Ive also caught flounder, ladyfish, bluefish, jacks, Spanish mackerel and snook on Spoonflies. While these large flies are still useful to have during the summer . When youre seeing lots of Redfish up on the flats, tie this fly on and let the good times roll. Ive almost been tempted to tie some very small ones for trout. I set the hook, and the fish rocketed along the shoreline, throwing mud and water. For more about chasing redfish with a fly rod, find Chico Fernandezs book Fly Fishing for Redfish. My choice is an 8wt setup, but you should fish what you feel comfortable with. Re: Redfish Flies. These large-shouldered predators spend time cruising marshy coastlines searching for crabs, shrimp, and small baitfish. Traveling angler and world-record holder Meredith McCord lives in Texas and fishes its flats for redfish every chance she gets. Fly Fishing the texas coast. Iknow it works because the guides keep all my leftovers. It's one . Normally, youll scout reds in less than 2 feet of water by looking for wakes, tails and bodies. Colors run the gamut too, from pink to orange, and from yellow to hot green. Best Times & Seasons to Catch Redfish in Texas (Full Guide) Imagine the crystal-clear waters of Mexico and the Caribbean, and then add in the bright copper of redfish cruising the white-sand flats and brilliantyellow grass beds. Greens and golds are the first choices in smaller #2 and #4. Need something interesting to read, so post up your favorite redfish flies. The King Fu Crab swims hook point up, which is excellent, and the weed guard just makes double sure there arent any snags. Here in North Florida, this is usually in mid to late spring. What are the top reasons to fly-fish at Bay Flats Lodge? Ponte Vedra Beach skiff guide Larry Miniard (904-285-7003) has a pet redfish fly he uses in this area called the Turkey in the Straw, which he and fishing pal Brent London devised. What a rush. It retrieves through pencil reeds, spartina grass, over rocks, oysters and through brush as well as any weedless lure. The Electric Bunny doesnt seemingly resemble one particular redfish menu item, but they find its crabby silhouette irresistible. This one-two punch is a tried and true classic for catching reds. Summer Redfish Flies. Consequently, those are the best hues for Aldermans Zap-A-Crab. The weed guard is essential to the success of the fly. However, the Electric Sliders dark coloration, coupled with the intelligent use of ingredients, gives it great movement, making it the perfect choice for the marsh. Sometimes, they can be a bit more technical. Fly Fishing for Texas Redfish: Dolphin and Redfish photo by Marjie Glodberg: We're a big fan of awesome photos showing action and drama! This stunning shot was taken by professional photograher Marjie Goldberg from Florida. Its a simple Superglue fly Ben can make in about 10 minutes. I use large, black bead eyes most of the time, but always tie some flies with lead eyes for deeper water. The Fishing Experience at Baffin Bay! Colors I do not leave home without are: Black/Purple, and Brown/Tan. Out in the St. Johns River channel, the bull reds congregate. With all these factors in mind, lets go over five of the top producing Redfish fly patterns that every angler needs in their box. Fast, free shipping, expedited shipping available, earn 5% Rewards.A list of the most popular flies in Texas, along with hatch charts, river reports, and other helpful information to make your next trip to Texas the best trip yet. In fall and winter, the Biloxi Marsh comes alive for fly anglers targeting big bull reds that cruise the ponds and channels. The cost is $16.00 per person per day. The Mylar tubing is folded over lengthwise, and secured to the hook shank. The spoon fly excels by flashing and emitting low frequency vibration sounds as its being stripped. 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. Like Charleston, certain parts in the South have what we call a flood tide. Try white, chartreuse or black colors on a 2/0 Gamakatsu stinger hook. Turkey in the Straw A tailing red may be one of the easiest reds to catch, but they can be very particular at times as well. These fish, without a doubt, make for an incredibly memorable fly fishing trip. It is hand-tied by Jim Dupre and finished with an epoxy coating, making it bulletproof. 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. 5 Best Flies for Redfish Fly Fishing - The Fly Crate On warmer days, work a surface-popper or gurgler pattern in white or in dark colors such as black and purple. 4. With a mix of unpredicted weather conditions, we were in for quite the weekend. He and his clients fish it slow, slower and slower still. The Redfish Crack fly is a proven and very successful fly increasing in popularity in the Texas and Louisiana fisheries. As mentioned in the above setup section, fly rods, reels, and lines are entirely up to you. The Electric Chicken was originally tied to mimic the electric chicken plastic bait. Saltwater Flies. Look for big redfish laid up at the surface like tarpon. 1.1 1. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. View the Candy Corn Crawler pattern on our Online Fly Shop. The grass beds of South Florida waters (above) attract school-size reds in great numbers. Starting at $6.16. Guide Tip: Redfish grow to true trophy sizes. The bug is copper-colored, traditional bass-bug size, with a stainless hook and a Flashabou tail. 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. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing reviews to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success. But because tides run so strong, flats fishing can be difficult, more difficult than that found elsewhere in the Southeast, even in areas as close as Florida and South Carolina. Boats leave from dozens of ports, and the runs to the flats can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour. It has a large front collar that pushes water and the head to tail contrast makes it highly visible and attractive to fish. Anglers can accidently bump into these schools, but many guides, such as Capt. Sight Cast Fishing Company Top 5 Redfish Flies Redfish in the lagoon and Indian River systems of Florida's space coast have an obsession with this type of fly. The straight style, like the Straight-Shooter Crab pictured, has the hook shank positioned perpendicular to the crab body. The setup you choose to use depends entirely on your ability as a fly fisher. I like the fly in the mud crab color of dark brown /green in size #2. 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. Retrieve this fly with steady, slow strips and it will mimic the movement of a fleeing crab. Texas Sporting Journal, "Light Tackling Tarpon", May 2015. Outdoors Digest - Herald Democrat Big Carolina bull reds can weigh up to 80 pounds (the all-tackle world-record redfish a 94-plus-pounder was caught in 1984 out of Avon, North Carolina), so obviously they prefer larger bait, such as smelt, bunker and croaker, which also attract bigger birds. Texas claims two others, and North Carolina one. Usually most crab flies you find in the big box stores are designed to target permit or bonefish. The central-coast redfish waters include the jetties of Port OConnor and the grass flats of Rockport, all with shorelines similar to those in Louisiana. Kennedy nicknamed this all-black cone-headed Wooly Bugger the American Express Fly because he never leaves home without it. In addition, the predominant species you might encounter in Texas Saltwater Fly Fishing is the red [fish] and black drum. This simple fly has heavy eyes and sinks quickly. The Electric Slider is another classic redfish pattern designed for muddy and stained water. Redfish are prevalent from the southeastern coast of the US to Texas. For a slow-sink fly, a bucktail tail is good. It's a great pattern for sight fishing. Just sales, new product updates, fly tying tutorials, and important news! The Devils River is legendary to anglers in Texas. Many tyers will add in some small bead chain or lead eyes depending on the depth of water you intend to fish and additions such as silicone legs and/or mono-eyes into the tail section will give the fly a buggy look that Redfish cannot resist. The basic shape of the fly tends to replicate many sources of the Redfishs diet, such as shrimp, small baitfish, and crabs. 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. 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 shrimp-tipped jig is the icing on the cake, and the redfish can't resist the smell. A popping cork is ideal when the fish are acting particularly lethargic. And Id bet striped bass and salmon would go bonkers for em too. A small orange grizzly feather is tied in at the head to look like a fiddler-crab claw, with a single stiff mono weed guard positioned from the head toward the hook point. Its for this style of hunt-and-cast redfishing that guide Ben Alderman (843-906-3630) devised his favorite redfish fly, the Zap-A-Crab. These omnivores, with their underslung mouths, scour the grass and mud for prey. Fly Fishing Laguna Madre on the Texas Coast - Flylords Mag Floating on the surface, Gurglers will pop, splash, and create noise when being retrieved. 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 bead-chain or lead eyes. Sharks can also be a drum indicator, she adds, because they like the same foods. The Lower Laguna Madre is one of the finest spots to fly fish for red fish (red drum), black drum, speckled trout, flounder, tarpon, snook, sheepshead, and ladyfish. This makes the fly feel exactly like a crab in the fishs mouth, he says, so a redfish rarely rejects the fly before an angler can set the hook. Fly-fishing, Light Tackle, Sight Casting, Shallow Water Fishing Charters in The Lower Laguna Madre in South . . Getting the fly to drop deep gains more bites. Find out where the action is, what the water conditions are and everything you need for a successful day on the water! Most of them imitate the crabs, shrimp, and baitfish that make up the majority of the redfish diet. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. As with all flats-fishing, you look for wakes, tails and bodies. Read -> What is the Biggest Redfish Caught. 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. Read about the BIGGEST Caught >, Casting a Fly to Snook is amazing. However, once the guide finds fish, the rest is up to you. The best colors are chartreuse and pink chenille, and I will fish this pattern if nothing else is working. Fish this fly slow and allow it to sink,then with very small, crawling strips you will mimic the movement of a defensive crab. The Spoonfly is about as weedless as the Johnson lure. I am a South African based fly fisherman who loves nothing more than spending a day on the water. Quickly toss the fly in front of the fish before it heads back out to sea. Rick Hartman, an expert fly fisherman and guide, poles a skiff in the Lower Laguna Madre while a friend casts for redfish. 3. The Clouser closely resembles a glass minnow, one of the most plentiful bait fishes seen in back lakes and coves. The weighted versions can help in the deeper waters, and a weed guard is imperative for this pattern. There are various signs to look for to help us decide how to fish for them. Fly fishing trips are limited to two anglers per boat. If you find redfish feeding near the surface, a topwater fly works really well. A Marsh of Your Own: How to Catch Redfish by Kayak Let's take a closer look at what awaits you on a Texas redfish adventure. Gin clear water makes these fish very skittish when in shallow water situations. A subtle fly or plug pulled gently in front of a . 9 ft leader is standard with 25-30lbs breaking strain tippet. Most of the flies featured in this article are available for sale in the Saltwater Fly Shop and are designed to target inshore species in the Gulf Coast region. Most gurglers are built with a foam body with an aggressive front head and have a marabou, buck tail, or craft fur tail. I like to think of it as the woolly bugger for reds. 1. Redfish feed on a variety of marsh-like critters. It is tied in in smaller sizes, so it doesn't make much disturbance when it lands. Virtually every region of salt or brackish water in the greater Jacksonville area holds reds, according to local anglers. The fly is then adorned with a bit of colored hackle and a wire weed guard. Caudal and dorsal fins poking above the surface usually give away the fishs presence. Thanks for signing up! The Chornobyl Crab is similar to the Ragin' Craven, with a deer hair body that traps air bubbles and makes a commotion in the water. I like tans, greens, and lighter colors. From the shape of the spoon, to the angle of the hook, to the amount of material tied at the bend of the hook; it all factors in to how the spoon sinks, wobbles, and flutters in the water. In the summer, mullet start to move through the surf, and that signals game on for fly fishermen. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Electric Slider Fly. The EP Baitfish is a Gurgler-like pattern that moves water and pops on the surface to trigger an aggressive Redfish eat. Chasing Redfish Off the South Texas Gulf Coast I like the neutral colors for the Kwan in sizes #4. The daily bag on redfish in Texas is three fish in a slot limit of 20 to 28 inches . One fish though, when it's a nice redfish like those we caught that day, can do the soul a world of good. SUMMARY. Calm conditions are best for spotting redfish in dark water, but sometimes during strong autumn noreasters great flats action can be had. Northeast Florida anglers seldom see cruising redfish beneath the surface. Hook Sizes for Redfish Flies? - TexasKayakFisherman.com My choice would be a medium to fast action rod with some backbone to roll over the larger patterns. Starting at $6.16. We respect your privacy. Short, quick, aggressive stripping will have the fly gurgling through the water and will trigger a natural reflex that makes fish want to eat. To find out more about the regulations for the reservoirs call (210) 635-8289 or visit the TPWD website https://tpwd.texas.gov/. These anglers are chasing red drum, the target of choice for a growing legion of fly anglers, thanks to the fact that there are more red drum in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters today than weve seen in years. Tackle choices aside, the size of your fly can be the most important . Much like all other crab flies, it should be able to perform crawling along the bottom and the legs and claws should flutter with bite-enticing movement. The Everglades Special is one of those baitfish patterns that will just about catch any predatory fish. 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. . We are lucky that Redfish are such a forgiving fish to target. . Crab flies come in two different styles and can be fished two different ways. Its simple design is very deadly for many species, especially Redfish. When: Summer and fall; Who: The following guides specialize in Texas redfishing: Middle Texas Coast: Capt. The fly is only available in one size, but colors are almost limitless. He uses a No. It is a day that will live forever in infamy for Americans: the date of Dec. 7. The redfish run from average, 4 to 7 pounds, to big, 12 to 15 pounds. I like it in the colors of tans, beiges, and reds with some crystal flash and legs. He guides when not teaching and devised the Gold Frizzy for redfish because it does a good job of imitating a gold, flashing and wobbling spoon likely the No. We promise we won't spam your inbox with stuff you don't care about. Redfish are very forgiving in that they will eat again on a second attempt and often follow anything that looks like food. These are all suggestions and please wear what you feel comfortable in. Gear up with giant Clouser flies and sinking lines that range from 450 to 700 grains. For larger species, you might try a 2/0 to 4/0. Yes, there are a few minor differences, but they feed and act in the same way for the most part. 5 Best Places to Catch Redfish in Texas - Freshwater Fishing Advice Redfish can be found all along the coast, stretching from Texas, around the Gulf to Florida, and up the Atlantic to parts of the Northeast, preferring water temperatures between 65-85 degrees. Suppose you arent accustomed to casting the heavier rods its best to practice on the grass and get more confident. They eat with ease and love to chase the fly. Sometimes the bite is on and game fish will aggressively smack anything thats thrown in front of them. I had never seen a tail that big or that color. Those are the good days. There are many variants of topwater flies, the classic Gurgleris just one example. 3 thoughts on " Redfish Flies " Scott Kor says . That said, Im an 8wt shooter myself, and I feel an 8wt setup is ample to target most reds in their environment. You can play with tippet strengths but stick to what you are happy to fish and go from there. The olive and brown combo is my favorite on a size #1 hook. Eric Glass, @captainericg, 956-434-1422; Galveston Bay: Capt. As you approach the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf coasts, all that changes. REDFISH FLIES Red's Fly Shop The Razmatz is an excellent choice for a shallow, dirty water fly pattern. Dure wont divulge exactly how he molds epoxy into just the right shape to produce a replica wobble of the Johnson spoon. Chasing Redfish Off the South Texas Gulf Coast. Texas - The Fly Fishing Guide Directory "Top 4" Redfish Flies - Backwater Fly Fishing / Jesse Males Microscopic Monsters of the Ocean: King Mackerel, Protect the Blue Key West: Remote Control. Strip this fly slow and with short pauses to allow it time to shimmer down into the water column. Marsh grasses remain a favorite destination for anglers hoping to hook reds. Often this sound carries across the marsh from two or three coves over. This area is chalked full of bayous and canals, dotted with innumerable lakes, bays, ponds, and . Rockport fly fishing is some of the best on the entire Texas Coast. The fishing for trophy trout and redfish on Texas' Baffin Bay is nothing short of spectacular and our experienced guides can't wait to show you our neck of the woods. Floating on the surface, they pop, splash, and create noise when being stripped. Kwan is the fly to have for those quiet, cold winter days on the water. Head down south to the Louisiana fishing playgrounds in and around New Orleans and the Biloxi Marsh area, an estuary network of 210,000 acres of coastal wetlands located on the eastern side of Louisiana, which borders the Gulf of Mexico, you will find yourself in the mecca of redfish fly fishing. Most reds top 20 pounds, and again, if they see your fly, theyll eat it. I love nothing more than being out on the water chasing a few reds with friends. Its an excellent pattern for the muddier waters where some surface movement is needed to grab the fishs attention. Location: Houston, Texas. The author says many fly patterns tempt red drum, but he usually keeps a selection of bead-eye and lead-eye flies on hand. You want to be in Port Aransas during the Fall Run to catch your next personal best sight casted Texas red drum on the fly. The golden color works well in the muddy water, and the reds love the movement of the fly. 11 Best Flies for Redfish (Plus Fishing Tips) - Guide Recommended Baitfish, crab, and shrimp patterns are .