Lot of questions, please help.

[Reeling]

Been reading post for a while and thought I would ask some questions.
Nice website Dave.
Need some help please.
A buddy is taking a few of us out on his boat this weekend.
None of us have ever caught a redfish or have much fishing experience but we are trying to learn.
Our plan is to trailer his boat to charlotte harbor and fish the west wall for redfish.
We need some advice.
Is live bait best?
Do we look for fish or just find a place and start chumming?
Do we fish close to the shoreline or how deep?
His boat has a trolling motor and we can get live bait.

Any suggestions please.
Thanks in advance for a few newbie’s.

[Gone FishN]

I am no expert but have caught a few reds.

If you can get live bait use it.
Plastic and cut bait will work also.

Use your trolling motor and move along the shore line looking for them.

If your fishing the West Wall fish the mangroves close in.

[donahue_85]

I agree with GF.

Any bait will work, live bait best in my opinion, but plastics, top water & divers will work. Reds are not picky about their dinner! Fishermen, over the past, have found that Reds like lots of different types of bait & will go for almost anything. I suggest, go as close as you can to the shore line, Reds will hang out on the flats scouring anything they can find along the bottom. If you decide to use live shrimp, hook them through the tail area, that way they still seem to be alive & act as if they are swimming in defense mode when the fish goes to strike the bait. Reds are sometimes unnoticeable strikers, so be sure, pole is in hand at all times!! Once you get a fish on, you'll be in for the time of your life! These guys are something spectacular!   

[Reeling]

thanks for the help.

we did not go because the weather was bad

i hope we can go this weekend

i will keep you updated

[donahue_85]

Yeah, definately!!

Let us know which baits you like best & which ones worked best for you.

Also, if you can get any pics of anything you catch, post 'em!! We all love to see a pic of a good day fishing!   

[capeweather]

You could also try cut chunks of ladyfish along the mangroves. I have done well using this technique. Also, if you castnet your own bait and happen to get some small whitebait, hook two or three on at a time through the tail with a small splitshot weight to get it on the bottom. The constant wiggling from the whitebait really seems to get the attention of redfish or whatever else that might be cruising by.