Go Gold
When it comes to fishing for reds in the flats during the winter I like to go gold, as in gold spoons. Or for that matter any lure or fly that contains some gold color. Gold puts out a reflection in the water that redfish just can’t resist. Add to that the vibration a gold spoon or spinner bait puts out and you have an unbeatable combination for finding redfish.
With the gold spoon I can cover a large area and quickly find out if there are any fish in the area. It casts a long distance when fished with a 10 lb braided line and a light rod and reel. Another advantage to a gold spoon comes on those windy days; if cast sidearm it will cut through the wind and go farther than anything else you can cast. There are times when the reds just won’t eat it but you’ll find maybe 10 of them will follow it back right up to the boat. That’s when it’s good to have another rod rigged and ready to go with maybe a Berkley Gulp that you can quickly pick up and throw to them.
Gold spoons are not just limited to redfish. I have caught plenty of flounder on them while searching for redfish. The gold spoon has also caught me trout and snook in the flats. The first snook I caught here in Florida was on a gold spoon. Wow, that was a long time ago and it did teach me early on that it’s a good tool to have in your arsenal.
A gold, single blade spinner bait rigged with a soft plastic mullet imitation also works well in the flats. The biggest problem I find with them is casting them into a wind. Because they are bulky they offer a lot of resistance traveling through the air.
If I use a soft plastic jerk shad on a worm hook I like it to have some gold specks in it. A rig like this allows you to work it very slowly and if it is rigged weedless you can throw it up into grass where you can often find redfish feeding.
I also like gold in my flies I throw. I’ve been using a form of a Clouser fly that I tie that is black and has gold holographic flash tied into it. It’s been catching reds in the flats. If I switch to a sinking line while fishing deeper water it’s been catching me reds, trout and flounder.
So do yourself a favor and go out and invest in some GOLD.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Seeing Red
Sight fishing for redfish is what I’m referring to when “seeing red”. Now is the time of year when you have the best opportunity to actually see these fish in the water. When the algae that causes the water to become a dark color is killed of by cold water, it becomes clear. As long as there is no wind (a slight wind will cause a chop on the water making sight fishing difficult) or rain (rain can darken the water) your chances of seeing red are excellent. Low water level also improves conditions. The deeper the water gets the less clarity you have.
For example: I was out a couple of weeks ago and entered an area at low tide where I found crystal clear water conditions. I could see everything on the bottom; it was like looking into a glass of gin. Conditions like that can also give the fish an advantage as I soon found out. As easily as you can see them they can also see you just as easily. I was casting a shallow shoreline for fish when I began approaching a creek mouth lined with oyster bars when I noticed some mullet acting nervous. As I got a little closer a redfish exploded on the mullet and then another. At this point my adrenaline starting taking over and I let myself get a little too close to the action. Being in only about a foot and a half of water I looked down to make sure I wasn’t going to run up on an oyster bar when I noticed the school of fish started swimming by the boat. There must have been fifty of them and not a one smaller than 25 inches.
There was still one active fish left on that bar that ate the fly I cast to it. He took off with my fly and the battle was on. I landed that fish and it measured 28 ¼ inches.
I found that school a couple of more times but when they saw me they took off before I had a chance to cast to them. Had I been on the poling platform instead of the fore deck I probably would have had a better chance of spotting them before they spotted me.
Speckled sea trout season is once again open south of the Flagler County line. Trout up to 5 lbs have been landed in the Highbridge area along with some decent size flounder. Berkley Gulp on a jighead or a 1/8 ounce black bucktail jig is catching these fish.
Find a windless day and get out to “see red”.
Capt Rob Ottlein
386-439-2636
www.flaglerfishingcharters.com
Sight fishing for redfish is what I’m referring to when “seeing red”. Now is the time of year when you have the best opportunity to actually see these fish in the water. When the algae that causes the water to become a dark color is killed of by cold water, it becomes clear. As long as there is no wind (a slight wind will cause a chop on the water making sight fishing difficult) or rain (rain can darken the water) your chances of seeing red are excellent. Low water level also improves conditions. The deeper the water gets the less clarity you have.
For example: I was out a couple of weeks ago and entered an area at low tide where I found crystal clear water conditions. I could see everything on the bottom; it was like looking into a glass of gin. Conditions like that can also give the fish an advantage as I soon found out. As easily as you can see them they can also see you just as easily. I was casting a shallow shoreline for fish when I began approaching a creek mouth lined with oyster bars when I noticed some mullet acting nervous. As I got a little closer a redfish exploded on the mullet and then another. At this point my adrenaline starting taking over and I let myself get a little too close to the action. Being in only about a foot and a half of water I looked down to make sure I wasn’t going to run up on an oyster bar when I noticed the school of fish started swimming by the boat. There must have been fifty of them and not a one smaller than 25 inches.
There was still one active fish left on that bar that ate the fly I cast to it. He took off with my fly and the battle was on. I landed that fish and it measured 28 ¼ inches.
I found that school a couple of more times but when they saw me they took off before I had a chance to cast to them. Had I been on the poling platform instead of the fore deck I probably would have had a better chance of spotting them before they spotted me.
Speckled sea trout season is once again open south of the Flagler County line. Trout up to 5 lbs have been landed in the Highbridge area along with some decent size flounder. Berkley Gulp on a jighead or a 1/8 ounce black bucktail jig is catching these fish.
Find a windless day and get out to “see red”.
Capt Rob Ottlein
386-439-2636
www.flaglerfishingcharters.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)