Use larger hook sizes in Fall and Winter months as you prepare to hunt down larger redfish game. Short, quick, aggressive stripping will have the fly gurgling through the water and will trigger a natural reflex that makes fish want to eat. Getting the fly to drop deep gains more bites. A floating line will be just fine for most scenarios, but an intermediate line is excellent for the deeper water. Low summer tides mean baitfish being flushed into the shallows and the reds having a field day. Spoonfly When: Summer and fall; Who: The following guides specialize in Texas redfishing: Middle Texas Coast: Capt. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Most are designed to have the perfect amount of weight to slowly flutter down to the bottom and not rapidly sink into the weeds where fish cant see it. In Georgia the water is dark and turbid, and the tides run hard and high. Youll end up tying this fly on very often because once you get that rush of adrenaline watching Redfish and Trout blow it up out of the water, you'll be addicted. Retrieve this fly with steady, slow strips and it will mimic the movement of a fleeing crab. The Charleston, South Carolina, area has vast inshore areas offering fly rodders great opportunities for red-drum fishing. The dark color and bulky body make an easy-to-find target for Georgia reds, Kennedy says. Do some research beforehand by asking local experts and guides which flies are likely . Id heard stories about redfish in the Biloxi Marsh, but on my first trip to Louisiana for monster drum in 2006, I saw a golden tail the size of a shovel break the surface 50 yards ahead. It needs to be small. The fly hit the water and the redfish inhaled it like it was the best meal it had ever seen. . A lot of times they'll eat a fly just because it's moving drop it close to them, one strip, and they engulf it. In most cases, this will include a 9 or 10 weight fly rod, a 25 lb to 30 lb test 7.5 to 9 foot tapered leader, and crab patterns or poppers (depending on conditions). All of the fish you choose to keep must measure between 20-28 inches. The redfish game is simple. Here are our favorite flies for Redfish. Its important to remember that thousands of redfish flies work very well. An oversized head with a long tail made of saddle hackles. You need to ensure to scan the course with your eyes, particularly when fishing in shallow waters. Gjuro Bruer, maneuvered his skiff into casting range, and I managed to place one of my best redfish flies just a few feet ahead of this thing, which looked like a giant koi. Fished in the Gulf Coast region, you cant go wrong with a chartreuse and white color that has a large eye. The best fly choice: a good-size shrimp that sinks quickly. What makes the Spoonfly so unique and such a fish-catcher are the same things that make the Johnson Weedless Minnow a hit for bait-casters and spin fishermen. They typically have heavy amounts of weight and little bulk to get the fly down to the sandy bottom fast. 1.4 4. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | About | Contact | The Team | Advertise with Guide Recommended, Disclosure: "This site is owned and operated by River Traditions LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Michigan, USA. For food and shelter, they seek out sea-grass beds, mangroves, marshes, oyster bars, mud and sand flats and beaches. These eyes are much lighter and will give you a slower sink rate. The fools gold pattern is ideal for this as it sinks fast and has excellent movement in the water. Flies with lead eyes are going to sink fast and are best used in water depths of 2+ feet or when you want to crawl your fly along a sandy bottom. Redfish in the lagoon and Indian River systems of Florida's space coast have an obsession with this type of fly. Most have been well tested via the school of hard fishing knocks endorsed by the anglers who cast them and the redfish that eat them. Texas Sporting Journal, "Light Tackling Tarpon", May 2015. Jim West, 409-996-3054 The Kwan fly is a great fly for sight fishing to Redfish in a few inches of water because its light weight allows it to land softly on the water, is easy to cast far distances, and has a slow sink rate that suspends with great movement. The fly doesnt really resemble anything specific, but it catches fish. The fly is only available in one size, but colors are almost limitless. Fly fishing has been my passion and pursuit for the past 20 years. Fiddler crabs, shrimp, and baitfish are on the menu, so its essential to have flies that imitate them. Its all sight fishing from small kayaks, canoes and flats skiffs, and the fish go crazy for popping bugs, according to Wesley Parks, avid fly rodder and manager of McCoy Outdoors Fly Shop (334-432-3006) in nearby Mobile. The fishing is good, but different, and the type of fly required to dupe reds is different too. Ive also caught flounder, ladyfish, bluefish, jacks, Spanish mackerel and snook on Spoonflies. Watch the waves roll close to the beach, and look for a red as breaking water crests. Tackle choices aside, the size of your fly can be the most important factor. There are so many fish feeding its actually ridiculous. That means using stout tackle for casting: Try a 9-weight for fish to 20 pounds and a 10-weight for heavier bulls. I, for one, have a boat bag that has all my gear and flies in. Texas Sporting Journal, "The Real Laguna Madre", July 2013 They simply cannot resist the flicker and flutter as it moves through the water. Plus, we've also written about the best fly reel for Reds and the best fly line for Reds. When it comes to fly fishing, Texas is an up-and-coming state with a lot to offer anglers. Other shrimp patterns to consider are grass shrimp and hybrids like redfish Ritalin. If all goes as planned, hooking reds well over 30 pounds is the welldeserved reward.. Guiderecommended.com and River Traditions LLC participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and others, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other companies." Captain Jeff offers fantastic half day, full day, and multi day trips fly fishing for redfish along the Texas Coastal Bend. This has all the characteristics of the Seaducer yet adds more of a shrimp look. Fish often have trouble tracking their prey in these conditions. The Electric Bunny doesnt seemingly resemble one particular redfish menu item, but they find its crabby silhouette irresistible. With all these factors in mind, lets go over five of the top producing Redfish fly patterns that every angler needs in their box. When poling in the marsh, anglers look for wakes, tails and bodies near oyster bars and mud flats. Montgomery designed the fly for chasing world-record-size reds around the clear waters of the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana, which he does with client Robert Cunningham Jr., who has boated several potential record fish wit this streamer. 1. I use large, black bead eyes most of the time, but always tie some flies with lead eyes for deeper water. I am a South African based fly fisherman who loves nothing more than spending a day on the water. The Electric Slider is another classic redfish pattern designed for muddy and stained water. The saltwater flats near Aransas Pass and Port Aranasas are a mecca for flyanglers hoping to hook redfish or speckled trout. We could fill a whole book with discussions of what Redfish eat in any given situation, but when deciding which fly to tie on,start with "matching the hatch". The only difference between here and southern Florida and Texas: These reds range from 15 pounds up to almost 50. Crab flies come in two different styles and can be fished two different ways. The defining characteristics are a Craft Fur tail, a few wraps of chenille, and then some type of brush to build the head of the fly. Anglers must be ready to cast as soon as the boat lines up. Therefore, tackle choices revolve more around casting and presentation ease than on fighting the fish. You need a set of flies in your arsenal that covers the entire water column, from topwater, to bottom crawling, and everything in between. This is followed up with some flashing and then some buck tail tied towards the front of the hook on all sides that extends just beyond the hook bend. Its simple design and ease to fish are what I love about it. Eric Glass, @captainericg, 956-434-1422; Galveston Bay: Capt. The original was white and silver but the color combinations and sizes are infinite. Dustin's Destroyer, Chartreuse and White. One variation of this pattern is the Redfish Cracklin, it adds in tons of movement with legs in the tail and a super buggy brush head. For a slow-sink fly, a bucktail tail is good. With diverse locations and ample opportunity, it is a great place to try fly fishing for the first time or the hundredth. But this doesnt always mean you will be successful. The fools gold pattern is ideal for this as it sinks fast and has excellent movement in the water. Traditionally it is tied with a Craft Fur tail, a little flash, a small attractor/egg hot spot, a palmered hackle collar, segmented sections of yarn or EP fibers, and some beadchain or lead eyes. With all the grass around, a weed guard is a must to be in with a shot at hooking a Red. Let's take a closer look at what awaits you on a Texas redfish adventure. The Texas coast between Port O'Conner and Rockport offers excellent opportunities to sight cast for redfish, as well as occasional shots at black drum, speckled trout, and sheepshead. Next the tubing is poked at liberally with a needle or ice pick to unfurl the mylar, giving it a frizzy appearance. Redfish are predominantly found in shallow waters, so a floating line will be just fine. The marsh features a series of shallow ponds connected by channels, all of which come lined with even shallower oyster bars and mud flats. Guide Tip: Redfish grow to true trophy sizes. Wading the surf with a fly rod ranks right near the top of most peoples list of favorite things to do, and the only guidance youll need can come from a quick visit to a local fly shop. It all depends on the flies you are using and what depth of water you are fishing in. A couple of small rubber legs are tied fore and aft of the Furry Foam body, which is then coated with a quick-drying two-part epoxy. He used Gartside's Super-Secret Stuff as a flash material but here we will use Hareline's Ice Wing Fiber as a substitute. Fools Gold crab pattern is my first choice for tailing Redfish. We spent 3 days exploring the area in search of Redfish. Most of the fish weigh less than 15pounds, but every so often youll find a school of 20-pounders. Scientists have documented this redfish population as the first ever known to spawn in an estuary (versus offshore). The Kung Fu Crab is a must when fishing the mangroves and grass plains. One or two flying sharks is worth a look, but a dozen simultaneous eruptions deserves full throttle and a shout on the radio, she says. Give us a call here at the shop at (888) 413-5211 or email us anytime at[emailprotected]. The weighted versions can help in the deeper waters, and a weed guard is imperative for this pattern. This fly has a slow sink rate and suspends just below the surface of the water making this a great choice when sight fishing on the shallow flats. The Clouser closely resembles a glass minnow, one of the most plentiful bait fishes seen in back lakes and coves. The fly is finished by tying in three dark but iridescent wild-turkey breast feathers that splay outward from the head over the hook point and bend, which makes it look very crab-like. Almost any fly that imitates such forage works well. The bulls chase baitfish in the shallows, and the Everglades Special is the key! Its tied in a size 2 hook, with a dark Furry Foam diamond-shaped body and lead eyes tied on the shank top, just forward of the hook bend. Everglades National Park offers prime redfish habitat with miles of flats. In weedy water, the Sheka is tied with a monofilament-loop weed guard. Its a pretty basic fly, with a small head and burnt nylon eyes. The best is to get the fish to see the fly, and you will generally hook them. My idea of a nice red was a 7-pounder in Floridas Everglades National Park. . The Redfish tend to like its smaller profiling in the colder months, especially on the clearer days. The productive color combinations are plenty, but the pattern always remains the same, a dark back with a light belly. From the shape of the spoon, to the angle of the hook, to the amount of flash on the back end; it all factors in to how the spoon sinks, wobbles, and flutters in the water. Redfish fishing tips for fly anglers should include examples of the right gear for the job. I had never seen a tail that big or that color. Reds can spot a bright Sheka Shrimp fly from a long distance and can be counted on to home in quickly for a fast meal. The straight style, like the Straight-Shooter Crab pictured, has the hook shank positioned perpendicular to the crab body. Rick Hartman, an expert fly fisherman and guide, poles a skiff in the Lower Laguna Madre while a friend casts for redfish. When these marks started erupting in huge, gold splashes, we figured out that they were huge schools of redfish and that we had to be ready for them to pop up at any time.. Offshore, in the surf, or next to deep channels are the ideal locations to use this fly. Fiddler, stone and mud crabs inhabit the Charleston marshes, and their colors are muted, from brown to a dark tan to almost chocolate. These patters offer a solid profile and tied with the right materials and weight move beautifully throught the water. March 14: Exec Mtg - ZOOM March 10-12: Bolivar Marshes March 24-26: Harmon Creek Outing March 28: Monthly Mtg. As far as fly anglers are concerned, it is primarily a super-shallow water redfish destination . Greens and golds are the first choices in smaller #2 and #4. Location: Houston, Texas. Clouser Minnow needs no introductions or explanations! With hundreds of creeks, bays and tidal washes that abound in the area, this region is a vast labyrinth of dark-stained tidewater.