“It feels like my hand is burning…”

Sure enough, my hand was, in fact, burning. A 32-pound bull red was peeling across a channel deep in the Mississippi River Delta, taking with it 100 feet of line and a fair amount of my skin as Camille Egdorf McCormick and our guide, Travis Huckeba, looked on.

Louisiana redfish had been at the top of my short bucket list for many years, so when I was invited to join a group of incredible women at Journey South Outfitters in Venice, I nearly choked. The Mississippi Delta was and still is a mystery to me, and the thought of catching a massive marsh goldfish consumed most of my daydreams. 

They say weather and water clarity are key for targeting reds—mild temperatures, light winds and slightly cloudy skies with some sun breaks. So naturally we were looking at 15-knot winds, frigid temps, high, muddy water and rain for the two days we had to fish. No problem…

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