Jonah Richard’s first redfish

My name is Jonah Richard and I am 14 years old. I’m a lifelong New Orleanian and I’ve been fishing for close to 11 years. I’m here to share my story of my first ever redfish. On July 16, 2022, while on a private charter with Griffin Fishing Charters out of Barataria, I landed a huge 26.5 inch beautiful redfish. We were fishing in an area near the Goose Bayou Bridge in Lafitte where strong tidal currents from Bayou Barataria flow. We were fishing an 1/8-ounce plain saltwater jig head baited with a dead shrimp without using a cork. I initially thought I had gotten snagged on something underwater, like a large tree stump or storm debris or something like that, when I felt my line tighten. I soon realized that I made a big mistake, when I saw it splash around in the water. I quickly set the hook, hoping it wouldn’t break the pole I was fishing. I fought the fish for quite sometime, until I reeled it close enough to the boat where our captain, Brady Cantrelle, was able to net it. Once landed, I identified it as a redfish and we measured it for the final result of 26.5 inches long.