# Questions about chasing Bull Reds



## yellowleaf (Sep 8, 2012)

I wanted to see if anyone might be willing to offer up any advice on chasing some Bulls this fall. I bought a bay boat this year and it will be my first year doing it alone. I've fished with friends on their boat before but I'm looking to find out a little more detail and if there are any in-written rules as far as etiquette to other anglers or boats. We just cruised the bay mainly looking for working birds or groups of boats. Should you keep an eye on the bottom machine looking for bait or schools? Are there any particular structures that you may try? Are the strictly in the bay or will the move from offshore to the bay? Would monitoring the VHF radio be of any use, is there a community channel that fish locations are shared across? I know it's still a little early yet, but I'm getting anxious and definitely don't want to be "that guy". Thanks


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

'In written' rules?

Let's see. If you see someone else fishing, give them a wide berth. It's a big bay and big ocean. If the guys or girls are fishing for Speckled trout, they are not going to want you to make a lot of noise. If you see the 'No Motor' zones in Big Lagoon, don't be the guy who comes from the far East of that zone with your motor running. It only happens, every time I go in there. If you hear the radio go silent, that's a good indication that everybody is ON FISH. Reds will be in the Gulf, Bay and in between. They can be on structure and do look for birds. I think you've got everything. Go out there and catch a bunch.


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## yellowleaf (Sep 8, 2012)

"In written rules" 

My typing skills are as bad as my fishing skills!


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## fishboy (Oct 6, 2007)

They are in the gulf, the pass and the bay in the fall and winter. Easiest fishing is trolling stretches from outside the pass to in the bay. My preferred method is casting jigs and top waters at the surfacing fish near 3-mile and palafox pier. Look for the diving birds and the other boats huddled together and go catch some fun. Please use medium weight tackle as these are all breeding fish and as much fun as catching them on light gear is, it doesn't do anyone any favors.


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## Ridefish (Jun 8, 2014)

I think it's commendable that you don't want to be "that guy"! Put yourself in the other boat's/anglers position when approaching them. You should be able to tell if another boat/kayak/etc is drifting a flat, try not to go ripping down the flat even if you are a good ways ahead of the drifting other boat. Really good days of fishing can be lessened by not catching fish in the school of reds that got spooked. That's just one example of having good etiquette. As for the catching part, pay very close attention to all the details when you are catching fish and when you aren't. Fish are very habitual. Good luck. Best of fishing to you!


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Good suggestions and recommendations here. I think it's pretty funny it was brought up, because as I was finishing up fishing the grass beds around Bird and Walker last night (near Perdido Pass), right at about dusk, a bunch riding in a (what looked like a brand new) pontoon boat come cruising right past the no motor zone signs, right next to me, and into the shallows. First, I just tried waving them off, then I blew my horn..... Nope, just kept on going until their prop started plowing up sand, mud, and grass. He just trimmed up and turned around, never really slowed down? Some people?!?!??
Well, enough with the ranting.... I wouldn't say you were necessarily early, I haven't seen any schools yet, but there are a lot of people catching reds and trout. If you have a chance, go give it a try. I did better yesterday evening than in the early morning, and the "day" bite will probably improve with the decreasing super moon phase... Watch the birds and baitfish, observe the locations and patters other people fish, look for and work the channel ledges, grass beds and potholes, and of course structure (this is where some good electronics comes in handy with a nav chip with sat overlay for checking sandbars, grass flats, etc). 
Since you've been fishing with friends, I'm assuming you know what kind of baits you'll use. My wife swears by live shrimp (and you can't beat that when you can get it), I'm an artificial man myself, and topwater is my favorite action. My greatest topwater producer is the MirroLure chrome SheDog. 
Before long I'll expect the big reds to show up in numbers, working around the passes, jetties, channels, and sandbars. I usually caught most of mine starting late October and into Nov. 
I'm sure they'll be more contributors to post here, and I'm sure everyone will agree- when you get on the bite, make sure you get a couple pics with your catch to post here. 
Hope this was helpful.


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## Capt. John Rivers (Jul 28, 2012)

yellowleaf said:


> I wanted to see if anyone might be willing to offer up any advice on chasing some Bulls this fall. I bought a bay boat this year and it will be my first year doing it alone. I've fished with friends on their boat before but I'm looking to find out a little more detail and if there are any in-written rules as far as etiquette to other anglers or boats. We just cruised the bay mainly looking for working birds or groups of boats. Should you keep an eye on the bottom machine looking for bait or schools? Are there any particular structures that you may try? Are the strictly in the bay or will the move from offshore to the bay? Would monitoring the VHF radio be of any use, is there a community channel that fish locations are shared across? I know it's still a little early yet, but I'm getting anxious and definitely don't want to be "that guy". Thanks
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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Hello, Yellowleaf, and welcome.

The fall redfish run is a lot of fun for all anglers in our area.
It usually starts around Nov 1st-6th and last all winter into Feb.


Here are a few tips that might help you out.

*1.----* 1.5 –2 oz Spro Jig ( colors White, Pink, Chartreuse or Red ) - tipped with a 4” curly tail grub – White, Pink, Chartreuse or Red on the grubs, you can use same color or cross color on the jigs or match, it doesn't matter. I usually keep it the same color.

I don’t use top-water much because of birds diving on the plug and causing problems. I do use a top-water when birds are not around. But I take the front hook off and just have the back treble hook on, this way I can grab the plug if need be and also it doesn’t do too much damage to the fish.

I also don’t troll for them much or if any, not that it's not a good way to catch them, but the large trolling plugs have very large hooks and cause a lot of damage to the fish. These are our breeders so we need to take care of them. You can use the jig I mentioned or just a plain 1.5 oz jig with a 6” lazer tail attached; you’ll do fine a lot ofanglers catch them this way.

_*2. ----*_ 7’ –8’ Heavy to Med Heavy Rod with a 5000 spinning reel. I use two style of rods, the Wright & McGill Blair Wiggins Rods with aStradic 5000 and a Med Hev 7' St. Croix Rod with a Stradic 5000. I even have some older Penn Conquers I still use from time to time. Like stated in one of the posts above, you can catch these fish on 4000 style reels fine, but the fight is gonna be longer and you'll wear them down more, also your reel won't last as long over time. I still get a very good fight with these fish on the 5000 style reels but not too long to wear the fish to death but very enjoyably.

_*3. ----*_ 30 Lb Braid on the main line with 50 lb leader about 3 ft long no swivel; I tie a uni to uni knot.

*4. -----* When you see the birds or fish schooled up ( _*DON’T RUN UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL!*_ ) Stay far out just enough to cast a jig and let it sink for a few seconds and start working it back. If the fish are in the area you’ll hook up in just a few seconds usually. What I do is once I spot the school I motor over fast just like everyone else, ( we call this run and gunning to the fish), but then I put my motor in neutral and coast slowly towards the school so as not to spook the fish.
When there a lot of boats working the fish they are very spooky.
During these run and gun periods, be every careful and know your surroundings, as I've seen as many as 7-12 boats chasing these schools. 

*5.* ----- If you see a lot of boats chasing a school, a good idea is to go around and head them off, let them come to you, I’ve done this many times. Or just sit tight, let everyone leave, and the school you were working will pop back up and you'll have it all to yourself. For a minute, anyway.

_*6.*_ ----- Give the other boats room and just be polite. If you show up to a school and people are fighting fish, go slow around them, watch your bottom machine, (usually other boats will tell you where they are) and then toss out and have fun.

_*7.*_ ----- When the school sounds ( means goes down ) and another school pops up ( _*DON’T TAKE OFF FAST WHEN AROUND BOATS THIS CREATES WAKES AND OTHER BOATS MIGHT BE FIGHTING FISH – which could cause someone to fall down! *_) motor out slow away from the crowd then take off. You'd be surprised how many people just take off so they can be the first to the school, not thinking about the consequences of their wakes and almost knocking down people.
*Remember our clients are not used to being on boats and they don't have the sea legs like we do*.

*8 ----* Lastly remember it's fishing and not everyday is it going to be fish after fish, even during the fall redfish run, I've gone out some days during the run and scratched my head just like other guys wondering where they are and what's up. Either the tides not right, or they just aren't popping (meaning not coming to the surface) they are staying below, which that's when a very good bottom machine comes into play. I put a new Humminbird 999ci HD si on my Triton and I'm excited to use the new side scan to help locate the big schools.

_*Hope this helped you and anyone else who reads this.
Have a safe and fun bull redfish run this fall/winter and if you don't have a boat and would like to set up a trip with me to catch these fun drag screamers, give me a shout. If I'm all booked up, I can pass your name to another professional guide, such as Capt. Wes Rozier, Chris Williams, Brant Peacher, Brad King, and Chase Crosby, just to name a few.

Tight Lines... John
850-341-9816
www.megabiteinshore.com
*_


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## yellowleaf (Sep 8, 2012)

Thanks everyone for all the tips, I hope to see yall out there with bent rods and smiles!


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## 153 Large fish (Nov 30, 2013)

When there are several boats running back n forth chasing the schools and birds and other boats, you can post up somewhere along the run of the schools and many times the schools will come to you and save all that work chasing and also the captain can fish....when you figure the time chasing and positioning, I believe when they are running good you'll catch just as many being in the general area..


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

Capt Rivers: Really enjoyed your above post. Extremely helpful in how to fish schooling Reds but also extremely help in defining politeness on the water - something many anglers need to practice more often.

Many thx...


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## Capt. John Rivers (Jul 28, 2012)

Desert Eagle, Thanks for the kind words/post, just wanted to pass on some info to help out .
Nov- Dec is some fun fishing. I've caught a lot of these big reds and I look forward to the fall run every year, it's just fun fishing!


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