(Sciaenops ocellatus)
This is one of Jacksonville’s most popular game fish and are easily identified by the black eye-spot on the tail, which is used to confuse predators. They feed primarily on small baitfish and crustaceans and will readily take a well presented imitation.
*State Record Approx. 52 lbs.
Tips on catching Redfish
Best Tide: Middle of the out going to low tide and 1-2 hours of the incoming tide. Water Temps. 60-85 degree range.
Best Time: Fall season is the best. Caught all year long.
Best Fly Rod: 7wt. and 8wt. at 9’ long.
Best Fly: Rich’s HD Clouser Fly, Fox Clouser, Black Clouser, Kwan Shrimp, EP Mullet, Fiddler Crab and Spoon Flies.
Best Fly Line: Floating with short 30’-35’ head.
Best Leader:8’-9’. long with15- 20 lb. Fluorocarbon tippet.
Where: Sight fishing at Low tide mud flats and creeks around oysters bars and flooded grass flats during the summer and early fall.
Method:12″-16″ short strips
Detailed TIPS for Catching Redfish(aka Red Drum)
I wanted share something here that might help out a fly fisher that’s planning to fish the Jax or St. Augustine salt marshes for there first time or a local beginner just trying to figure out how to go about catching a Redfish on fly. When ready you will most likely be quietly poled around in
a flats skiff hunting and sight fishing for the Reds in the skinniest waters around low tide. I recall my experiences from doing many guide trips over the years with newbies turned out to be an interesting challenge for most and ending with a great new learning experience that they well remember. So this may be somewhat of a big learning curve to consider for some of you if you don’t know what to expect!
So here’s something to think about when your getting ready to sight fish and catch your first Redfish on fly…
Tip 1:Being able to see and identify a Redfish moving in the shallow water either by tailing, backing,
belly crawling, pushing wakes and spraying bait up. This could be the slightest movement to big
obvious hints.
Tip 2: Dropping the fly close to the fish without lining over its back and spooking the fish.
Tip 3:Casting with accuracy and knowing the direction the fish is working and knowing where your
fly is at all times keeping it in front of the fish.
Tip 4:Having your line ready and getting the cast off quickly before the fish disappears in the stained
water.
Tip 5:Making short quick casts of 20-50 feet. At times they just appear very close to you.
Tip 6:Being able to shoot a cast at different angles, meaning 360 degrees of the position that you are
standing in. This of course depends on where the fish comes up.
Tip 7: Being stealthy by not creating a wake on the water, remaining cool and calm and not being
loud.
What I’d like to also recommend is practicing casting in your backyard, etc. by placing some halu-hoops around at different lengths and trying to drop your fly in them. The short cast can be more challenging than the long casts. Good luck!