Hopefully this question is easy. I've been fishing at Freeport since I was a kid but haven't had a boat until recently. I read the reports about catching fish over shell and see shell marked all over my map, but, how do you know when you are fishing over shell? To me, the bay looks all the same when I'm on the water.

In my experience the shell bottom is also a sandy, hard bottom generally. You'll know mud because it's typically darker in color and if you step out of the boat you'll sink in it. Plus you'll see bits of shell on the bottom, in the sand. The sand is usually lighter colored.

Because mud is darker it retains heat better than the lighter, more reflective shell/sand bottom. Therefore, in warm weather the fish will be over shell because the water is cooler. In cool weather the fish seek out the warmer water over mud.

That advise will cost two redfish...pay up please

The easiest way is to go on a good low tide and look around. Then you can mark everything on your GPS. You will find all sorts of reefs through that area.

Fetch-up's advise is excellent, that is exactly how I learned the area years ago. Just be careful, that area get real shallow at low tide.

Take a small pole with you and hit the bottom as you drift.

Unfortunately for that area, The sandy bottoms and shell do not always come together. Lots and lots of mud down there. Low tide is the best way to find it. Get you a push pole of some type. Give a few pokes around and see what is on the bottom if you cant see. Christmas and bastrop bays have lots of hidden reefs.

The north and south shores usually have the sandy bottoms with spotty reefs. Just be careful not to run up on them cause that's the easiest way to find a reef.

Thanks for the advice. I've spun out the prop before on a reef & it wasn't a fun ride back to the ramp at trolling motor speed.