stop break offs, as these fish will almost always head for an oyster bed when hooked. Somehow it seems they know the oysters will cut the line freeing the fish. So next time you can see the schooling reds, but they seem to have lockjaw, give this technique a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for reading our blog, and submitting your questions on the Fishin' Topsail Message Board.
Catch' em up!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny aka FishinTopsail