SANIBEL ISLAND, FLORIDA

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Anglers venturing to Sanibel Island near Fort Myers are interested mostly in catching snook or tarpon. But, for very consistent action for real battlers it is hard to beat the blacktip sharks that are abundant along the beach side of Sanibel. Though larger ones are possible, most of the blacktips weigh less than 50 pounds, are powerful fighters and even may take to the air when hooked.

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Medium to heavy tackle is needed for these fish and wire leaders are a must to prevent having to spend all your time retying rigs. Once at the boat a good dehooking device is invaluable, otherwise you could get tangled up with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth!

CAT ISLAND REDFISH

BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI

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It has been a bit short of three years since Hurricane Katrina ripped into the Mississippi Coast, but the results are still visible everywhere along the shore of that state. Cat Island is the westernmost of the Magnolia State's barrier islands and anchors that end of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The island ,12 miles due south of Biloxi, took a hit from Katrina that pushed a 20-foot storm surge over the isle, washing away every structure there. It also washed the My Lady Too over from Louisiana and deposited it on Cat Island's North Point.

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Fortunately, nature is very resilient. The marshes along the southern shore of the island in the Smuggler's Cove area have rebounded. Today they offer a vast area between the Gulf of Mexico and South Bayou that is full of hard sand and marsh grass. That combination provides ideal conditions for wading in search of redfish. These reds are not giants, running from 15 to 26 inches in length, but they readily attack jig-and-grub combos on spinning gear or a variety of flies tossed on the long rod. Getting to them requires a boat ride across the Mississippi Sound, out of the small boat harbor in Biloxi.

BULL REDS ON THE JETTIES

ST. MARYS, GEORGIA

The summer months bring an influx of big fish to the Georgia Coast as tarpon and bull redfish appear all along the beaches. One of the best places to intercept the hefty red drum is at the jetties at the mouth of the St. Marys River. The flow forms the border between Georgia and Florida, with the rock barriers at the mouth of the river reaching several miles out into the Atlantic Ocean. The historic old seaport town of St. Marys on the northside of the river is the jumping off point for the action.

Fishing live or dead baits on the bottom in the ship channel is the ticket for hooking into bruiser-sized reds that run from 15- to 40-pounds each. Just keep and eye out for the nuclear submarines that use the channel to exit Kings Bay Naval Station -- they kick up quite a wake in passing! To book a day of redfish action at St. Marys, contact Capt. John King at Saltgrass Charters. He's fished these waters for several decades and knows the angling well. 

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5/20/09