How does it change compared to Spring/Summer? Do the Reds tail as much? How late into the season can you fish the flats? Sounds like the bait changes so fly pattern would change obviously but should your presentation change, too?
I’ve fished a few flats recently but have not seen many fish. Any advice would be appreciated.
Switch from high tide fishing to low tide fishing. Switch from light colored flies to dark colored flies.
the tailing season is all but over really… I have seen tailers as last eas the first week of December tho, and I mean in the grass rooting for fiddlers tailing… You’ll still see them feeding in the winter and they kinda “tail” but it is not as aggressive and headstandy as the spring and summer. They will be gangpiled on the flats for two main reasons… warmth and cover. The sun heats that mud up which ion turn heats the water up and it is also where flipper can’t get to them… winter time reds are the #1 food source for flipper. They will still eat baitfish and crabs if they can find them and they do root for worms in the winter but much slower and again not as aggressively. Like Ty said, darker more muted browns and olives wiht a TINY bit of dark colored flash work well in the winter. The Infamous M4 in dark olive and dark brown with a sparse bit of dark rootbeer flash is a good one to have in your box in the winter…
“Paddle faster boys… I hear banjo music!”
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http://www.HeroesOnTheWater.org
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Tarpon 160os
How do you define low tide fly fishing? I would assume that you cannot do that on the flats. Is that fishing along the grassy edges, fishing docks, etc?
Low tide fishing is on low tide flats. you would need a kayak or boat to access them. If you know where reds are in the grass, go at low tide and look for the reds schooled up. In the winter, they are not hard to find. If you can find a creek that has a nice shell bar protecting it and will stay flooded after the tide has fallen out, I bet the reds will school in there.
Their no. 1 goal in the winter is to not get eaten. Flipper likes some redfish. I have had schools of reds position themselved between my boat and flipper.
It is pretty cool and sad at the same time to watch flipper slam a large school of redfish. They will track the flat back and forth until they get them in a spot to nail them.
Look in the very, very back of creeks as the tide falls out, remember, they want to stay away from flipper.They will be in inches, not feet of water.
Good luck.
Capt. Chris.
1802 Action Craft. 115 yamaha.