Best Live Bait for Redfish with William Toney

Why Do Live Bait Species Change Along the Gulf Coast?

Captain William Toney focuses on the stretch from north of Tampa to St. Marks in the panhandle where inshore fishing around mangroves and outside keys produces consistently. This Gulf coast area supports specific baitfish populations that redfish key on, making pinfish, shrimp, and mud minnows the primary live bait options.

How Does Mangrove and Key Structure Affect Bait Selection?

Toney's experience in this productive stretch reveals patterns in bait preference based on structure type, tidal flow, and seasonal movements. Understanding these relationships allows targeted bait selection rather than assuming all live baits produce equally.

What Techniques Keep Live Bait Available and Effective?

Trapping bait and using subsurface buoys prevents theft while maintaining fresh supplies. Pinfish, shrimp, and mud minnows require different handling and rigging approaches to keep them lively and attractive to feeding redfish.
Bait preparation techniques include:

• Proper hook placement maintaining natural swimming action
• Modifying pinfish for enhanced scent or vibration
• Making rigs suited to structure-heavy fishing around mangroves

Toney demonstrates rig construction and modification methods that improve bait effectiveness in the specific conditions this Gulf coast region presents.