Generally, the Deceiver fits into a open-water category as these flies are rather large compared to others. Offshore, in the surf, or next to deep channels are the ideal locations to use this fly. Sometimes, they can be a bit more technical. The original was white and silver but the color combinations and sizes are infinite. My favorite colors are blue over white and chartreuse over white. Longtime Georgia fly-fishing guide Larry Kennedy, owner of Bedford Sportsman Fly Shop (912-638-5454) on St. Simons Island, says that while a number of different flies work for Georgia redfish, his favorite is a small, all-black classic Wooly Bugger streamer. For small stream trout, smaller fly fishing hook sizes like a 6 or 10 may be sufficient. Sharks can also be a drum indicator, she adds, because they like the same foods. This pattern has many variations, but the concept remains the same. Port O' Connor. Current fly fishing reports and conditions for Gulf Coast Rockport in TX! Redfish are opportunistic feeders and often forage in shallow mudflats with their noses stuck to the bottom, where they mainly feed on crustaceans. The Texas Toad, pictured above, is a good example of one such variation. 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. Redfish are resourceful and feed on a variety of crabs, shrimp, and baitfish. Winter Redfish are often larger, especially Bull Redfish, and typically are fished with flies in the 1/0 - 2/0 size range. Pair the rod with a smooth drag reel and a floating line, and you are good to go. The golden color works well in the muddy water, and the reds love the movement of the fly. All the way from Florida to Texas anglers and tyers are hard at work designing patterns to fool redfish. Keep flies with bead eyes and lead eyes available. 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. I like it in the colors of tans, beiges, and reds with some crystal flash and legs. All rods, reels, tackle, and flies are provided- all you need is a current Texas fishing license, snacks, and polarized sunglasses. What the hell. My own personal favorite stomping grounds for redfish include South Florida and Louisiana. Use a 9- to 10-foot leader with a 50-pound butt section tapered to a 20-pound class tippet and add afoot of 30-pound fluorocarbon as shock tippet for insurance. The original pattern was tied with a tan Craft Fur tail, an orange/red Catcus Chenille body, and an olive streamer brush head; but, this fly is highly versatile and can be tied in many different colors, materials, and eyes. 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. It is tied in in smaller sizes, so it doesnt make much disturbance when it lands. Truthfully, there are a lot of different redfish fly patterns that all work well. Let's take a closer look at what awaits you on a Texas redfish adventure. Like Charleston, certain parts in the South have what we call a flood tide. Short, quick, aggressive stripping will have the fly gurgling through the water and imitating a fleeing shrimp or wounded baitfish. Watching redfish forage for crabs in mud or grass, or hunt mullet on an oyster bar is one of the most exciting experiences in flats fishing. Many anglers prefer an 8-weight fly rod for smaller redfish, but I usually throw big bushy redfish flies. Locals like the Surfin Wooly. 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 saltwater flats near Aransas Pass and Port Aranasas are a mecca for flyanglers hoping to hook redfish or speckled trout. All of these flies are absolutely deadly for Redfish and big Trout up on the flats. This area is chalked full of bayous and canals, dotted with innumerable lakes, bays, ponds, and . January and February is redfish time in the many sheltered potholes and ponds of the Biloxi, Mississippi, marsh. The straight style, like the Straight-Shooter Crab pictured, has the hook shank positioned perpendicular to the crab body. 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". That allows her to keep an eye on the fast-moving schools instead of focusing on tying knots and digging for tackle. Crab flies mainly fall into two different categories and can be fished a few different ways. There are so many fish feeding its actually ridiculous. If needed contact info - HERE, Disclosure: "This site is owned and operated by River Traditions LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Michigan, USA. It is a mix of a number of different patterns and works great as a shrimp, crab or even a baitfish. Mylar is tied on both sides of the hook and on top. When the pelicans, gannets and larger gull species start wheeling around in open water, dont hesitate to investigate, Gardner says. They tolerate a wide range of water temperatures and salinities, and eat everything from crustaceans and mollusks to baitfish. The full recipe for Redfish on the Half-Shell can be found here. My choice would be a medium to fast action rod with some backbone to roll over the larger patterns. Scientists have documented this redfish population as the first ever known to spawn in an estuary (versus offshore). 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. Leaders can measure 9 to 12 feet, with a 40-pound butt section tapering to a 15- or 20-pound tippet. Post by ellisredfish Wed Jun 03, 2009 7:50 pm. We have a lot of folks ask us about the flies we are using while fly fishing the flats in Rockport and the surrounding area. These fish, without a doubt, make for an incredibly memorable fly fishing trip. Along with the flies you like most, give us the general location (not spots but east Coast of Florida, South Carolina or Texas etc. It has a deer hair head thats designed to push water and has a perfect baitfish profile that fish find hard to resist. Read where to go in this article > Where to Fly Fish in Florida, How big do Tarpon, Redfish and Snook get? As you move south and west to the Venice and Grand Isle areas of Louisiana, the fishing changes a bit. It isnt uncommon for us to find bull reds in 20 to 60 feet of water while were chasing schools of busting albies, Gardner says. Doors open up at 6 p.m. and tickets are $60 for individuals and $70 for couples. While these large flies are still useful to have during the summer . 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. The best fly choice: a good-size shrimp that sinks quickly. Alderman is adamant that the rattles make a big difference in attracting redfish. The fly is tied to look like a gaudy shrimp, which is something to keep in mind when viewing it. For information, visit . Leaving them with the "shell" on makes the filets look amazing too. Bags and packs are entirely optional. Read about, Both Tarpon and Redfish can haunt the same waters. Your fishing license can be purchased 24/7 online or over the phone (800) 895-4248 Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm central time. 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. Anglers can accidently bump into these schools, but many guides, such as Capt. Its simple design is very deadly for many species, especially Redfish. Fish it near the bottom with slow and erratic retrieves for best results. Quickly toss the fly in front of the fish before it heads back out to sea. A floating line will be just fine for most scenarios, but an intermediate line is excellent for the deeper water. 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. The flats-fishing techniques and tackle for Texas mimic those elsewhere. Sneaky speckled trout can also be caught year-round moreover the seatrout here grow to trophy proportions like in the Laguna Madre. If there's any wind at all, a 9-weight makes casting easier. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. 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. This is an excellent fly for tailing fish digging crabs out of the mud. Sign up to get the latest sales, new product updates, fly tying tutorials, and important news! Table of Contents show. Redfish feed on a variety of marsh-like critters. It has a large head that pushes water and the head to tail contrast makes it highly visible and attractive to fish. Anglers watch for birds wheeling around bait in open water. The fly is best used in the colder months when the shrimps and crabs are absent. When the cork pops in the water it creates a slurping sound, and this gets the fish interested. Add the sizes you fish most often too. The other captain stalked close to two big foraging reds and worked the fish with different flies for 10 minutes without a take. It is hand-tied by Jim Dupre and finished with an epoxy coating, making it bulletproof. Boat shoes are great, so you dont slip and slide around on deck. The lakes, ponds and coves in these areas prove deeper, so you wont see too many tailing fish. Therefore, tackle choices revolve more around casting and presentation ease than on fighting the fish. Sight cast to schools of tailing redfish in ankle-deep, gin-clear water. Most guides say the best fly rod for redfish is a 9-foot, 8- or 9-weight rod paired to most any brand of saltwater reel and spooled with a warm-water, weight-forward floating line. Charlie Paradoski, charlieparadoski.com, 713-725-2401; Lower Laguna Madre: Capt. Youll find good numbers of 18- to 27-inch fish. The hook sizes and eye weight can greatly vary and give you the flexibility to fish any depth of water. The bull reds, on average, top the 20-pound mark, and they seem to number in the thousands. Mayfly emergers are often stuck in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry trout. I bump up to a 5- to 6-inch mostly synthetic yet very puffy white fly for the big bull reds. I am a South African based fly fisherman who loves nothing more than spending a day on the water. Fishalicious, is another baitfish pattern worthy of the fly box. The best description I have heard for a redfish is a Clumsy confident fly eating machine. When: Summer and fall; Who: The following guides specialize in Texas redfishing: Middle Texas Coast: Capt. Sign up to get the latest sales, new product updates, fly tying tutorials, and important news! Its time Florida starts similar program.Snook Its death on redfish, with gold and silver models remarkably effecive. You still must put the fly in the right place, but you definitely need a 10-weight rod and a really big fly. For a slow-sink fly, a bucktail tail is good. But the visual experience can be breathtaking. If theres any wind at all, a 9-weight makes casting easier. 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." Redfish, big ones, are abundant, with fish in the 20- to 30-pound class available at times on barrier-island shoals that kiss the entire coastline of the Peach State. This allows the crab to stand upright in a defensive posture with claws dancing in the current when resting on the bottom. Here are our favorite flies for Redfish. Boats leave from dozens of ports, and the runs to the flats can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour. A Bonnier LLC Company. For large redfish, you will want to employ a 3/0, 4/0, or 5/0 circle hook. For targeting bulls over 20 pounds, a 10-weight works best and handles the bigger flies those fish prefer. Most gurglers are built with a foam body with an aggressive front head and have a marabou, buck tail, or craft fur tail. 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. I like to think of it as the woolly bugger for reds. The EP fibers really changed how we could tie baitfish patterns, and the advancements are spectacular. Trinity Bay and East Bay. The EP Baitfish is a Gurgler-like pattern that moves water and pops on the surface to trigger an aggressive Redfish eat. Short, quick, aggressive stripping will have the fly gurgling through the water and will trigger a natural reflex that makes fish want to eat. Try white, chartreuse or black colors on a 2/0 Gamakatsu stinger hook. The key is to use a fly-and-line combo that will drop down in the water column. After enduring day after day of heat, humidity and seemingly incessant southwest winds; October will give . Jim West, 409-996-3054 Raz Reed, who created the fly, also uses it for bass, something I havent tried yet but plan on tying up a few for my next bass mission. It has a large front collar that pushes water and the head to tail contrast makes it highly visible and attractive to fish. 3. Choose some bright colors and Redfish won't be able to resist. How to Tie the Crappie Killer Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Film Critic Emerger Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Puterbaugh Foam Caddis Fly Pattern, How to Choose the Best Fly Rod for Bonefish, Sage R8 Core Fly Rod Series Review: Model-By-Model, How to Tie the Golden Retriever Fly Pattern. It has a large head that pushes water and the head to tail contrast makes it highly visible and attractive to fish. . This small collection are the top flies for Redfish that we have found. The dumbbell eyes can vary from tungsten to bead chain for weight changes. The marsh features a series of shallow ponds connected by channels, all of which come lined with even shallower oyster bars and mud flats. All five of the flies featured in this article are available in the Sight Cast Redfish Pack and are designed to target Redfish in the Gulf Coast region. 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. Big bull reds love this fly. Much of the action is found around spartina grass marsh, where reds forage for crab when the tide is high. I use large, black bead eyes most of the time, but always tie some flies with lead eyes for deeper water. Parks fishes the vast marshes around the town of Chalmette, Louisiana and uses a couple of poppers he says redfish go absolutely bonkers over. Silver Krystal Flash is used liberally on many patterns, snce its a long-range attractant in clear water. No spam. Each area offers something to the fly fisherman. 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 current Texas record is 59 1/2 pounds. Factors that affect casting, such as wind and bushy flies, also affect rod choice.