At the mouth of Mobile Bay on the eastern side is historic Fort Morgan. The War Between the States era Confederate fort marks the site of troubling times in our country's history.

Anglers in search of reds this month should have no trouble finding them within sight of Fort Morgan. On the north side, just east of the ferry dock in Mobile Bay, there are rock jetties protecting the shoreline. Redfish roam these jetties for food and can be caught on a variety of baits. D.O.A. shrimp under a cork, MirrOlures or soft plastics all take these reds.

On the south side of the fort is the Gulf of Mexico beach. Wade-fishermen can connect with big reds by using large spoons cast into the troughs just off the beach. Mr. Champ spoons in 3/4- and 1-ounce versions are great options for surf reds. The heavy weight of the spoons allows the wade-angler to cover more water on the retrieve.

Over at Orange Beach, the redfish action can be sporadic this month. Anglers spry enough to walk the rock jetties at Perdido Pass can hook up with both stringer-sized reds of 16 to 26 inches, or bull reds in the pass.

Dead shrimp on the bottom at the base of the rocks can entice redfish, as well as the occasional flounder. Wade-fishing on either side of the pass can result in redfish action as well.

Spoons, grubs and stick baits are good choices for beach reds. Be sure to use black steel leaders to keep hungry bluefish and Spanish mackerel from cutting you off.

PRO'S POINTERS
One of the reasons the redfish has enjoyed such a large measure of popularity amongst anglers recently is the growth of the professional redfish tournament circuits along the Gulf Coast. Anglers compete against each other in teams of two to see who can boat the heaviest two-fish stringer of redfish within a certain slot limit. Most tournaments require the fish to be between 16 and 26 inches to keep. Some tournaments allow a 27-inch maximum length, according to which state the event is taking place in.

Much like the professional bass fishing competitions, these redfish tournaments draw quite a bit of participation and television exposure for the redfish pros.

One such professional redfish angler is Barnie White of Brewton. The 35-year-old White fishes most of the tournaments with his father, Steve White. The father-and-son team has done quite well and both admit to learning a lot by fishing competitively.

Turning his attention strictly to redfish has taught Barnie White a few tricks for taking the species.

"I love it when the water warms in June and the bait becomes plentiful. It really gives you great opportunities to find good concentrations of redfish. I look for baits dancing along the surface of the water. This could be pogies or mullet working along in what I call bait balls," White explained." "The presence of these bait balls gives me confidence that reds will be near."

When it comes to White's favorite place to target "tournament-sized" redfish, he is torn between two spots.

"My first choice to fish would be the many ditches and channels flowing out south of the Interstate 10 bridge at the head of Mobile Bay. I like it best when the tide is low, concentrating fish in the channels. I start out by using a 1/2-ounce jighead with a Gulp! Shrimp on it. I simply drift along with the current and hop the bait along till I locate the fish," White said.