Welcome to the Red Parade

Remember sitting on the curb as a kid and waiting for the parade to start? Straining to look far down the street and listening intently for that faint sound of a distant marching band, you knew that once the first float rolled into sight, the crowd would erupt with elated cheers. That's how it is for Florida's Gulf Coast redfish at the warm season's outset.

In early spring, Capt. Geoff Page expects to find his redfish over shallow grass flats in one to three feet. With inland waters still in the low to mid-70s, the fish have yet to school up noticeably, so finding a handful of ready fish is wiser than hunting numbers. Having spent their winter months focused on crabs, shrimp and...