If you have them alive, keep them alive? Or cut them?

For big reds.

Ive been trying live spot with no luck.

Eric

Eric - I am no expert, but I say use both ... and a couple crabs thrown in for good measure would not hurt. Last time we got into them we had runs on fresh cut and whole fish.

Kinda like the cobia I would think. Some days they gobble up the cut, somedays they will not touch it.

my 2 cents - Bo

That is kind of what I was thinking. Last time out at the ES we only used live spot and croaker.

I think I will try live spot, cut spot and cut menhaden.

Eric

I have caught Big Reds with Live Menhaden while targeting Cobia,but when I target Bull Reds I like to use Cut bait,Menhaden,Bluefish or Crab.On the bottom with a fish finder or an egg weight.

2ND the crab, I have only caught 2 BULL REDS ever; one ona peeler crab, and one while fly fishing using a crab fly in the surf.....

Mullet I know a couple of people that chase them up and down the coast and that is the number one bait for them and cut spot change bait every 15-20 min to new fot freshnes

i would say use whole bait bunker,spot whatever. we have had them hit live baits on top you never know fish top and bottom

2 cents

Half way down worked a time or two Sunday.

So float some bait too. I normally just fishfinder rig all the bait, live or dead.

Eric

I actually boated an almost 26" 9lb1oz red 3 weeks ago on cut squid. Ol' faithful.
If you can guess, Reds weren't the target fish. But no complaints here!