Morning
The morning is a great time to fish for redfish. Most of the hard-core anglers will be on the water when it is just starting to get light out. Moving water is still key for most inshore areas that you’ll be fishing, so any time you can fish during a tidal change in the morning, your odds of catching some redfish will improve dramatically. Some anglers report that the best topwater fishing for redfish comes in the mornings.
Afternoon
Most anglers prefer fishing in the morning or evening and you will typically get a better bite during the lowlight conditions when you have moving water, but the afternoon can be good for redfish too. The key is moving water. If there is a tidal change during the afternoon, the fishing should still be good. Because it is so hot in the southern coastal states where most redfish are caught, the majority of anglers won’t fish during the afternoon as much from May through September. Fishing in 90 degree heat and sunny skies are definitely not ideal conditions for fishing. In the winter and early spring, the warmth from the afternoon sun will provide more comfortable fishing conditions for anglers and the warmer water temperatures in the afternoon can actually help to improve the fishing.
Evening
Some anglers will argue that evening fishing is better than any other time of day for redfish. The fishing will definitely be good in the evening, especially if you are fishing during a tidal change. Redfish will feed actively on a variety of crabs, shrimp and bait fish as the sun sets. The evening is one of the most consistent times to fish for redfish.
Night
Redfish will feed throughout the night. Because it can be quite difficult to fish the flats at night, most anglers will target redfish off the piers, bridges, around the passes, near docks and at the mouths of tidal creeks. If you can find some lights on the piers, bridges or docks, there’s a good chance you will find some fish. The lights help attract bait fish and redfish will not be far behind. When fishing at night, you need to be careful. During the day, you may want to scout some of the areas that you’d like to fish at night. This can help make your trip a more successful one. Fishing with a friend, having a good fish finder, gps, flashlights and a cell phone will also help keep you safe.
