Tips for Winter Fishing: Targeting Redfish in Southeast Virginia

Is Catching Redfish in the Winter Possible?

Winter time has rolled around and its been since September 21 since having a redfish on the line. I ended up going on some hunting trips and then took the Fall to renovate the Gheenoe. Now that its ready to go, I am eager to get back on the water the try it out. The only problem, its been record low temps here in Southeast Virginia and snow on the ground for a couple of weeks now. Anyhow, I am willing to start giving it the old college try and see what I can come up with.

This post aims to summarize what I gathered searching through the internet of how to fish for Redfish in the winter. I’ll be going out and trying the technique and strategies out and updating the post as I see what works and doesn’t work for me.

Winter Time Fishing Strategy

Take advantage of warm days when the fish are up in the shallow flat areas. Mosey around until I see movement and start casting.

People say winter time can be the best time of year for catching record number of redfish. Redfish herd up into big schools and once you find them it can be very good fishing. Also, the water is super clear this time of year, which I have noticed first hand. On calm days I can see 1-2 feet into the water. This makes the possibility of sight casting for Redfish much more likely. However, you’ve gotta go out on warmer days to find the fish in the shallows. Long spurts of cold weather will push the fish into deeper water. They say though, during a warmer sunny day, they’ll come back up to the shallow flats. The shallow water warms up quicker which attracts the fish. That’s when you’ll be able to sight cast at wake and other water movement similar to summer time. So, that’s what my strategy will be out the gate.

Colors to Throw

From what I’ve read, a natural presentation is best to start out with. Here are the best natural presentation lure colors to use based on water clarity and bottom type.

1. White or tan – Crystal clear water and muddy bottom
2. Tan, brown, or green – Clear water with grassy bottom
3. Red and gold – Clear to slightly stained water muddy bottom
4. Tan or brown – Tannic water with muddy bottom
5. Chartreuse – Murky or stained water
6. Black or purple – Low light conditions or grassy bottom

Honestly though, I’m not convinced there is a set rule for using any color. But, the list above is a good place to start and branch out from to see what they are biting on that particular day.

Lures to Throw

One thing to keep in mind is that you generally don’t want big clunky baits especially in clear water. In the winter, there is a lot less movement compared to summer. The fish are going to key in on big kaplunks and boat vibrations a lot more. So, keeping the bait small and soft will be important. The other thing is color, again this is dependent on the water clarity and bottom type so I’ll list out some recommended lures I found and their use cases.

1. Gold spoon – tannic muddy water
   • Great for blind casting after a big rain or wind event
2. Paddle Tails (3″) – Vary the color based on the condition
3. Voodoo Shrimp (3.25”) – Natural color
4. Flukes (3″) – Vary color based on the conditions
5. Jig Heads: To rig the soft plastics, they recommend 3/16^th oz jig head.
   • If its getting caught on the bottom you can go lighter to 1/8^th if needed.

Update to Come Soon

So, that’s the strategy and what I plan on trying out. When I get a chance to test everything, I’ll update the post and share what I learned!