I was out earlier this week and the tide was at 7.0, what range is good for the folly area?
6.2, 6.5?
Thanks in advance for any guidance
It depends on the flat that you are wading/poling. 7ft is a big tide. There are plenty of places to find them in the 6ft range, Go ride and look is my best advice, worst case you are out on the boat and enjoying summer.
Experience is your best friend for this. I have flats that are perfect at 5.6 and others that work best at 6.5+. Go and look for yourself and pay attention to the predicted tide vs actual tide. This is important. A steady wind can increase or decrease the amount of water on a flat by a foot at times. Pay attention to conditions and how the wind affects the tide heights and you’ll soon be able to predict how much water and how quickly a flat will flood.
As far as how much water on a flat is too much, when it gets to your knees, its tough to see tailers. At least that’s for me. Think about it; most tailers aren’t vertical when eating. They are at an angle when tailing. If the water is at your knees, it takes a 32/33" redfish to tail hard, almost doing a headstand, in order for his tail to be visible. Don’t get me wrong; you’ll see that occasionally, but its not the norm. Most fish on the flats that I frequent are around slot, but over the years I’ve caught them from 18" up to 33". I personally like water around the shin area; you’ll see more fish action and you’ll get more opportunities. As long as there is enough water to cover their gills, they will be up on the flats. I’ve seen plenty crawling on their bellies with backs out of the water to get at those delicious little fiddlers crabs.
Redfish Baron Extraordinaire
Thanks for all the info sellsfish.
Time for the looking is the hard part.