Basic redfish flats flies

[Iglow]

If you were limited to 3 flies for gulf coast redfish, both flats in the bays and beaches, what would you choose and why?

 

[Soft Talker]

If you were limited to 3 flies for gulf coast redfish, both flats in the bays and beaches, what would you choose and why?

Don't know anything about flies, but I would suggest patterns resembling shrimp, pinfish, and crabs.

 

[Pilchard]

A popper, a slow sinking baitfish pattern and a shrimp pattern.

Color don't matter as long as it's got some chartreuse in it and a bit of flash.

 

[7mm08]

Stuff I tie, use and catch reds, trout , and an occasional flounder
Good luck

 

[Iglow]

Stuff I tie, use and catch reds, trout , and an occasional flounder
Good luck

What weight lead eyes/ dumbbells are used most?

 

[scn]

It depends on the depth and current. You want to use as little wt as you can get by with.

In LA most of the flies I use are baitfish patterns with no wt at all. A heavily weighted fly there can end up down in the mud.

 

[7mm08]

What weight lead eyes/ dumbbells are used most?

Medium. I set my eyes back towards the bend of the hook …… least my oyster and his buddies eat them

Craft fur for a tail
Puglisi fiber for body Minnow something….
…. All my crap is in boxes so I can't remember the name

Flash to match the fly

Same slider fly caught this guy….

 

[Iglow]

I've been practicing the 2 bc thing and can get about 50', sometimes more, some pile up. I can get 80' with just leader and no fly on 3 bc. That don't mean much but it does make me feel like a badazz watching that line shoot outta the guides!!!!

 

[7mm08]

I've been practicing the 2 bc thing and can get about 50', sometimes more, some pile up. I can get 80' with just leader and no fly on 3 bc. That don't mean much but it does make me feel like a badazz watching that line shoot outta the guides!!!!

Long cast are overrated…… avoid being the guy that false cast 6-10 times.

BTW. MY buddy caught a 170# tarpon with a TEN foot cast! The guide ( Shallow Water Anglers) thought it was a dolphin at first it was so big

 

[scn]

I've been practicing the 2 bc thing and can get about 50', sometimes more, some pile up. I can get 80' with just leader and no fly on 3 bc. That don't mean much but it does make me feel like a badazz watching that line shoot outta the guides!!!!

Just make sure you are shooting it through the "0" of your thumb and index finger and not turning it completely loose on your presentation cast.

 

[Iglow]

I sent them an email about how heavy a fly to cast for practice and what distance I should try to get good at and he sent this;

8wt likely
Just put a small price of yarn on the end of the leader for practice casting
With 40ft in a few false casts you can catch and fish that swims

 

[scn]

I sent them an email about how heavy a fly to cast for practice and what distance I should try to get good at and he sent this;

8wt likely
Just put a small price of yarn on the end of the leader for practice casting
With 40ft in a few false casts you can catch and fish that swims

You should take that advice to heart. Long casts look cool, but aren't that great for putting fish in the boat. It is REALLY hard to stick a fish much past 50'.

Probably the highest paid tarpon guide on the northern Gulf coast doesn't even let his clients throw at poons past 50'.

 

[Pilchard]

Long cast are overrated…… avoid being the guy that false cast 6-10 times.

BTW. MY buddy caught a 170# tarpon with a TEN foot cast! The guide ( Shallow Water Anglers) thought it was a dolphin at first it was so big

I can't tell you how many tarpon I've caught where I have been out of line to strip and had to use the rod tip to give the fly action.

Most fish are catchable with a 30ft cast. The one exception is a permit in shallow water. I've been lucky enough to catch a bunch of them on fly but only 6 of them have been in less than 5ft of water. I feel like each one of them were complete luck.

The key is really the guy on the back of the boat. Can he spot fish and get you in position without making a bunch of noise in enough time. Your job as the angler is just to put the fly in a spot that the fish will swim into it and then make it look like it's trying to get away.

 

[Iglow]

I'm relieved to hear that, I can do the 60' but not consistently. I can do 40 all day. I'm really looking forward to this trip, I like tying the bigger flies, it isn't as tedious as tying trout flies. I'm gonna try to do all my top water bass fishing this summer with the setup I'm taking down there.

I was wondering, could I take a regular wf8f and cut the forward front section back to get a better turnover? Like leave 24" of it before the belly starts kinda like a bass bug taper?

 

[scn]

I'm relieved to hear that, I can do the 60' but not consistently. I can do 40 all day. I'm really looking forward to this trip, I like tying the bigger flies, it isn't as tedious as tying trout flies. I'm gonna try to do all my top water bass fishing this summer with the setup I'm taking down there.

I was wondering, could I take a regular wf8f and cut the forward front section back to get a better turnover? Like leave 24" of it before the belly starts kinda like a bass bug taper?

No.

The front section is what turns over the fly.

If you aren't turning it over like you want to, you need a heavier front loaded head.

There are a some lines that are specifically designed for bass bugs and heavy/bulky flies.

 

[Setterman]

You should take that advice to heart. Long casts look cool, but aren't that great for putting fish in the boat. It is REALLY hard to stick a fish much past 50'.

Probably the highest paid tarpon guide on the northern Gulf coast doesn't even let his clients throw at poons past 50'.

I second this, I do not want to be in a situation where I'm gunning 70-80 foot casts and trying to hook fish. 40-50' is ideal IMO and it's far more important to focus on accuracy, being able to cast over your opposite shoulder, cast 50' with no false casts or one at the most. Than cast long distances.

Standing on the front deck of a boat with the fly in your non rod hand and the ability to drop that fly make one back cast (no false casts) and shoot an accurate cast is critical to having big success in the salt in my opinion. In other words water loading that 15-20 feet of line so no false cast is required.

 

[Iglow]

I second this, I do not want to be in a situation where I'm gunning 70-80 foot casts and trying to hook fish. 40-50' is ideal IMO and it's far more important to focus on accuracy, being able to cast over your opposite shoulder, cast 50' with no false casts or one at the most. Than cast long distances.

Standing on the front deck of a boat with the fly in your non rod hand and the ability to drop that fly make one back cast (no false casts) and shoot an accurate cast is critical to having big success in the salt in my opinion. In other words water loading that 15-20 feet of line so no false cast is required.

Do you roll cast it out front to load the rod? How much line do you keep out from the tip while you're looking?

 

[scn]

When are you going down there to fish?

 

[Soft Talker]

I can't tell you how many tarpon I've caught where I have been out of line to strip and had to use the rod tip to give the fly action.

Most fish are catchable with a 30ft cast. The one exception is a permit in shallow water. I've been lucky enough to catch a bunch of them on fly but only 6 of them have been in less than 5ft of water. I feel like each one of them were complete luck.

The key is really the guy on the back of the boat. Can he spot fish and get you in position without making a bunch of noise in enough time. Your job as the angler is just to put the fly in a spot that the fish will swim into it and then make it look like it's trying to get away.

Using "stealth" to approach fish, whether you can see them or not, is often crucial in consistantly catching them, especially big fish.

 

[Iglow]

When are you going down there to fish?

10/23-10/27