texas redfish flies texas redfish flies

Seven hot flies for chasing red drum throughout the coastal south. 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. Follow Texas Flyfishers of Houston on WordPress.com Search TFF . The original was white and silver but the color combinations and sizes are infinite. 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. Most of them are caught in the marshes and coastal waters, but a few are targeted offshore. Need something interesting to read, so post up your favorite redfish flies. I have found that light flies and long, long, long leaders are the ticket in these situations. Saltwater Flies. As you approach the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf coasts, all that changes. Most come with bead eyes, are weedless and measure about 3inches long. Much of the action is found around spartina grass marsh, where reds forage for crab when the tide is high. Good luck out there on the water! These fish, without a doubt, make for an incredibly memorable fly fishing trip. Location: Houston, Texas. As far as fly anglers are concerned, it is primarily a super-shallow water redfish destination . As with all flats-fishing, you look for wakes, tails and bodies. To see more of his photography go to patfordphotos.com. The cost is $16.00 per person per day. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Dont try to feed a redfish a bonefish-size gotcha. This fish is looking for a meal, and it will eat just about anything it thinks it can fit in its mouth. Leaders can measure 9 to 12 feet, with a 40-pound butt section tapering to a 15- or 20-pound tippet. There are literally thousands of flies out there that imitate the crabs, shrimp, and baitfish that make up the diet of a Redfish on the shallow flats and backwater marshes. While other colors are effective I have found these to be best . Check out, Picture Source A huge thanks to the great folks at, Some of the amazing redfish pictures were provided by my buddies at. When it comes to fly fishing, Texas is an up-and-coming state with a lot to offer anglers. Gurgler flies are the top waters of saltwater fly fishing. 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. Southwest Fly Fishing Magazine, "Exposure" Photo Essay, April 2015. In weedy water, the Sheka is tied with a monofilament-loop weed guard. The carnage happens fast. The basic shape of the fly tends to replicate many sources of the Redfishs diet, such as shrimp, small baitfish, and crabs. Creating high quality flies made for those that live and breathe the shallow flats and backwater marshes is our main focus. With all these factors in mind, lets go over five of the top producing Redfish fly patterns that every angler needs in their box. Gear up with giant Clouser flies and sinking lines that range from 450 to 700 grains. These eyes are much lighter and will give you a slower sink rate. It always lands with the hook point up and away from snags; it swims very crab-like when retrieved; and most important, Ben says, it comes with a pair of small, redfish-attracting rattles. The Charleston, South Carolina, area has vast inshore areas offering fly rodders great opportunities for red-drum fishing. 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. The best description I have heard for a redfish is a Clumsy confident fly eating machine. Some popular patterns include the Merkin, KungFu, Contraband, Flexo, Fleeing Crabs, and many more. But this doesnt always mean you will be successful. 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. 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. A good deviation of this pattern that works well from Texas to Florida is the Brown-Noser fly. All of these flies are absolutely deadly for Redfish and big Trout up on the flats. Those are the good days. 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. 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. My guide, Capt. Try a white or chartreuse pattern, and if that doesnt work, switch to something dark in black or purple. The best colors are chartreuse and pink chenille, and I will fish this pattern if nothing else is working. McCord says theres nothing like the sight of redfish cruising a skinny shoreline with their backs fully out of the water, waving electric-turquoise spotted tails that can be seen from a hundred yards away. Factors that affect casting, such as wind and bushy flies, also affect rod choice. Scientists have documented this redfish population as the first ever known to spawn in an estuary (versus offshore). Your fishing license can be purchased 24/7 online or over the phone (800) 895-4248 Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm central time. Texas Sporting Journal, "The Real Laguna Madre", July 2013 Sometimes, they can be a bit more technical. Fish often have trouble tracking their prey in these conditions. Anglers must be ready to cast as soon as the boat lines up. It can be tied in countless color variations and weights to suit all water clarities and depths. If you find redfish feeding near the surface, a topwater fly works really well. Its tied on a size 1 through 2/0 Mustad 34007 hook, unweighted or with lead dumbbell eyes. Most are very bright-colored, which work well in the clear waters he fishes, where shrimp are an important forage. Texas claims two others, and North Carolina one. Redfish are a staple on fly down South, and many a fly angler love to catch these fish throughout the year. . Here are our favorite flies for Redfish. 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. The Kwan is a hybrid pattern and imitates shrimp, crab, and baitfish. You still must put the fly in the right place, but you definitely need a 10-weight rod and a really big fly. Great fly-rod redfishing in northeast Florida can be found in the creeks and bays off the Intracoastal Waterway just north and south of the St. Johns River. Located in the southern portion of the state, this river doesn't seem to belong in the desert. The author, left, made his first trip to Louisiana waters after bull reds on fly in 2006. The Mangrove Baitfish is great for Florida and Lowcountry redfish thanks to its wide profile and snag-resistant design. If needed contact info -, Snook, Reds and Tarpon can be found all over Florida. Copyright 2023 Salt Water Sportsman. Excellent numbers of redfish will come out of the woodwork. If you're wondering which fly rod you should choose to chase Reds, we've covered that topic here. So our guides have begun to compile a collection of our favorite patterns here, for all to see. Keep your leader short and straightforward. 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. View the Candy Corn Crawler pattern on our Online Fly Shop. Now healthy populations of reds root in the coastal shallows from Massachusetts to Mexico. The shrimp-tipped jig is the icing on the cake, and the redfish can't resist the smell. Here is a list of the best nine places to fly fish in Texas: 1. A subtle fly or plug pulled gently in front of a . Chartreuse is a favorite color for warm-water predatory fish. Galveston. Trinity Bay and East Bay. 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 grass beds of South Florida waters (above) attract school-size reds in great numbers. We are lucky in that Redfish tell us how they are feeding. Boat shoes are great, so you dont slip and slide around on deck. In addition, the predominant species you might encounter in Texas Saltwater Fly Fishing is the red [fish] and black drum. A Bonnier LLC Company. We are lucky that Redfish are such a forgiving fish to target. Plus, we've also written about the best fly reel for Reds and the best fly line for Reds. All of these flies are absolutely deadly for Redfish up on the shallow flats of Gulf Coast fisheries. It needs to be small. After enduring day after day of heat, humidity and seemingly incessant southwest winds; October will give . Big bull reds love this fly. Redfish are strong, hearty, and fight really good. The straight style, like the Straight-Shooter Crab pictured, has the hook shank positioned perpendicular to the crab body. Most gurglers are built with a foam body with an aggressive front head and have a marabou, buck tail, or synthetic fiber tail. My hands shook. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REDFISH PATTERNS FLOATING AROUND OUT THERE. The middle Texas coast can offer world class sight-fishing opportunities for Redfish, Black Drum and Trout. Tackle choices aside, the size of your fly can be the most important factor. 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. 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 known as bull reds. When retrieved with quick short strips it closely resembles a fleeing shrimp and the head pulses with bite-enticing movement. These trips are great for 1-2 anglers of all skill levels. Aransas Pass Fly Fishing. Georgia also has vast areas of inshore spartina grass flats. 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. 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. Watching a redfish try to suck a surface fly or popper into its underslung bottom-feeding mouth can be hilarious. 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. For targeting bulls over 20pounds, a 10-weight works best and handles the bigger flies those fish prefer. 4. By the time you're done reading this, you'll be ready to head to Texas to . While it was initially intended to target Redfish, it does equally as well for large Speckled Trout up on the flats. Traveling angler and world-record holder Meredith McCord lives in Texas and fishes its flats for redfish every chance she gets. For the leader, a standard nine-foot leader with a tippet rating of 15 to 20-pound test works best. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Gold Frizzy Youll end up tying this fly on very often because once you get that rush of adrenaline watching Redfish blow it up out of the water, you'll be addicted. Gardner always keeps two rods rigged and ready. 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. 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." 9 ft leader is standard with 25-30lbs breaking strain tippet. 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. Everyone has to know where the big rods are on the boat and how to quickly stash albie gear. Use larger hook sizes in Fall and Winter months as you prepare to hunt down larger redfish game. Mens and womens redfish fly records top out with the 43-pounder caught by Greg Braunstein on 16-pound tippet in 1995 out of the Banana River Lagoon in Florida. Choose some bright colors and Redfish won't be able to resist. Just deals and news! But as every angler knows, there are days where the fish are picky and are only keying in on one food source. Bushy shrimp patterns and white or chartreuse Clousers work best, depending on how deep the fish hold. That allows her to keep an eye on the fast-moving schools instead of focusing on tying knots and digging for tackle. Read -> What is the Biggest Redfish Caught. This allows the crab to stand upright in a defensive posture with claws dancing in the current when resting on the bottom. 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. He and his clients fish it slow, slower and slower still.