A S.T.A.R. Like No Other

Striper Allstars
Striper Allstars
April 24, 2021
Frozen!
FROZEN!
April 24, 2021

RECOGNIZING THE EXTRAORDINARY impact of the recent winter storm, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Texas 2021 S.T.A.R. Tournament will feature a significantly revised format.

The speckled trout, flounder, sheepshead and gafftop divisions have been removed entirely from this year’s tournament.

The 2021 STAR will feature three different tagged redfish divisions utilizing a mandatory release format with bigger prizes than ever, including $325,000 in college scholarships for youth anglers.

Although the offshore categories of the tournament will continue as in past years, a soon-to-be-disclosed new category will be added for 2021. At the time of this writing, no further details were available about the new category. But by the time you read this in print, subscribers who receive our our weekly e-newsletter will have had the full details delivered to their inbox.

Since tagged redfish will be a bigger part of the equation, we thought we would celebrate this year’s S.T.A.R. by giving you some redfish strategies to give you a better shot at getting a winning fish.

Reds On the Shell

Captain Chris Martin, owner of Bay Flats Lodge on San Antonio Bay, provides some great tips for finding reds on shell.

“At the start of your trip, look for reds atop the shell near the crown of the reef or in shallow guts cutting through the upper portion of the reef, especially during periods of high tide,” Martin said.

“Times of higher tide will allow wading anglers to get closer to the reef on their initial approach,” Martin said. “This should be done on the leeward side of the reef when possible, as most of the baitfish will have been pushed against the windward side of the reef.”

The number one thing to remember when hunting for redfish among the oyster reefs is the necessity to first locate active baitfish. The presence of bait typically coincides directly with the presence of predator fish—in this case, the redfish.

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Focusing your efforts on the down-current end of the reef will also tend to pay dividends more times than not, according to Martin.

“Microorganisms, small crustaceans, and baitfish are all relocated by the

current,” Martin said. “Anglers should focus on the down-current end of the reef. That’s where the redfish will be staged as they await the presentation of their next meal.”

Reds On The Rocks

Reds in early summer will feed right along the edge of the rocks at the boat cut on the larger jetty systems. This is a difficult spot to fish as the current is strong and boats are constantly moving through.

Use a gold spoon here and line the boat up parallel with the rocks, cutting across the current to hit both sides of the boat cut.

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With a heavy spoon anglers can cast a long way and pick up 20 or so yards of the opposite side. Then you can race it across the current and usually pick up the fish just as the spoon makes my side of the cut.

When tides are moving in, the Gulf side of the jetties is generally much better to fish. This requires some different tactics.

The most productive and least pressure spot for redfish big enough to put in the frying pan is at the very southern tip of the jetties. These spots are super current-laden. If you take the time to check them out with your electronics, you will see all kinds of fascinating structures to fish.

Reds in the Grass

During summer, reds will feed in seagrass beds in Aransas and Redfish Bays as well as in backwaters along the Lower coast.

Some of these areas are off limits to boats with propellers, but those where anglers can fish without restrictions are best fished with live bait. A live croaker or mullet pitched in the sand holes between the grass pockets is a surefire way to score on reds.

“I don’t fish with live bait much but a croaker or mullet in those pockets is a great way to catch reds,” said Capt. Bobby Caskey.

Caskey’s preferred method is drifting with artificials such as Gulp Shrimp.

“Gulp works just as well as the real thing when you’re drifting and stays on the hook great. The reds love the shrimp and the crab as well,” Caskey said.

Reds On The Flats

Topwaters along the King Ranch shoreline at sunrise can bring explosive action according to Capt. Joey Farrah. Shallow shorelines can be a great spot to find reds this time of year.

“Although floating grass may interrupt your efforts, the DOA PT-7 is a completely weedless topwater that walks the dog and brings monster redfish up to the surface,” he said.

Redfish will also be high in the shallow flats, so sight casting to tailing redfish along the east side of the Laguna Madre can be world class. The shoreline of the National Seashore south of Bird Island has a beautiful sandy shoreline with a drop off into waist high grass.

“Here you can see reds in the crystal-clear water along the beach, then later in the day, catch them blind casting gold spoons out off the deeper drop off. Miles and miles of shin-deep water in Nine Mile Hole is the best redfish action on earth. Schools of reds bask in the sun all day waiting for anglers to stalk them with DOA shrimp and gold spoons,” he said.

This will be a STAR year like no other and one that puts a deeper emphasis on catch-and-release conservation. With big prizes to win and more tagged reds than ever, the star of this year’s STAR is the reason CCA (then GCCA) was founded in the first place—the redfish.

 

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—story by AUTHOR

 

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