Luckily, for coastal anglers in Virginia all the way to the southern tip of Texas, redfish, also commonly referred to as red drum, can be successfully targeted with a fly rod via kayak or stand-up paddle . Chasing Redfish Off the South Texas Gulf Coast Northeast Florida anglers seldom see cruising redfish beneath the surface. If I had to guess at the most popular coastal saltwater fly-rod fish in the United States, Id have to pick redfish. Find out where the action is, what the water conditions are and everything you need for a successful day on the water! 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." Scientists have documented this redfish population as the first ever known to spawn in an estuary (versus offshore). Mayfly emergers are often stuck in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry trout. While it was initially intended to target Redfish, it does equally as well for large Speckled Trout up on the flats. Youll also want it to resemble a juvenile blue crab thats highly prevalent in the region, including a tan-colored textured shell body and bright orange claw tips. Some even believe that this is an evolved strain of redfish, different from its relatives in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal waters. I like it in the colors of tans, beiges, and reds with some crystal flash and legs. The fools gold pattern is ideal for this as it sinks fast and has excellent movement in the water. Doors open up at 6 p.m. and tickets are $60 for individuals and $70 for couples. Therefore, I recommend having some experience . Fly Fish Rockport - Texas Saltwater Fly Fishing Guide Service Fly Fishing the Texas Coast for Redfish and Speckled Trout A floating line will be just fine for most scenarios, but an intermediate line is excellent for the deeper water. Trinity Bay and East Bay. Texas Sporting Journal, "The Real Laguna Madre", July 2013 Fiddler, stone and mud crabs inhabit the Charleston marshes, and their colors are muted, from brown to a dark tan to almost chocolate. Strip this fly slow and with short pauses to allow it time to shimmer down into the water column. This stunning shot was taken by professional photograher Marjie Goldberg from Florida. Saltwater Flies. Sheka Shrimps tied in subtle browns and cream colors perform best in stained water. Now healthy populations of reds root in the coastal shallows from Massachusetts to Mexico. All rods, reels, tackle, and flies are provided- all you need is a current Texas fishing license, snacks, and polarized sunglasses. Fished in the Gulf Coast region, you cant go wrong with a chartreuse and white color that has a large eye. Its a pretty basic fly, with a small head and burnt nylon eyes. In fall and winter, the Biloxi Marsh comes alive for fly anglers targeting big bull reds that cruise the ponds and channels. The shrimp-tipped jig is the icing on the cake, and the redfish can't resist the smell. Baitfish, crab, and shrimp patterns are . It would be great to book a fishing charter to fish for redfish. Thanks to its heavy lead eyes, it drops like a crab, but its movement is more shrimp-like. Umpqua Signature Tyer Bob Quigley designed the Film Critic to match mayflies at their most vulnerable stage of the hatch while emerging from nymph to dun. Texas Redfish: An Angler's Guide (Updated 2023) - FishingBooker Blog They will generally eat a second time if they spook or miss the fly. 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. Locals like the Surfin Wooly. The wind did what it usually does to a spoon-fly and sailed it several feet off target. To see more of his photography go to patfordphotos.com. The Charleston, South Carolina, area has vast inshore areas offering fly rodders great opportunities for red-drum fishing. 5 Best Places to Catch Redfish in Texas - Freshwater Fishing Advice Caudal and dorsal fins poking above the surface usually give away the fishs presence. I am a South African based fly fisherman who loves nothing more than spending a day on the water. The bulls chase baitfish in the shallows, and the Everglades Special is the key! 2 stainless Tiemco hook and keeps the Zap-A-Crab glue body well away from the hook point to improve the flys ability to hook reds. When the pelicans, gannets and larger gull species start wheeling around in open water, dont hesitate to investigate, Gardner says. Fishing for redfish in the surf | Hatch Magazine - Fly Fishing, etc. Wyld on the Fly offers fly fishing guide services for the Corpus Christi, Rockport, Aransas Pass, Laguna Madre, Land Cut, and Baffin Bay waters. To illustrate, he tells of the time he and another captain were wading a grass flat three years ago when he was first experimenting with the fly. Redfish range from Virginia (technically Massachusetts) south to the Keys, and then north and west along the entire Gulf Coast. This allows the crab to "swim" while being stripped. Take for example, the Shrimpadillo fly, its a combination of a crab fly, shrimp fly, and a spoon fly thats guaranteed to get engulfed by a hungry Redfish. When it comes to fly fishing, Texas is an up-and-coming state with a lot to offer anglers. He will say, however, t wasnt easy to develop. Experience world-class accommodations and cuisine. The Spoonfly is made of flashy Mylar covered and sealed with clear epoxy on a long-shank 2/0 Mustad. Suppose you arent accustomed to casting the heavier rods its best to practice on the grass and get more confident. The current Texas record is 59 1/2 pounds. Getting the fly to drop deep gains more bites. It lands lightly, hangs in the water column, and when tied with a weed guard, it is the perfect fly to fish over grassy structures in shallow water. Fly fishing is more than catching fish, being in the outdoors with good friends and family is what it is all about. 2023All Rights Reserved -www.sightcastfishing.com - Sight Cast Fishing Company, Saltwater Fly Fishing - Apparel, Flies, and Tying Materials, Sheepshead, Fly Fishing, Sight Fishing, Sheepshead Flies, texas fly fishing, sheepshead fly fishing, how to catch sheepshead on fly, best sheepshead flies, sight fishing to sheepshead, sheepshead fly, best way to catch sheepshead, Sight cast, Fishing, Sunglasses, Sight Fishing, best sunglasses for fishing, best sunglasses for sight fishing, best sunglasses for sight casting, fishing sunglasses, sight fishing sunglasses, costa, smith, smith optics, rci optics, costa 580g, best polarized sunglasses, sunglasses to see fish. Its perfect to use right up against a grassy shoreline where shrimp are plentiful. The bull reds are singular fish, generally a lot bigger, and are more specific in what they eat. 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. The angel hairs hollow body gives bulk, and the bucktail and long hackle feathers give the tail lovely movement. Fools Gold Fly - a favorite for Redfish. Check out, Picture Source A huge thanks to the great folks at, Some of the amazing redfish pictures were provided by my buddies at. For a slow-sink fly, a bucktail tail is good. Good luck out there on the water! 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. There's probably no reason to use larger than a size 2 hook on a redfish fly (I've caught kings on size 2 fly), and my go-to is size 6 for small shrimp and dock-fishing-size minnows. I bump up to a 5- to 6-inch mostly synthetic yet very puffy white fly for the big bull reds. In these conditions, its not so much the pattern, but rather how it swims that is important. The Spoonfly is about as weedless as the Johnson lure. Chartreuse and white is a well-liked option. Boats leave from dozens of ports, and the runs to the flats can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REDFISH PATTERNS FLOATING AROUND OUT THERE. Try a white or chartreuse pattern, and if that doesnt work, switch to something dark in black or purple. Redfish Kayak Fly Fishing - Flymen Fishing Company The water is air-clear. Re: Redfish Flies. The daily bag on redfish in Texas is three fish in a slot limit of 20 to 28 inches . When poling in the marsh, anglers look for wakes, tails and bodies near oyster bars and mud flats. The fly hit the water and the redfish inhaled it like it was the best meal it had ever seen. The fly is tied to look like a gaudy shrimp, which is something to keep in mind when viewing it. Texas Sporting Journal, "Light Tackling Tarpon", May 2015. The result is a fly that is sleek and has little air-resistance during the back cast, but in the water it swims well with a blooming action. I like tans, greens, and lighter colors. The weed guard is essential to the success of the fly. The Texas Toad, pictured above, is a good example of one such variation. Some popular patterns include the Merkin, KungFu, Contraband, Flexo, Fleeing Crabs, and many more. No matter if you are chasing them in the muddy mangroves or off a pier amongst some weed banks, if you find the fish feeding, you should be able to hook one. Get the latest up to date fly fishing report for Redfish, sea trout, tarpon, mackeral jack crevalle fishing in Gulf Coast with the top producing flies and recommended equipment to get you into fish. Redfish can be found in the waters of Galveston where the depth is about 6 - 12 feet. Read -> What is the Biggest Redfish Caught. When retrieved with quick short strips it closely resembles a fleeing shrimp and the head pulses with bite-enticing movement. Potential Freshwater Walk in outing - (from Rob McConnell's Fly Fishing Houston book) Feb 28: Monthly Mtg. Swan Point Landing Fly Shop Location: Rockport, TX Waters: Texas Coast Fish: Redfish Website. Fishing For Texas Redfish - Salty Scales Some quick online research will show you hundreds of Crab patterns available. Sign up to get the latest sales, new product updates, fly tying tutorials, and important news! 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. His favorite is the East-Cut Redfish Popper, made commercially by T.J. Neal of East Cut Saltwater Flies in Driftwood, Texas (512-461-4473). Pair the rod with a smooth drag reel and a floating line, and you are good to go. The key to this flys success is its slow sinking rate combined with the fluid pulsing motion of the hackles on the tail. Waders and boots are great to have. Possibly the most unique redfish destination is Mosquito Lagoon in east central Florida. You do not want to miss your chance to experience the classic Fall Run along the Texas Gulf Coast. Top 10 Flies for Texas Saltwater Fly Fishing Big Y Fly Co best fishing flies for Texas, for your next fly fishing trip. Having the right fly for these conditions is essential. We spent 3 days exploring the area in search of Redfish. Most of them imitate the crabs, shrimp, and baitfish that make up the majority of the redfish diet. This pattern has many variations, but the concept remains the same. Almost every saltwater fly shop will have a selection of spoons available and if you pay close attention and compare different patterns you will notice slight differences. . 7. An oversized head with a long tail made of saddle hackles. Chasing Redfish Off the South Texas Gulf Coast. All of these flies are absolutely deadly for Redfish up on the shallow flats of Gulf Coast fisheries. Recommended Guide/Charter Service: Bones Fishing Guide Service (San Antonio, Calaveras Lake) This is one of the best guide services operating on Calaveras Lake for big redfish and catfish. Copyright 2023 Salt Water Sportsman. But if you've fished long enough, you've almost certainly experienced the times where they tend to focus on one prey type exclusively and seem to ignore every fly you tie on. Thats when Alderman became a believer in rattling redfish flies. The fly has a monofilament weed guard and burnt-mono eyes. If youre fortunate enough to hit a warm day, youll find hordes of reds rushing up on the flats to feed over the warm, dark mud left exposed by an earlier low tide. Just deals and news! On the northern coast, the greenish, dark marsh waters of Sabine Pass gradually give way to the tinted shallow oceanfront bays and lagoons filled with oyster beds and a variety of marsh grasses. While we have only been able to add a select few for now, we will continue to add to this page as we can and . Just sales, new product updates, fly tying tutorials, and important news! No spam. 3. The straight style, like the Straight-Shooter Crab pictured, has the hook shank positioned perpendicular to the crab body. Then one day I was casting a spoon-fly to redfish when I spotted a huge sheepie tailing on oysters. Fiddler crabs, shrimp, and baitfish are on the menu, so its essential to have flies that imitate them. Theyre not as explosive or exciting as tarpon, or as elusive as bonefish and permit, but for East and Gulf coast fly-rod anglers, theyre easily accessible and extremely fun to catch. The fish reside in the lagoon year-round, making it the best area to target trophy redfish on the flats along Floridas east coast. Fly Fishing Laguna Madre on the Texas Coast - Flylords Mag These trips are great for 1-2 anglers of all skill levels. Our passion is saltwater fly fishing and we aim to provide top quality flies and fly tying materials designed for the Gulf Coast fly fisherman. . They eat with ease and love to chase the fly. All rights reserved. Hook Sizes for Redfish Flies? - TexasKayakFisherman.com Its a great pattern that has worked on many species for years now. 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. This one-two punch is a tried and true classic for catching reds. We are lucky in that Redfish tell us how they are feeding. Im one of those fly fishers. To round out our species-centered blog posts, we've written this post to help you choose the best flies. A Redfish is a Redfish, no matter if you are in Texas, Florida, or Virginia. The Razmatz is an excellent choice for a shallow, dirty water fly pattern. South Texas Sight Fishing Location: Aransas Pass, TX Waters: Port Aransas Area Waters Fish: Redfish Website. The Redfish tend to like its smaller profiling in the colder months, especially on the clearer days. The colors can be mixed and matched in an endless array, but here on the Texas Coast a blend of natural browns with orange flare seems to be a winning combination. The original was white and silver but the color combinations and sizes are infinite. Fly-fishing, Light Tackle, Sight Casting, Shallow Water Fishing Charters in The Lower Laguna Madre in South . These fish, without a doubt, make for an incredibly memorable fly fishing trip. However, once the guide finds fish, the rest is up to you. Whats interesting about Texas is its variety of venues. The lagoon runs from the southern tip of New Smyrna Beach to the north end of Merritt Island and encompasses more than 21,000 acres of shallow, clear flats with less than a foot of tidal flow. 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. The Redfish will follow this fly until it commits. It's an extremely beautiful river filled with large and catchable bass. The water systems in the South are rich in food sources, and this is where the redfish concentrate. 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. It's a great pattern for sight fishing. Magnify that sound and it results in a musical popcorn symphony performed by an entire school of reds feeding on fleeing white shrimp. The Finest Coastal Fly-Fishing in Texas - Bay Flats Lodge In the coastal waters off North Carolina, captains have found enormous schools of redfish in 20 to 60 feet of water. Redfish feed on a variety of marsh-like critters. Next there is the side style like the Sidewinder Crab,this pattern has the hook shank parallel with the crab body. The dark color and bulky body make an easy-to-find target for Georgia reds, Kennedy says. If there's any wind at all, a 9-weight makes casting easier. The Everglades Special is one of those baitfish patterns that will just about catch any predatory fish. In weedy water, the Sheka is tied with a monofilament-loop weed guard. The body is bulky, shrimp-like, made of bright cactus chenille. Usually most crab flies you find in the big box stores are designed to target permit or bonefish. Most gurglers are built with a foam body with an aggressive front head and have a marabou, buck tail, or craft fur tail. The body profile and hook riding upwards make it deadly. 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. By the time you're done reading this, you'll be ready to head to Texas to . Miniard adds that when a red takes the fly and crushes down on it with its mouth, it feels the hard Furry Foam body coated with epoxy. The Crafty Shrimp is one of those flies that should always be in your fly box. It retrieves through pencil reeds, spartina grass, over rocks, oysters and through brush as well as any weedless lure. Because redfish usually feed in grass and often cruise in murky water, fly anglers must throw something the fish can see. To find the best guides, contact a local fly shop. Floating on the surface, Gurglers will pop, splash, and create noise when being retrieved. While I tend to agree in most aspects, I know this pattern catches fish. August 30, 2022 by Brent Pollock. About the Author: Now a retired Miami attorney, Pat Ford spends his time taking photos and writing about fishing destinations around the world. Aransas Pass Fly Fishing - TotalFlyFishing.com Sight Cast Fishing Company Top 5 Redfish Flies But many cutting-edge anglers are using flies that are constantly being tested by the ever-growing numbers of fly-rod redfishermen. Leaders can measure 9 to 12 feet, with a 40-pound butt section tapering to a 15- or 20-pound tippet. The Best Way to Cook Redfish [10 Amazing Redfish Recipes] What makes the fly different from other crab and glue-body designs, however, is that its extremely weedless.