Low Tide Weekend Reds

[Tailn'Jax 0]

I've been at it since Saturday morning hitting the low tides looking for reds on fly. Unfortunately the tides were a bit high for a lot of backing activity, but I managed to get a few fish to eat. The topwater bite continues to be strong for reds early in the day. Saturday morning was a bit cloudy, which I think prolonged the topwater a little. I was getting blown up every so often as I worked some oysters banks on my way to some flats. I stopped on one long bar and made a couple casts and got blown up continually. This fish wanted the plug but I just couldn't get a hook in him. Finally I saw him push further down the bank, so I picked up, got ahead of where I thought he stopped and threw in a cast. Either this fish was pissed off or it was another fish that hadn't seen the plug yet becuase he took it harder than any fish I have ever caught on topwater. The red ended up being 24" and it broke a couple hooks off of my spook.

I moved on, finding a few fish backing, but spooking most of them as they were laid up off the bank in water just deep enough to cover their backs. Thats why I hate lows close to 1.0, because you can't always see the fish when they move, and you end up spooking more than you see if they aren't feeding hard. Anyway, I found a fish working a deep bank and got in position for a cast. As soon as the fly hit the water I felt a hard thump, and I was surprised to hook a nice 18" flounder.

The fish were starting to move more as the tide came in, and I had the flounder in the foot well of my yak. He was behaving himself for the most part, but as soon as I got close to a backing fish he would start flopping and the red would spook. I finally put the flounder in the cooler and found a really nice red backing on a bank about mid incoming tide. I got a good cast into him, felt him eat, and set the hook. I stung him and he blew out, giving me the finger the entire way. That was the biggest red I saw all morning.

 

Sunday morning I went out with my buddy Joe, and wanted to get him a nice red. We got on the water early and I proceeded to catch a small red on top. We split up after I showed him how to work a topwater and I caught another rat on fly.

I had to leave a good fish working because the water was falling off the flat and I was going to get stuck if I stayed much longer. I met back up with Joe and he said he had gotten a couple good blowups but no fish. We moved on, and found a couple of HUGE reds backing in the mouth of a creek with a legitimate 3" of water in it. I was paddling through mud just to get close enough for a shot. Finally, one of the fish turned toward me and I got the fly in front of it. I though for sure this fish was going to eat, but it just kept coming until it almost swam into my yak. I suspect the water was so muddy the fish never knew the fly was there. Anyway, this fish spooked, along with his bigger friend, and I pushed my way back out of that mud hole. A little later I spotted a really nice red working down a bank hard, back out of the water, feeding hard. Joe was behind me, so I told him to hurry up to get a shot at this fish, which again I thought was a sure thing. No luck, the fish went down right as we got into position. So, as the water got higher, I left Joe on a good looking pocket and headed up a creek. There were some reds working a bar near the mouth, but they went down as I arrived. I picked up the spinning rod and was messing around working the hole in front of the oysters. I look to my left and there is a red backing about 15' away from me, so I tossed in the bait, watched him move toward it, and twitched it when he was right on top of it, and had a nice 23" fish to end the day.

 

I also was able to fish with a buddy on his home waters. We loaded the yaks onto his boat and moved around to some different areas as the tide changed. Our first stop didn't have too many fish, but I managed to get one around 22" on the black and purple ep minnow.

The second stop we made was at the last of the falling water, and we worked up a tight creek and split up on an opening. There was some activity, but again, the water was super skinny, and it was difficult getting into position for a good shot with the fly. I wandered deeper into the creek, and saw some fish working a small side creek that was just beginning to flood. I moved in, and realized that the two fish I saw were pigs. I layed the fly in front of them, stripped it a couple times and they spooked, along with the rest of the school, which had some other slobs in it. I was pretty dejected, but I thought I might let them settle and get another shot. I waited about five minutes and didn't see anything move, so I inched forward. I got about 15' and I spooked a couple of fish again, but I saw one moving off slowly to my right, so I put a cast almost over his back, and stripped it across his face. He ate it and all hell broke loose. I was right in the middle of the school when I hooked the fish, and because of the dirty water they didn't all spook before. I got the fish in and got a quick pic. This was my biggest red of the year at 28"+.

Hopefully everyone had some time on the water this weekend. I see now that this Hurrican we have coming may miss us, so there may still be hope for the coming weekend...

 

Good fishing,

Ryan

[agn54 0]

Great report and beautiful flounder, gonna have some some tasty fillets

[Markbob 0]

Is that off of Hecksher? Looks a bit like certain areas of Sisters.

 

Actually, looks a lot a like Village Creek in GA...

[JSzymczyk 0]

awesome stuff! Is your yak a Tarpon 140 or 160?

[Tailn'Jax 0]

That flounder did yeild some nice filets, I don't throw many of them back, unless they are too small to bother with. JSzymczyk (man I had to look at that to get it right) I fish out of a Tarpon 140. The 160s are nice, and super fast, but it would be a pain to turn them around in some of the tight creeks around here. The 14 gives me trouble every now and again, but its not too hard to paddle backwards if I have to.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

Awesome, very nice flounder, my mouth is watering!

[JSzymczyk 0]

That flounder did yeild some nice filets, I don't throw many of them back, unless they are too small to bother with. JSzymczyk (man I had to look at that to get it right) I fish out of a Tarpon 140. The 160s are nice, and super fast, but it would be a pain to turn them around in some of the tight creeks around here. The 14 gives me trouble every now and again, but its not too hard to paddle backwards if I have to.

 

 

When I flyfished the salt around Pensacola and Panama City, flounder were always a super-good catch. There isn't much better eating than broiled flounder fillets.

 

I have a Tarpon 120 which I love. I think next year I will be buying a new Ride 135... I have a small car and the Yakima rack is spaced fairly close so I have to be careful with boat length. That plus my wrecked shoulder and back make it a bit difficult to load alone, but the 120 is doable as long as I'm careful. The Ride is only a little heavier, but the max payload is a lot more(which doesn't matter usually to me, I carry minimal stuff) but is easily standable, which is nice.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

It is a drag and can be frustrating when you see so many fish but only catch a few but its better than only seeing a few and catching a few. One of the areas I fish has seen an increased amount of shallow water redfishers during the day and bowfishermen shooting them at night and as a consequence, they have become very spooky and more wary of flies and presentations. It is frustrating after being spoiled by dumb unfished fish for so many years but it is still fun in a different way as it is more challenging.

 

Kirk

[Tailn'Jax 0]

JS, the 120 is an awesome yak, my buddy just got one and he loves it. I like the 14 for speed, and its tracking is better than a 12' yak. I also have a Native Ultimate 12 that is my stand up yak, but I haven't fished it since I sank it on a flat in November. I think you are wise to go with the Ride for stability, that boat is basically a sit on top ulitmate. Most of my trips range from 5-10 miles round trip, so I like the easier paddleing Tarpon for the long trips.

 

Kirk, you guys get it from both sides over there in LA. I've seen some of those bowfishing videos from over there and it makes me cringe. The one disadvantage of fishing from a kayak is your range. I am stuck launching and fishing the same water as the rest of the yakkers, but I have learned that most guys aren't willing (LAZY) to get too far from the launch. Also, I think the yak has some advantages over a boat becuase you can get to the super shallow fish no one else can touch. I see plenty of guys out fishing the same areas I am, but they aren't using the yak effectively. If the fish are backing or tailing, a yak is the ultimate tool to get to them, but every winter I bang my head up against the wall when the reds are holed up in huge schools in clear water and I spook the hell out of them before I know they are there.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

wow bowfishing for redfish is legal?

 

When you guys are trying to get them on the fly, sheesh, i better get down there soon while the fishery still exists and you don't have to use live bait or a surf casting outfit to reach them.

 

Yeah sorry, feel a bit funny about that, there are some bowfishers around here in the St. Lawrence but they are going for carp (which i don't mind) If they were going for bass or something it would probably get my feathers ruffled.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Jax, you can't stand up? When I first started shallow water redfishing, I used to go in my pirogue, when I got in shallow water, I would stand up and paddle/push along. I had a eighteen inch length of chain I would let out the back and a seat cushion on the front seat. When I saw fish, I would stop paddling/pushing and set the paddle down on the soft seat and pick up the rod at the same time, the chain would stop the forward progress of the boat but wasn't enough drag that I couldn't scull along easily when searching for fish. Standing up really gave me more distance to sight them and the shallow boat as you know allowed stealth.

 

Jam, I think bass are illegal down here but the saltwater fish are fair game even though the game is not fair with blinding halogen lights at night and up to six bowfishermen on the bow of the guided charter bowfishing trips. They used to only go after longnose and alligator gar. For some reason, they began targeting redfish, sheepshead, black drum - basically anything that comes in to range. They do have to abide by the sportfishing regulations w. Unfortunately, if you shoot a fish to small, under 16", or over 28" the slot, then they have to throw back the dead fish. From what I've heard, they shoot first and ask questions/measure later. You can actually keep one redfish over 28" but anyway, they even have tournaments.

Don't worry about the fishery, there are plenty of redfish, they are just getting more wary and the bowfishing is not in all of the marsh areas.

 

Kirk