Seeing reds but not catching them...

They're just noting hungry. It happens sometimes

Did you try live bait?

Sometimes they just ain't biting.

quote:

---

Got to burn arse with that gold spoon

---

Yup

Been there done dat! If they ain't hungry it can be very frustrating. I've burned arse with spoons, plastics, live bait, everything but dynamite. Only burned arse in the boat was mine. Sometimes it's just easier to crank up the motor go for a boat ride and have an adult beverage.

It should also be mentioned that there are several fish that make fairly similar wakes in our shallow marsh. Sheepshead, Black Drum, and Mullet are all in the same areas and bolting like crazy when a boat invades their territory. I'm not saying you don't know the difference but are you seeing fish scurry or are you seeing slow wakes after things have calmed down and you've been quiet for a while?

Sometimes, fish just aren't eating but when I'm fishing really clean water and can see them distinctly, I've found very few redfish that I clearly saw that wouldn't eat if they weren't spooked first. That said, I'm usually using a spinner or a spoon in this circumstance and if I haven't absolutely identified the species, I'm aware that none of the fore mentioned species are likely to bite what I'm using so I try not to get frustrated...

When they are like that, I turn to the gold spoon.

I've had that happen a few times. The first time like you I became giddy thinking we were about to limit out in 10 minutes. Not a bite.

Sure they were reds?

Sheepshead will stay right up against the grass and when they spook they can be easily confused with reds. They won't go for most of your typical redfish lures and it can get very frustrating trying to get a bite if you don't have any shrimp imitation or live/dead shrimp to entice them.

Last trip out I ran into the same issue- thought the pond was full of reds but couldn't buy a bite. . . I switched to some market shrimp and began catching sheep like crazy! All the fish I thought were reds were most likely sheep all along.

That being said, when you are sure they are reds but they aren't biting, I like to use a jerk shad type and fish it slow out in front of them. Slight twitches and a little finesse go a long way on those days. Corks and topwaters typically won't work in these situations because they spook easily. A wakebait can work well if there's no grass.

Try a Mann's 1- Minus Crankbait in blue chrome or hot pink.