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First red on my new jig

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megalomaniac

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Oct 28, 2005
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Location
Mississippi
Painted these Holographic gold primarily for reds, I must say they look great in the water. Got my first red today on the hand poured head.

Also caught 1 flounder and 10 short specks. Did lose 2 really nice flounder right at the boat. Didn't set the world on fire, but still had fun!
 

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megalomaniac said:
Painted these Holographic gold primarily for reds, I must say they look great in the water. Got my first red today on the hand poured head.

Also caught 1 flounder and 10 short specks. Did lose 2 really nice flounder right at the boat. Didn't set the world on fire, but still had fun!
Click to expand...
Question...when I lived in Florida 30+ years ago, there was a slot limit on reds. That fish looks to be over what was then the limit. Has that changed? Is that a keeper fish? Do you keep them? Just being curious as I haven't fished salt water since early 90's.
 
Tenntrapper said:
Question...when I lived in Florida 30+ years ago, there was a slot limit on reds. That fish looks to be over what was then the limit. Has that changed? Is that a keeper fish? Do you keep them? Just being curious as I haven't fished salt water since early 90's.
Click to expand...
In MS, you can keep 3 reds 18 to 27 inches, and 1 can be over slot. (We have a LOT more reds than Florida, due to a LOT more suitable habitat for them).

Personally, I prefer reds in the 20 to 22in range. Smaller than that and it's hard to justify killing them as there is surprisingly little meat for a fish that size. Larger than 24 inches and they just don't taste as good on the halfshell grilled to me. This red was 26in, and I haven't kept one this size in over a year, but I had a recipie in mind I wanted to try tomorrow... Redfish Hollondaise... He is getting fried, and with the extra flounder, should be enough for my family for a meal.

If I were making the regs, we would have a slot of 20 to 27 inches, but nothing kept over 27 inches. Reds live in the marsh their first 3 years until they hit around 28 inches, at which point they become breeders and move out of the marsh offshore.
 
Seems like the key to landing flounder is to keep them moving toward the boat and sling them in, unless you have someone with a net handy. Most of the flounder I have lost have been at boatside when I was fumbling around trying to get the net. Something about the angle of pull and the short line give them what they need to throw the hook.
 
hammer33 said:
Seems like the key to landing flounder is to keep them moving toward the boat and sling them in, unless you have someone with a net handy. Most of the flounder I have lost have been at boatside when I was fumbling around trying to get the net. Something about the angle of pull and the short line give them what they need to throw the hook.
Click to expand...
You are exactly right!

Flounder are tough... first because their mouth is so bony it takes a great hookset to penetrate. The second is because it takes them a second or 2 to take the jig in deep enough to even get a hookset. THEN, as soon as their head breaks the surface of the water, they go nuts shaking.and often spit the hook.

I usually don't net flounder, just work them deep to the boat, and bring them to the surface and boat flip them in one motion. Last trip, I landed 14 out of 15. One didn't even have the hook in his jaw, he had just clamped down on the tail of the jig and didn't open his mouth until he was airborne over the boat, let go, but landed in the bottom of the boat.

The two I lost yesterday were due to poor hooksets with a softer rod to be able to throw 1/8oz heads. Frustrating, but I think it's inevitable when flounder are almost an incidental catch when targeting specks
 
megalomaniac said:
Painted these Holographic gold primarily for reds, I must say they look great in the water. Got my first red today on the hand poured head.

Also caught 1 flounder and 10 short specks. Did lose 2 really nice flounder right at the boat. Didn't set the world on fire, but still had fun!
Click to expand...
Good job neighbor!
 
Another great day it looks like, I kept a 36" 1 time and needed a chain saw to filet him, was told to cut the red out of the meat and ended up with small amount for such a big fish, will never keep 1 that large again. I love a gold spoon for reds and have 1 with a red bead on it that is my favorite, I can see where your jig would be better.
 
megalomaniac said:
You are exactly right!

Flounder are tough... first because their mouth is so bony it takes a great hookset to penetrate. The second is because it takes them a second or 2 to take the jig in deep enough to even get a hookset. THEN, as soon as their head breaks the surface of the water, they go nuts shaking.and often spit the hook.

I usually don't net flounder, just work them deep to the boat, and bring them to the surface and boat flip them in one motion. Last trip, I landed 14 out of 15. One didn't even have the hook in his jaw, he had just clamped down on the tail of the jig and didn't open his mouth until he was airborne over the boat, let go, but landed in the bottom of the boat.

The two I lost yesterday were due to poor hooksets with a softer rod to be able to throw 1/8oz heads. Frustrating, but I think it's inevitable when flounder are almost an incidental catch when targeting specks
Click to expand...
My buddy here taught me if using live minnows and you feel a bite…….count to 10 or lite a cigarette…… then set the hook! He swears they have to turn the bait around head first to eat it.
 
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