A large live shrimp is perhaps the most prolific bait for catching
Redfish. I like to hook my shrimp once through the
tail. Again since we are using a stealth approach you should
use as small as hook as possible. You need enough mass in
your hook to properly hook and catch the fish, but understand also that
a hook too large will kill your bait and not allow it to move as
natural as possible.
When fishing with shrimp I like to freeline the shrimp with no added
weight.
This is where fishing with light line comes in handy. If you
use six or eight pound test line you will be able to cast much greater
distances than when using line of a heavier weight class.
In the hot summer months you will often find that large shrimp are not
always available. You can use smaller shrimp but you will
often find Snappers and other small fishing finding your line before a
Redfish will. You really should in these circumstances witch
to different bait.
Pinfish are the saltwater equivalent to the bluegill. They
make excellent bait, especially for truly large Redfish. As
good as shrimp are overall for Redfish if you are solely after a true
trophy bull Redfish you should try a Pinfish for bait. You
should fish in the same manner as when using shrimp but bulk up a
bit. Hook it once through the lips or upper back.
To get the full "My Approach When Going After Redfish" article you'll need to download it here.