Got out in hog inlet early enough to watch the sunrise over the ocean and give me a couple hours of rising tide. Found some flats simliar to charleston area flat but they were devoid of visible reds. I saw what I thought was a tailer but I am now fairly surw it was a mullet tailing. Anyway, got 2 specs nearly hooked at the mouth of a feeder creek on the falling tide but thats it. A little fustrating going two times now and coming up empty. Not even a fish sighted other than the specs. A lot of paddling that yak to not be on some fish. Either way it was a beautiful morning and quiet out on the marsh. Hopefully the fish will come with time.
quote:Man... sucks for you. I on the other hand, had yet another great day.
Originally posted by mbflyfisherGot out in hog inlet early enough to watch the sunrise over the ocean and give me a couple hours of rising tide. Found some flats simliar to charleston area flat but they were devoid of visible reds. I saw what I thought was a tailer but I am now fairly surw it was a mullet tailing. Anyway, got 2 specs nearly hooked at the mouth of a feeder creek on the falling tide but thats it. A little fustrating going two times now and coming up empty. Not even a fish sighted other than the specs. A lot of paddling that yak to not be on some fish. Either way it was a beautiful morning and quiet out on the marsh. Hopefully the fish will come with time.
This 25" fish hit like a truck. Had a tag in him so… I can get a free T-shirt for turning in the numbers. NO other fishermen around. Wind down. Skys clear. Water cool and clear. Drinking a Corona, now. Ummmmmm!
Fly fishing isn’t for sissies. 
MANY of us never caught a fish after throwing that frigging line over our heads for a year or more. But… it will happen and it’s worth the effort. 
The reward increases in relation to the effort. At least, for me.
Nice looking fish. I know it will come with time. I would be ok with missing fish by spooking, lining, or just out rigjt refusals. I am just not even seeing fish. That is what is so irritating. Seek and ye shall find I suppose.
quote:
Originally posted by mbflyfisher… I am just not even seeing fish. That is what is so irritating…
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>There one week (year), not the next.Got lots of respect for how much effort you are putting in. And being able to see them is some of what you have to learn.
NO fish today, showed it’s tail where I was fishing. I saw a surface movement that looked different from large mullet (they always move faster than red fish) different than small mullet (they move water in a larger area and more shifts in direction) different than turtles and crabs and wind and… Fish before this one ‘spooked’ at my fly. Perfect presentation, I thought? Next fish hammered the same fly.
It’s going to be better if you find your own fish. Thanks, for taking my ‘ribbing’ as I intended it. Friendly. Trying to inspire you to figure the whole thing out yourself.
But… come on down and I might show you a flat if it gets too bad? Might not be any fish there, though. You really never know.
I dont mind the ribbing, its all in good fun. Thanks for the info on determining redfish moving water and larger mullet and smaller mullet. The flats I was fishing were like a lawn underwater with some taller grass thrown in. That sound accurate for tailers to be present. Yall fish sand bottom flats right? My area may not produce places that are condusive for tailers. i mean do they tail in all regions on the carolinas or am I simply in a region which they dont tail in. Almost all the other flays areas arpund me were pluff mud so I figured the other was my best bet. Am I wrong?
They tail for one reason: to find food. So, they’ll tail where the food is (digging around on the bottom for fiddler crabs or what have you). It might sound silly, but if you’re going into this alone without much knowledge/experience, search redfish flats fishing or something to that extent on youtube and watch videos. You can pick up a lot from it. Or search the forum and see what you come across.
Yea I understand the tail in order to get to food, but my area may not require them to tail in order to reach that food. I will continue to look at every oppurtunity, but I may not need to be looking for tails, just cruising dorsal fins and such. Just curious as to some insight on the flats in charleston as opposed to the flats in my area. Different bottom means different food opportunities for reds. Fiddlers may not be present on the flats being flood here therefore no need to tail.
mbfly, check your PMs.
They don’t just eat fiddlers in the grass… mullet, shrimp, pinfish, mudminnows, worms… basically anything that won;t eat them first… don;t be afraid to throw something else at them when they are crusing…
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MBFF- a few tips learned through many years of wading the flats: once you see some fish and figure out what to look for it becomes a lot easier. I’ve caught tailing reds as far north as Beaufort, NC, so I’m sure they’re in your area. We all have been fooled by mullet, but mullet don’t “tail”. Mullet typically cruise around in schools, pushing a small vee. Mullet will swim around grass, while reds push right through it. If you see marsh grass moving inexplicably, it’s usually a redfish feeding around the base of the grass. Figure out which way it’s moving and follow its track. Don’t always expect to see a tail or a large portion of the fish. It is amazing how little of a disturbance an 8lb fish can make when it’s just under the surface of the water. Make sure you get to the flat early so you can figure out where the water is flooding in. As the water is coming in, look first around the edges where the high grass changes to short grass. That is usually where the fish will first appear. On a lot of flats, the fish will haul a$$ as soon as the tide goes slack because they don’t want to get stuck. The best thing about it is that you can have a great time and never see a fish. Good luck and tight lines.