What if we want to catch some Delacroix reds this month? No problem, Capt. Chad Dufrene said.
“You can mostly fish in the same areas — in the same lakes and bays — just get up close to the bank and look for prominent points,” he said. “I like to find points with current moving around them and where there isn’t grass all over. Bare points produce better.
“And sometimes you can put a good number of fish in the boat from one stop.”
Market shrimp under a cork is his go-to bait, but Dufrene said reds also will clobber Gulps dangled from corks, spoons and beetle spins.
The only issue is grass.
“A lot of folks like to fish coves and pockets for reds, but many of them will be full of grass,” Dufrene explained. “But what you can do is park and cast your market shrimp under a cork up to the edge of the grass, and often the reds will come out and eat it.
“The shallow duck ponds will hold reds, as well, especially on higher tides, but since the duck hunters will be up in the ponds this month I stay out of them, just to respect them and their leases,” Dufrene said. “I can find plenty reds along the shorelines of the lakes without having to disturb the hunters in the ponds.”
With a box full of trout we slunk in stealthily to a nearby point that looked promising. After years on the tournament trails, Dufrene is a big believer in being quiet when chasing reds.
“When you’re up on the platform, you can see firsthand how the fish react to noise,” he said. “Slam a hatch shut, run the outboard, sometimes even the trolling motor can spook them.”
Dufrene parked far enough from the point that it took a good cast to reach it, but the very first bait to reach it was instantly inhaled by a hungry redfish.
“This time of year you can throw gold spoons and beetle spins where its not grassy, but market bait under a cork is always the best bait for reds, and Gulps under a cork will work well, also,” he said.