This is just a simple survey to figure out other plans of attack on flood tides. I have staked out a few flats this summer and kept a log of when the tides are right there. I have mainly used golden spoons w/ finger mullet or by itself, and had success. I would like to try some other lures/plastics to expand my arsenal.
What lures do you folks throw at tailers in the grass? Side note: I bought some weighted hooks from Charleston Angler yesterday and some DOA Root Beer paddle tails. Threw those this morning and could feel the fish take it and spit it out almost simultaneously. What is your go-to set up for tailers?
When you know the tide is going to be too high, do you fish it on the rising or when it is leaving the flat?
3.Do you throw top water in the grass? Messed with that this morning but tended to pick up dead grass on every cast, so I switched it out.
Thanks everyone. There was a great post on here from someone who categorized redfish in the flats into 4 different types “aggressive, cruisers, tailers, etc”. If anyone remembers that post, could you re-post to this thread. I tried looking for it, but the search stalled on me.
In my experience, when they are on the flat, anything you move in front of their face, they will eat. Very rarely have I had a bait in good position where the fish didn’t eat. There’s been plenty of times they didn’t see it and swam on, but if they see it, I believe its an instinctive trait to attack it.
I fish the entire tide. Just like with most fishing spots, some areas are better rising, some better as the tide is falling out. Certain flats have fewer entry/exit points. Concentrate on where the fish get on the flat and how they are going to get off. Best way to do this is get there early with no water and pay attention to what floods first. This way you’ll be able to narrow down where the best likelyhood of you encountering fish will be. I’ve never see a dead redfish in the marsh; they are smart enough to know when to leave. Certain days, some flats are hot and others slow. Don’t be afraid to look elsewhere if you aren’t seeing good numbers of fish. It’s trial and error at times, but hey, that’s what makes it fun!
I almost get sexually excited (too much info, Bob) waking a Colorado blade spinnerbait with a Gulp 3 inch Shrimp, then killing it in front of a red on skinny water flat. I throw this on a Loomis flipping stick with 50# braid, so, as they say in Arkansas, “I can feel of him”.
On another note, I’ve got the OTF guys from Memphis coming to Bennett’s Point the weekend of Oct 17 so we’ll be doing the other end of the spectrum. That’s early morning and late afternoon good tides so I hope Raddaddy, Bobo and I can put them on some fish. These are some of the guys we duck hunt with in Arkansas and we’re calling it the Third Annual Redfish Lollapalooza.
What 23Sailfish said.
Ain’t this a great site?
As a recovering rageaholic I pass this on: “an injustice collector”…someone who hoards and obsesses over injustices done to them and make resentment a way of life.
Going to the short grass for the first time Saturday with coaching of course. Your spinner bait comment aroused my interest. What size blade. Do we want to wake it or thump it through the grass like largemouth fishing in the brush. Gold blades maybe? Skirt with grub or no skirt? This got the juices going! Thanks Bob-I am supposed to be working not thinking about dusting off the spinner bait rod. Why do you use the long rod(flipping stick) versus the much shorter typical spinner bait rod?
I noticed that they seem to find dead shrimp from the seafood store almost instantly, while it takes them a while to find say, a doa shrimp. So, I like to use something with smell like gulp or Ill add some procure to almost anything.Usually they will eat anything but Monday, during the middle of the lightening storm (yea i know), they would not bite but they would not spook either. It was strange. I could see them see it but nothing. I would reel in and cast again. I did this for quite some time and eventually i (**() near hit one in the head, I got little to no reaction. I wanted to change lures but i knew that if i went back to the boat my pops would make us leave. He was already yelling at me. Like 23sailfish, i fish the entire time. If you get there early and know the entry and exit points you watch them enter and leave. I have never tried to catch them when they are sitting there waiting to get in because I think i will spook them. i have never tried anything with treble hooks. You may want to take them off and put single ones on. Man I love fishing in the grass. Looking for tails is like watching for a deer’s ears twitching. Its like deer hunting and fishing at the same time:smiley:
I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
A tip for tips…I keep a Word document where I copy/paste posts or articles when someone shares great direction/guidance like this. Instead of searching for the post or article again, I can just open the Word document and read. You can sort by seasonal advice, type of fish, type of fishing (flats, jetties, etc) or by date, whatever works for you. I try to review it several times per year and always amazed at how much I have already forgotten. There are great tips and advice from some great people on this site, put it to work!
jimmyaadams, I’d have to change reels to fish braid on a spinnerbait rod (Loomis MBR783C), the Loomis MBR843C that I use has a fast? tip and it’s perfect when I switch from a spinnerbait (I like Strike King Redfish Magics, gold blade with Gulp Shrimp instead of skirt). (Got that Strike King blurb in, Radaddy) to Gulp plastics on just a 4/0 or 5/0 Owner J or Round Bend hook.
RLS, Good observation, it is so much like hunting bucks, in the woods, during the rut.
I am not an expert, but I think most people fish in the greass with Gulp or Zman baits with a flutter hook. I can’t tell if people are messing with you re: a spinner bait in the grass, that sounds like a disaster to me. Try and take some different colors and types of baits because my experience is they are not always feeding aggressively in the grass. We fished a couple of weeks ago and they wouldn’t eat a white gulp I was throwing and as soon as I put a dark color on, they tore it up.
Seems the places I have fished in the grass the reds tend to head out of the flats when the tide changes and starts to go out.
Hey guys
Thanks for the advice. I walked a flat today that i have been walking the last week or so. Today, they were hungry. I had 3 hook ups. Two of them freight trained me towards the high grass and spit hook when in there. I landed the other. A nice 24 inch beauty. I took photos on my phone. I will try to put them in photobucket and attach here. I actually had a 4th fish that I threw to and he “hit it and spit it”* quickly. All in all a great day. I was throwing the same paddle tail today as i was earlier. They just wanted nothing to do with it earlier in the week. Again, I appreciate the advice. I am a firm believer that you have to put in the work, understand the tides, have bad days, and try everything under the sun before you can even think you know what you are doing. Today, the fishing gods gave a pat on the back for the hard work this summer.
Gas Can
