How to Catch Redfish in the Mid-Atlantic
The short answer
Redfish in the Mid-Atlantic hold on grass flats, open sound water, inlets and passes. They peak May–Oct. Start with cut bait: Fresh menhaden on a heavy circle-hook rig anchored on a shoal edge — how the 50-inch fish get caught. Best on moving water over shoals and shell; the flood pushes fish onto the flats. First and last light for the shallow fish; bulls will eat mid-day on the shoals.
When Redfish bite in the Mid-Atlantic
Bull reds at the bay mouth May–Jun and again Sep–Oct; puppy drum on the shallows all summer
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
off | off | around | around | peak | peak | peak | peak | peak | peak | around | off |
What to throw for Redfish
Best first. The retrieve matters more than the lure, so each one says how to work it.
- Cut bait — Fresh menhaden on a heavy circle-hook rig anchored on a shoal edge — how the 50-inch fish get caught.
- Paddletail — Weedless 4" plastic worked slow across grass edges and sand holes for puppy drum.
- Gold spoon — Weedless spoon fanned across a flood tide flat.
- Fiddler crab — Free-lined around shell and jetty rock.
Where to find them
Look for grass flats, open sound water, inlets and passes, the surf, tidal creeks, oyster bars, docks and pilings.
Two different fisheries share one name here — slot-sized puppy drum on the shallows, and 40-inch-plus bulls staging at the bay mouth and inlets in early summer and fall. Big reds are catch-and-release in most of this region; keep them wet and revive them upright.
Tide and timing
Moving water over shoals and shell; the flood pushes fish onto the flats
First and last light for the shallow fish; bulls will eat mid-day on the shoals
Tackle
Puppies: 7' medium spinning, 15 lb braid. Bulls: 7'6" heavy, 40–50 lb braid, 60 lb leader
Check the regulations
Size and bag limits change by state and by season, and they change more often than any article gets updated. Check your state agency before you keep anything.
Sounder links the right state agency for wherever you drop a pin, and flags a fish that’s out of slot as you log it.