Another proven tactic for catching these reds involves drifting chunks of cut bait on a free line over dropoffs in the river channel. Use a depthfinder to identify large, suspended fish around ship-channel structure. These may be reds, and they can be caught with similar tactics to those employed to land suspended freshwater stripers. A free line consists simply of a hook and bait. Sometimes this rig won't sink quickly enough, so do not hesitate to modify it by pinching on a split shot as a weight. Rig your weight about a foot above the hook.

Anchoring on top of the dropoffs and pitching the free-lined bait into the deep water can result in some great catches. If your boat is equipped with a trolling motor, you might simply set it on low and slowly troll through the same spots to catch fish. Either method can work, but one may produce more or better fish on some days than will the other.

The prime time to catch true trophy reds is during the winter when the big fish hold over ledges and dropoffs in deep water. Redfish hang around some of the same locations during the summer, though it can be harder to get them to bite.

Other spots frequented by big reds are mussel beds that form in tributaries draining into the river channel. To catch these fish, try freelining chunks of cut mullet in a chum slick created by throwing out mashed-up pieces of menhaden, shrimp and squid or menhaden oil. When you first arrive at the spot, you may not immediately get a bite, but once you put the chum out, the fish should respond quickly. It doesn't take long for them to find the chum. If the fish don't show within 20 minutes, try another spot.

As spring turns into summer, target areas in the canal with good water flow such as large cuts coming out of the marsh and the intersections of rivers. Cooler water temperatures usually mean a higher content of dissolved oxygen, which benefits reds twofold: First, it gives them more oxygen, which they need to be effective predators, and, second, it attracts more baitfish. Scientists are learning that one of the reasons that certain fish species feed less aggressively during summer than they do in spring and fall is decreased levels of dissolved oxygen.