For the deer hunters, duck hunters, squirrel and rabbit hunters it's over! The Super Bowl has been decided and baseball is just getting started. So now what do we do? For all of us that live in the South and love salt water fishing, it's our turn now!

Yes, I do love to catch those bass and there is nothing better than a mess of tasty white perch, but pound for pound, inch for inch there is NOT a better fighting fish than those spot tailed red fish! If you have never been red fishing do yourself a favor and try it, you'll love the fight and the pull. As for eating, it's one of the best fish that you will ever eat! I'm going to include a great recipe at the end of this article. For those of you that have been waiting since November to get back after those red devils I'm going to share some sure fired tips to make your trip more successful.

Believe me when I tell you, we know how to catch red fish. Last year my fishing team and I caught over 12,000 red fish! A lot of our guests that fished with us are from Alabama and have already booked their trips for the spring. Let's start with equipment. Your favorite bass rod will be just fine. We recommend a 6 1/2 to 7 foot medium to medium heavy rod, spinning or bait caster and 12 pound test. We prefer the 7 footers for those long cast when you are sight fishing.

We also like green line to match the water color. There are a couple of things to remember about your equipment whether using what you have or buying new. First, if you are using your own stuff have it serviced by a professional, our friends at Mark's can help you there. Salt water is tough on reels and a good serving can make the difference between a great day of catching or a trip from hell because your reel doesn't work right! If you're buying new for your trip, ask a pro at Mark's to help you in your selection. Proper drag, line capacity and comfort make all the difference in the world.

Next check those guides, it's easy for them to get chipped loading and unloading them from your truck. Just take a piece of cotton and pull it through each guide, if it snags even the smallest piece, have it replaced. I can't tell you how many times I've had guests on my boats and started seeing their line fray because of a chip in a line guide. Now that we have our equipment ready, let's talk lures. In Alabama, the best guide for red fishing is Capt. JT Duddy, and he recommends soft plastic or rattle traps for artificial and finger mullet, pen fish and tiger minnows for live bait.

In Louisiana there is one bait above all others! A Johnson 1/4 oz. gold spoon! Now let me tell you, I carry a tackle box the size of a small car and have tried every lure ever made and if I had to have just one lure, it would be the gold spoon. Another great lure in Louisiana is the "She Dog". If you are looking for heart stopping action, tie one of those on and just wait for the explosion! As far as bait goes, dead shrimp on a cork works great.

Give a kid a cork and a shrimp and they can catch all they want! There are a lot of gimmicks out there, but these are tried and tested baits! Let's see, equipment, baits - Oh yeah, where to go! You thought that I would never get there! Well here is the guarantee, try these spots that I'm going to give you and you will catch fish! Of course there is always the fine print, wind, rain, tide movement and just plain bad luck, but these spots consistently produce fish! In Alabama JT says to fish the passes, Fort Morgan, Perdido Pass and Little Lawson Pass.

A falling tide is best and fish near shore around any structure such as rocks or docks or piers. This is open water fishing so keep an eye out for rough weather. In Louisiana come to Lafitte or Venice and go straight to the nearest marsh pond. These are pockets of water off the main channels or canals. This is where the juveniles live, the 16 to 24 inch fish. The marsh ponds are on the average of 2 to 4 feet of water and each pond can hold from 5 to 25 fish each.

The specific areas in Lafitte are Bayou Dupont and Little Lake. In Venice, the Wagon Wheel or South West Pass. These areas will not let you down! Finally, limits, in Alabama you can keep 3 fish per person per day between 16 and 26 inches and one over 26 inches in your limit. In Louisiana the slot is the same, but you can keep 5 fish per person per day. For more information about tips and fishing conditions or booking a trip in Alabama, call JT at 1-877-228-2486 and he'll fix you right up.

And of course in Louisiana call Capt. Griff at 1-800-741-1340 and I'll take you "catchin" not fishin! Last but not least, here is how we cook our red fish. I am going to warn you first though, if you cook it up like this and invite some friends over they might never leave! Y'all enjoy, be safe and courteous on the water, keep what you're going to eat and put the rest back for another day and most important, take a kid fishing in our great outdoors!

Capt. Raymond Griffin Griffin Fishing Charters www.griffinfishing.com

Pan Broiled Red Fish
1. Go catch a couple
2. Filet them out, NO bones please!
3. Sprinkle garlic salt and lemon pepper on both sides
4. Pour 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet
5. Warm to a medium heat
6. Place 2 or 3 filets in the skillet and cook until the edges curl up
7. Flip and cook for two minutes on the other side
8. Finish off with a few dashes or Worcestershire sauce just for color
9. Serve with seasoned rice or potatoes
10. Lock your door and turn off the lights so you don't have to share!