The Redfish Crack fly is a proven and very successful fly increasing in popularity in the Texas and Louisiana fisheries. 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. Below are some articles to guide you to a TROPHY. Anglers may choose to light-tackle rods or fly gear to fish the expansive, shallow-water flats of the 100 square mile Baffin Bay . For larger species, you might try a 2/0 to 4/0. It can be tied in sizes 1/0 - 10. I bump up to a 5- to 6-inch mostly synthetic yet very puffy white fly for the big bull reds. It's a great pattern for sight fishing. From WildFly Productions: "Back in November, I made it down to the Texas Coast for a DIY saltwater trip with my buddy, Bryant. Most of the time fly-rodders are working from kayaks and canoes, casting to pushing fish or blind-casting to creek mouths. Greens and golds are the first choices in smaller #2 and #4. I like the fly in the mud crab color of dark brown /green in size #2. 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. As a general rule,the darker/muddier the water, the darker the fly should be; and, when the water is gin-clear you should pick flies that are more of a natural color such as tans, whites, and browns. All of these flies are absolutely deadly for Redfish up on the shallow flats of Gulf Coast fisheries. The shrimp-tipped jig is the icing on the cake, and the redfish can't resist the smell. SWS Planner: Texas Gulf Coast Redfish Action. Its death on redfish, with gold and silver models remarkably effecive. It is very productive in a root beer color with gold tinsel and redhead profile. Redfish, red drum, or spot-tailed bass are all names that refer to this fish. Sport Fishing Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Trident Fly Fishing is a full-service fly shop. Year-round you can fish redfish, but in the changing season, you also have black drum, sheepshead, sea trout, tarpon, and . During the winter months, the water on the flats clears. With that said, I will break down my favorite redfish flies and explain why and when I fish them. Fly fishing trips are limited to two anglers per boat. 1.1 1. Caudal and dorsal fins poking above the surface usually give away the fishs presence. It can be tied in sizes 10 - 20. Doors open up at 6 p.m. and tickets are $60 for individuals and $70 for couples. If all goes as planned, hooking reds well over 30 pounds is the welldeserved reward.. So, there you have it. Texas Sporting Journal, "Light Tackling Tarpon", May 2015. Swan Point Landing Fly Shop Location: Rockport, TX Waters: Texas Coast Fish: Redfish Website. East Cut Redfish Popper Ive almost been tempted to tie some very small ones for trout. Retrieve this fly with steady, slow strips and it will mimic the movement of a fleeing crab. Often, you'll need flat, calm conditions to consistently see fish. Bags and packs are entirely optional. 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. If you fish in the marsh and mangroves, dont even think of leaving the house without flies with weed guards! From baitfish to shrimp to crabs and almost anything in between, Reds are opportunistic feeders. Charlie Paradoski, charlieparadoski.com, 713-725-2401; Lower Laguna Madre: Capt. The bug is copper-colored, traditional bass-bug size, with a stainless hook and a Flashabou tail. It's one . The best fly choice: a good-size shrimp that sinks quickly. 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. They are superb at grabbing the attention of fish from a distance, in murky water, or when the visibility is low. They eat with ease and love to chase the fly. On some versions, the chenille body is wrapped with a contrasting-color hackle feather, which gives the fly very buggy shrimp look when the hackle is trimmed with scissors to simulate legs. 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. The grass beds of South Florida waters (above) attract school-size reds in great numbers. The lakes, ponds and coves in these areas prove deeper, so you wont see too many tailing fish. Fly fishing is more than catching fish, being in the outdoors with good friends and family is what it is all about. Ford is a founding member of the conservation group Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, has held multiple IGFA world records and published two books on fly-fishing destinations. To round out our species-centered blog posts, we've written this post to help you choose the best flies. The EP fibers really changed how we could tie baitfish patterns, and the advancements are spectacular. Starting at $6.16. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. A subtle fly or plug pulled gently in front of a . Usually most crab flies you find in the big box stores are designed to target permit or bonefish. Additional tail materials can consist of marabou, bucktail, calf tail or Krystal Flash. Fished in the Gulf Coast region, you cant go wrong with a chartreuse and white color that has a large eye. 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. A Bonnier LLC Company. Copyright 2023 Sport Fishing Magazine. Sheka Shrimp If needed contact info - HERE, Disclosure: "This site is owned and operated by River Traditions LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Michigan, USA. Watching a redfish try to suck a surface fly or popper into its underslung bottom-feeding mouth can be hilarious. Most of them are caught in the marshes and coastal waters, but a few are targeted offshore. Redfish are generally in the surf when the water temperatures reach the mid-70s. Anglers must be ready to cast as soon as the boat lines up. Calm conditions are best for spotting redfish in dark water, but sometimes during strong autumn noreasters great flats action can be had. Texas Red Fish Adventures. The fishing is good, but different, and the type of fly required to dupe reds is different too. If there's any wind at all, a 9-weight makes casting easier. Red drum is a fast growing fish reaching approximately 11 inches and one pound in its first year, 17-22 inches and 3 1/2 pounds in two years, and 22-24 inches and 6-8 pounds in three years. We are lucky that Redfish are such a forgiving fish to target. Fly Fisherman Magazine, 2015. There are various signs to look for to help us decide how to fish for them. The fools gold pattern is ideal for this as it sinks fast and has excellent movement in the water. Kwan is the fly to have for those quiet, cold winter days on the water. Silver Krystal Flash is used liberally on many patterns, snce its a long-range attractant in clear water. Most of the fish weigh less than 15pounds, but every so often youll find a school of 20-pounders. 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. These omnivores, with their underslung mouths, scour the grass and mud for prey. 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. Travel pristine Matagorda Island as you stalk redfish along 38 miles of uninhabited shorelines teaming with hundreds of species of birds, alligators, deer, and various other Give us a call here at the shop at (888) 413-5211 or email us anytime at[emailprotected]. Ten of the other 14 fly-tippet-class records came from Louisiana. with Rick Hartman. He uses a No. Sign up to get the latest sales, new product updates, fly tying tutorials, and important news! Fish often have trouble tracking their prey in these conditions. March 14: Exec Mtg - ZOOM March 10-12: Bolivar Marshes March 24-26: Harmon Creek Outing March 28: Monthly Mtg. But a fishing trip can also go terribly wrong without the right gear. The other captain stalked close to two big foraging reds and worked the fish with different flies for 10 minutes without a take. If youve fished for Redfish before or are researching Redfish flies, you will undoubtedly run across the Kwan fly. Both styles are highly effective when fished properly under the right conditions. For large redfish, you will want to employ a 3/0, 4/0, or 5/0 circle hook. When poling in the marsh, anglers look for wakes, tails and bodies near oyster bars and mud flats. If you find schools of glass minnows, tie on a Clouser and youll find the fish. Dupre can make custom colors if necessary. All rights reserved. The cost is $16.00 per person per day. Boat shoes are great, so you dont slip and slide around on deck. 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. Captain Jeff offers fantastic half day, full day, and multi day trips fly fishing for redfish along the Texas Coastal Bend. Featuring a textured shell body and bright orange claw tips, they closely resemble a juvenile blue crab. Leaders can measure 9 to 12 feet, with a 40-pound butt section tapering to a 15- or 20-pound tippet. When redfish are tailing on the flats and are cruising super skinny, placing a popper or streamer quietly in its path may be the only way to catch them. 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. The most common color is reddish-bronze. On a calm day, you can see spinner sharks launch out of the water from a mile away. Back in November, I made it down to the Texas Coast for a DIY saltwater trip with my buddy, Bryant. All rods, reels, tackle, and flies are provided- all you need is a current Texas fishing license, snacks, and polarized sunglasses. This is a variation of a fly tied by Jim Misiura. Tackle choices aside, the size of your fly can be the most important factor. Most are very bright-colored, which work well in the clear waters he fishes, where shrimp are an important forage. 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. Strip this fly slow and with short pauses to allow it time to shimmer down into the water column. I had never seen a tail that big or that color. Gold Frizzy It has a large front collar that pushes water and the head to tail contrast makes it highly visible and attractive to fish. Boats leave from dozens of ports, and the runs to the flats can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour. Redfish weighing less than 15 pounds can be landed using most any fly rod. Sight fishing with a fly on the coast is one the most challenging types of fishing. Its an excellent pattern for the muddier waters where some surface movement is needed to grab the fishs attention. Potential Freshwater Walk in outing - (from Rob McConnell's Fly Fishing Houston book) Feb 28: Monthly Mtg. 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. We promise we won't spam your inbox with stuff you don't care about. An oversized head with a long tail made of saddle hackles. Most come with bead eyes, are weedless and measure about 3inches long. The kinky muddler is excellent for these summer conditions. 1.4 4. Sneaky speckled trout can also be caught year-round moreover the seatrout here grow to trophy proportions like in the Laguna Madre. Jim Dupre (352-371-6153), a Gainesville, Florida, fishing guide who, with his father A.J., spent countless hours testing and perfecting a fly-rod lure that had the same fish-attracting action as the venerable Johnson Weedless Minnow. Tackle choices aside, the size of your fly can be the most important . This gives the Redfish a feeding zone they cant get on other occasions. The bull reds are singular fish, generally a lot bigger, and are more specific in what they eat. Reds customarily feed on small crabs, shrimp and baitfish, such as mullet and mud minnows. My favorite colors are blue over white and chartreuse over white. Pair the rod with a smooth drag reel and a floating line, and you are good to go. Furthermore, be aware of the water clarity as this will factor into the colors of flies that will tend to be more effective. You need a set of flies in your arsenal that covers the entire water column, from topwater, to bottom crawling, and everything in between. The Electric Slider is another classic redfish pattern designed for muddy and stained water. In fall and winter months, the Biloxi Marsh and the coast of Louisiana can properly boast the best redfishing in the world. Earth-tone colors seem to work best, a sandy brown head paired with a striped light beige body that resembles the pattern of a shrimp. Also, take note of the depth of the water and the type of bottom (grass, sand, etc)you are fishing in. You still must put the fly in the right place, but you definitely need a 10-weight rod and a really big fly. Fly fishing in Texas doesn't get the credit it deserves, and we're here to change that. There are many variants of topwater flies, the classic Gurgleris just one example. While other colors are effective I have found these to be best . Eric Glass, @captainericg, 956-434-1422; Galveston Bay: Capt. Find out where the action is, what the water conditions are and everything you need for a successful day on the water! The basic shape of the fly tends to replicate many sources of the Redfishs diet, such as shrimp and crabs, and can be tied in countless color variations to suit all water clarities. Check out, Picture Source A huge thanks to the great folks at, Some of the amazing redfish pictures were provided by my buddies at. 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. 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. It would be great to book a fishing charter to fish for redfish. These eyes are much lighter and will give you a slower sink rate. 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. Redfish are big crab and shrimp eaters, and the Ragin Craven does a great job of imitating both. Follow up question to types of flies for redfish - I am in the process of converting from conventional setups to fly fishing and am doing so on my own - w/o a friend to show me the ropes. . 1. Working that fly to get the eat, fighting well, and then gently releasing the fish after a few photos is what its all about. My choice would be a medium to fast action rod with some backbone to roll over the larger patterns. Tied on a #1 or 1/0 hook in the color that best covers your area. Summer Redfish Flies. The redfish game is simple. For small redfish, we suggest that you use a #2, #1, or a 1/0 circle hook. Sheka Shrimp come in weighted and unweighted versions, with or without weed guards. Outsmart Louisiana Yellowfin Tuna in Clear Water, Unbelievable: A Swordfish Caught on Fly from Shore, Protect the Blue Key West: Remote Control, Protect the Blue Islamorada: The Bones Brigade, Florida Approves Mandatory Venting Tool Use. The Baffin Blue Crab fly pictured is just one example of how you can modify this pattern to fit your target species. 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. The wind did what it usually does to a spoon-fly and sailed it several feet off target. Anglers watch for birds wheeling around bait in open water. As you move south and west to the Venice and Grand Isle areas of Louisiana, the fishing changes a bit. Flies for Redfish. The Crafty Shrimp is one of those flies that should always be in your fly box. I have found that light flies and long, long, long leaders are the ticket in these situations. 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. Polling around on that flood tide is a special time to fish, and it should be cherished. Redfish are opportunistic feeders and often forage in shallow mudflats with their noses stuck to the bottom, where they mainly feed on crustaceans. Add the sizes you fish most often too. Here are our favorite flies for Redfish. Turkey in the Straw Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. If you find redfish feeding near the surface, a topwater fly works really well. On warmer days, work a surface-popper or gurgler pattern in white or in dark colors such as black and purple. 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). In the beginning, the most incredible, unexplained marks appeared on our bottom machines. This article will cover the flies that every fisherman should have in their box and the ones that work best when sight fishing to Redfish and Speckled Trout in the Gulf Coast region. 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. There are so many fish feeding its actually ridiculous. Standard hues include gold, silver, copper, burnt orange, silver prismatic, pink-and-black and black prismatic. That said, Im an 8wt shooter myself, and I feel an 8wt setup is ample to target most reds in their environment. Gold Frizzy. Anywhere you can flats-fish for Texas reds, youll find that sensory overload. When the pelicans, gannets and larger gull species start wheeling around in open water, dont hesitate to investigate, Gardner says. Starting at $6.16. You might see individual fish or, in certain areas, schools of a dozen or more. Rick Hartman, an expert fly fisherman and guide, poles a skiff in the Lower Laguna Madre while a friend casts for redfish. Reds there are primarily crab eaters, especially little oyster crabs and fiddler crabs, and the Turkey in the Straw is dead ringer for a little crab. Redfish fishing tips for fly anglers should include examples of the right gear for the job. This Kwan pattern, or sometimes called the Redfish Toad, has a long history of proven success. This is where the big boys live. Traveling angler and world-record holder Meredith McCord lives in Texas and fishes its flats for redfish every chance she gets. While it was initially intended to target Redfish, it does equally as well for large Speckled Trout up on the flats. The bright shiny spoon-fly is the furthest thing from the typically suggested drab sheepshead flies as you can get. If I had to guess at the most popular coastal saltwater fly-rod fish in the United States, Id have to pick redfish.