General Saltwater Flies Question

[TerryLee 0]

As I made mention of in this post here I am making my first attempt at fishing the salt with the long rod really soon, like next week. Obviously, I need some flys which leads to my two questions:

 

 

 

1. Do I have to tie my flys on "saltwater" hooks?

 

2. What size flys do I need for fishing the surf? Is there anyway to know without knowing what the main forage is, other than to say that the fishing reports I have seen recommend live pinfish, mullet, or menhaden?

 

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

 

Terry

 

 

[beaverfsu 0]

Terry

 

What part of the Gulf?

 

Yes on saltwater hooks-for a variety of reasons-corrosion being the most important. As I don't fish for bills or other off-shore bruisers i.e. no 6/0+ etc. I use the Mustad 34007 series for all of my flies- 4s to 2/0s. They have worked great for years. I do have some high end circles-but they are not handy and I have CRS.

 

Pinfish, mullet and menhaden---Well you have just a FEW choices....lmao...almost anything baitfish imitation will work...Forage will be baitfish in the surf almost always-there may be some crab/sand fleas but I don't think you can go wrong with baitfish.

 

Just a few of my favorites....

 

peanut bunker

 

 

mullet

 

"glass" clouser-

 

golden clouser

 

surf candy

 

Lefty

 

glass

 

Thanks to all of the wonderful flies submitted by our partners.

 

For surf flies- size and durability of materials are the two most important factors for me--.

 

PM me with any questions....enjoy.

 

PS-If you took only one fly---make it a chart/white clouser--always a go to fly.

[JJD 0]

Terry you really didn't say what part of the Gulf Coast you would be fishing...

 

as to your questions:

 

1. You dont need to tie them on saltwater hooks, but standard bronze hooks might be rusted after one round and you wouldn't want to mix it with unrusted flies. I've found that "black chrome" freshwater hooks (like the ones sold by Gamakatsu) are virtually rustproof. As noted above 34007's are hard to beat for all around utility & value.

 

2. without knowing the likely target species you could be looking at almost anything from a #4 through a 2/0. Pompano like small flies in the #4 through #2 range. If you are "prospecting" I would go for a #1 or #1/0.

 

I prefer flies like seaducers & deceivers on an intermediate line, but most of my acquaintances swear by clouser minnows which they fish on a floating line - white/white, white/chartreuse, pink/pink - tied on 1's & 1/0's.

 

almost forgot...if you're not acquainted with surf fishing, feeding predators will often be right in the first trough - right at the edge of the surf, so hit the close target areas first before heading farther out

 

 

If you're hitting anywhere towards South Florida drop me a PM and I might have more specific recommendations.

[TerryLee 0]

Oops, I did forget to mention where I'm going didn't I :dunno: ? I'm going to be in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info. I went to Bass Pro Shop this afternoon after my post above and looked at saltwater flys, particularly at the hooks. I noticed that the finish on most of the hooks was the same as the Gamakatsu stinger hooks I use (B10S) for just about everything else I fish with so I figured they'd be all right.

 

 

 

Thanks for the links to the patterns. I'll try to tie some up between now and then, and a couple of those will cross over nicely for bass.

 

 

 

Thanks again!!

 

 

 

Terry

 

 

[MIKE*A 0]

TerryLee,

Take a look at this website:

 

http://www.halfhitch.com

 

They give daily/monthly fishing reports/forcasts for an area not too far East of where you are going......

 

Good Luck!

 

Mike

[backcast79 0]

If you haven't gone yet, the docklights in the river and around Ono can be hot with speckled trout. I generally use a 2-3" synthetic bunker type fly (resembles all the baitfish that are circling the docks) Can't go wrong with a light char/white clouser. I've also put the smack down on Spanish and Bluefish around Perdido Pass on very small bullet-head flies when they are in there eating the glass minnows this time of year. I haven't done much surf fishing with flies there, but there are plenty of whiting, jacks, ladyfish running the beach. i would prospect with a white or chartreuse(yellow)/white clouser bouncing through the surf. If it's pompano you're hoping to catch, I'd try what I call a "Goldie". #2 34007, bead or conehead, Gold estaz body, small wing of tan super-hair. You can add a couple of strands of gold flash, but I normally pull them out after i get refused a couple of times It's normally added for the looks. bounce this trough the surf and It resembles a Sand Flea. I've used this pattern with great results for redfish when they are feeding on small crustaceans in very clear water on sand bars.