Top redfish locations lie around the mouth of the Neches River, Coffee Ground Cove and the midlake area about three miles west of Johnson Bayou. "All of those areas are really good for reds," James said. They hold big schools of menhaden, and that is what these reds feed on."

MIDDLE GROUND
Another worthwhile spot --overlooked, and only producing during the absolute hottest part of the day -- is the midlake area just east of the Pleasure Island Yacht Basin. In 2007, many of the top anglers in the Redfish Cup scored well in this zone, as some of the larger reds tend to congregate here. Bring binoculars and focus on small groups of birds hitting the water or sitting. If you're lucky, you'll find the reds feeding full-on, boiling the water like offshore bonita. Chances are good that they'll be willing to hit virtually anything you throw at them.

As summer wears on and the menhaden are coming out in force, you can often find the reds feeding on top. They're easy to locate, but not so easy to approach. Reds are notoriously spooky, frequently inspiring anglers who seek them to carpet their boats in hopes of eliminating unnecessary sounds. Feeding reds are less easily spooked than are solitary ones, but they can still be cautious. The best advice is to approach slowly with a trolling motor and stay within easy casting distance. Boats that get too close often give them lockjaw.

Lipless crankbaits like the Rat-L-Trap are good for throwing into these areas, as are medium-running crankbaits typically designed for bass fishing, such as the Fat Free Shad. Proven redfish-getters, these baits allow you to cover lots of water. Another good choice is a DOA Shrimp fished on the bottom and crawled at a snail's pace. Sometimes these reds will hit the bait as soon as it hits the water; if they don't, be patient, and fish it slowly for best results.S

SOUTHERN OPTIONS
The jetty system south of Sabine Lake will hold redfish throughout the summer. The action ranges from mediocre to excellent, depending on the presence of tidal flow. Typically, at the southern tip of all jetties is an area in which the current washes out a large bowl. When the tide is strong and, in particular, going out, eddies form, and lots smaller baitfish gather in these spots. Redfish will stack up there and gorge themselves.

The all-around best bait in these scenarios is a live mud minnow (the bigger, the better) hooked through the tail and fished on a drop-shot rig. Hooked through the tail, the fish will swim upward and struggle, drawing the attention of redfish. The disadvantage of tail-hooking bait is that it makes it easier for the red to take the bait without getting hooked; the advantage is that it tends to draw more strikes. Freelining a mud minnow with a split-shot rigged 6 inches above the hook is also a good bet, but sometimes currents can make it difficult to get the bait down to the fish.

Another spot to try at the jetties are the boat cuts. They are productive on both outgoing and incoming tides, and redfish like to hang out from around 30 to 40 yards outside the cut itself. Live mud minnows or finger mullet fished on the bottom are good choices, but you might also catch a lot of small sharks, as they start moving in this month. For a shark-free experience, try a 1/2-ounce gold spoon dragged across the bottom or slowly trolled against the current. Reds are suckers for gold spoons and will sometimes hit them despite turning their noses to other offerings.