Redfish with flykool25 rod

[Flykool25]

Have you had more success with fly rod for reds or conventional reel? So far I have had no luck with flies for reds .

[karstopo]

Are you sight fishing? Or are you fishing structure?

If the fish are sighted, it could go either way. Depends on the mood of the fish, the forage, the conditions, lots of stuff.

Fishing structure, flies can do well when I know the fish are on a particular narrow structure, like a reef margin or along a dropoff.

Searching for fish without seeing much concentration of sign, it’s going to be a lot easier to do with something like a paddle tail or topwater than flies.

[Popperdave]

If you are sight casting I have better success with the fly. I Spook less fish. If you are blind casting then conventional tackle will out preform. They push more water and can attack fish from further away. For a redfish to see and eat a fly it needs to be less the 12" from it's face most of the time.
If you are to blind casting a fly then concentrate on areas that hold fish most of the time. I like drains and eages of oyster reefs. Remember redfish feed near the bottom, so use a weighted fly and work it slow.
Good luck and good fishing.

[Bird]

My catch rate from conventional to fly has gone down 90%. The quality and satisfaction of the catch has gone way up though. Ok, maybe not that severe of a drop, but when you consider how much more water you can cover with conventional blind casting versus fly casting it is easy to see why. When I'm fishing with my non fly rod buddies they always out fish me. They can cast farther with way less effort. On average I'm casting 60-ish feet. My buddy is easily casting 80-100' with a flick of his wrist. For a fly guy to send 80' of line, cast after cast after cast, will wear you out.


I've kept a rough count of casts between me and my neighbor and he makes about 10 times the number of casts I make with my fly rod. Easy to see why he catches so many more fish than I do. Now, when it comes to clear skinny water sight casting, fly is king. Stick with it, it is worth it.

[karstopo]

Sometimes, the fish can be really concentrated on a structure or possibly focused on something like a pier light. If there’s a situation where the fisherman can control the casting distance by positioning himself on foot, in a boat, or in kayak, the rate of making quality presentations with fly gear can well exceed those made with conventional tackle.

Put me 25-45 feet or so from a gut, drop off or other structure where the fish are concentrated and I can put in two good presentations for every one the conventional tackle makes. How, just by not having to reel in the all the line between casts. One forward cast, present the fly in the zone, pick up the line for the backcast, repeat. Ideally, there’s minimal stripping in line and whatever gets stripped is no more than can be shot out in one fluid backcast to forward motion.

There’s several spots where this has played out both with redfish and speckled trout. If the fish are really concentrated and feeding, there will be lots of eats and almost every quality cast will net an eat. It’s about positioning. If I can fish from 35-40 feet from the structure, I’m going to make that choice over setting up out at twice the distance, all other things being equal.

Yes, the try to cast almost of the fly line repeatedly deal just becomes a chore in short order in my experience and the conventional tackle user is going to make many more presentations in that scenario, likely leading to more fish to hand. I’ve been on a boat with conventional tackle folks while I had fly tackle in places where fishing from a boat is good and the distance is longer and it will tire me out trying to keep up. If I can get my friend the captain to move in a little closer, it works out better for me and tends to even out the playing field, fly and conventional.

[impulse]

Originally Posted by Bird

I've kept a rough count of casts between me and my neighbor and he makes about 10 times the number of casts I make with my fly rod. Easy to see why he catches so many more fish than I do. Now, when it comes to clear skinny water sight casting, fly is king. Stick with it, it is worth it.

You got that right, it depends on whether you're fishing blind, or selectively fishing a little patch of water. As you and others indicate, sight fishing is where the fly rod shines.

If you look at the sheer numbers of casts and acres covered, sure. You can (arguably) make more casts and cover more water with a spinning rod or baitcaster. But if you look at the amount of time your fly spends in the strike zone, a fly rod is very competitive. You don't have to reel it in those 40-60-80' of unproductive water to make another cast. Just lift it up, one back-cast, and move it over a few feet. Boom. You even have the distance dialed in automatically.

Better yet, learn to mend your line with a roll cast and you don't even have to lift it from the water. Try that with a conventional rod...

BTW, that’s one place I think most fly casting coaches let their students down. Everyone wants to learn to make that 100’ cast like a hero, but roll casting and mending are valuable skills. Even more valuable where a back cast isn’t possible.

[Flykool25]

Well I have been blind casting . Time to switch to sight casting . Conventional until I find fish then switch to fly rod. Might be my best option .

[Flykool25]

While kayak fishing at night near the lights in the canal , the fly seems to catch more fish although there are few days where conventional tackle works better . But I have problems during daytime with flies . Well I will keep trying .

[Bird]

Originally Posted by Flykool25

While kayak fishing at night near the lights in the canal , the fly seems to catch more fish although there are few days where conventional tackle works better . But I have problems during daytime with flies . Well I will keep trying .

There is a pretty dramatic difference in sight cast fishing for fish on the flats and blind casting is deeper water, let's say more than 3'. The main defining factor is that in our water, beyond 3' of water, you aren't going to see the fish. Fish tend to be a lot more skittish and reactive to noise on the flats as opposed to deeper water. When you are in a foot of water, you need to be quiet, move purposely around the boat and not at all if possible and the boat needs to move slowly. If the fish can detect a little baitfish in the dark 5' away, I promise they can feel your boat 60' away. It isn't always the case, we poled right up to a few reds last Monday and could have hit them with our rod tips. Fortunately, the reds in our bay system are pretty agreeable most of the time and if you get a fly pretty close, they'll eat.

[bones72]

I haven't fished the bays and such here yet but I imagine it is like stalking trout in a spring creek or in other gin clear waters. Just walking the banks well back from the water can see them trout scurrying for cover and lock their jaws for an hour or better. Fishing in these situation is more like hunting and good stalk and perfect presentation is the key to success.


One thing I have looked for when chasing picky fish be they trout or pressured smallmouth in rivers and streams is moving water. The faster the water is moving the less likely it is they can hear or see your approach and the less time they have to scrutinize your offering. I would imagine fish around drains or passes would be a similar situation if the tide is moving and would most mostly likely place for you to take advantage of the flyrod as you can mend your line to keep the fly in the strike zone longer and it will look more natural than hardware on conventional tackle that has to be kept in motion by reeling.