# Blind casting redfish



## dbrady784 (Feb 17, 2014)

During those periods I tend to break out the 10wt and tie on half a chunk of blue crab. Less of a double haul and more of a lob... Has worked well for me in the past.

In all seriousness you can "dredge" those feeder creeks and deeper areas with a clouser or spoon fly .


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## Jred (Sep 22, 2013)

These tides are why I love Jacksonville, you get a few hours of a good sight fishing tide and then when it gets to high to sight fish you get to go home


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

I find the best sight fishing around the high and low
Mid current is a good time to target trout

As said above dredging the feeder creeks and by structure, or working flies through other high percentage areas can work as well.


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

I'm not sure how relatable this is to your areas as every area is a little different. but.....

With the current state of the lagoon, straight-up site fishing opportunities are getting fewer and fewer. They are more like toss at a quick flash or push opportunities. 

What seems to work best here in a blind casting scenario (not likely as good as lobbing 1/2 a crab) is to focus on spots as above with gurglers if it's still early and there is any topwater activity.

Once the water goes flat I focus on tossing a tan shrimp-looking type fly with a natural sink rate for its size. The addition of a rattle also seems to help. 

Generally, we don't have much current in the pole n troll either so I make sure that the fly falls to the bottom before stripping and take really pregnant pauses between every two strips. Know your sink rate and count it down. 

With the water being too murky to sight fish, the logic is that the two quick strips pops the shrimp up from the bottom and the slow sink rate keeps it in sight for a longer time, the rattle hopefully gets some attention as well. If you got Red's attention on the pop or rattle he will have to come "looking" for the fly. That is the reason for a really pregnant pause and slow sink rate. In this scenario, the pick-up is usually pretty subtle as well so pay attention. 

Most of the time I prefer to go looking for fish as opposed to blind casting but sometimes it's the only game in town. 
To be honest, I don't last too long doing this so I make 2 casts max into only the fishiest of spots and move to the next one.

I set the TM on a line that I want to travel and at a speed that allows me to make 1 or 2 casts and 2 sets of pop strips/sink/pause at Creek mouth edges, strong shadow lines, and up breeze points.
If I don't see or feel any reason to linger on a spot I don't even shut off the TM.


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## mpk1996 (Aug 6, 2020)

well, true blind casting would be good in fishy areas, i guess. LOL. 

we were out yesterday and it was murky and hard to see into the water to true sight fish. we were casting at heavy wakes in lower areas. we were trying to "see" the difference between a bait fish wake and a redfish wake. or kinda trying to spot the areas they are in after they smash some bait fish. its hard though.


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## Tankerfly (Jan 22, 2021)

Thanks for the tips so far. 10wt will be rigged haha! I fish in the Poquoson, VA area via kayak mostly, but learning techniques from other areas often open up new opportunities. @Jred I'm 2 hrs from the coast, so trying to maximize time for the trip! @Clamfoot I'll have to tie up some shrimp with rattles-good call!


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

I second the gurgler, and shrimp pattern (slow sink). These are now my goto morning flies in IRL.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

We find ourselves blind casting whenever I can’t find fish up shallow in the backcountry of the Everglades… Conditions change constantly and some days sight fishing areas (long sheltered shallow shorelines instead of flats…) just are either too shallow or too muddy. In those conditions I have my anglers “beating the bushes” working both the roots of heavy mangrove shorelines or working around downed trees.

Pretty simple — we’re working good sized clousers and other patterns in, over, or next to snag filled waters - and every fly has a wire weedguard if possible…

I tell my anglers to let the fly sit for a moment before starting their retrieve. Give any fish nearby a chance to check out what just landed nearby. I really like a strip and pause retrieve if the situation will allow. I also ask that they just stop their retrieve every ten feet or so to give a following fish a chance to catch it as well as to allow that fly to sink back down to the bottom where redfish live.

Those clouser style flies… a bit on the large side, on 2/0 hooks mostly. We catch quite a few snook, trout, and other species while looking for those reds as well when working cover this way.


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

2/0 Clouser...."a bit on the large side" 

There are no little fish in Capt Bob's Jurassic Park


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Every size fish attacks our clousers. I like them a bit large so they’re more visible in those dark interior waters…
By the way a big red in clear winter waters can be spookier than a big bonefish…


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

Our sea grass is just now growing back after the big freeze so I've spent the last 5 months having to fish dirty water, hoping for tails or a push to cast at. I like to throw dark patterns, purple/black is a constant favorite, that move some water. A Kwan or a redfish Crack with a big thick collar. I don't like to do a lot of blind casting but I will cast into fishy looking areas to prospect a little.


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## Cory Michner (Jan 28, 2020)

The routine that works best for me is to get upwind in an area that looks "fishy" ie grass, potholes, any kind of structure, and then drift downwind throwing long casts into that structure. You can use a drift chute of different sizes to help control the drift - same would work if you have current instead of or in addition to wind.

As others have mentioned, I like flies that push a lot of water and will sink at a controlled rate, like a big seaducer with heavy beadchain or dumbell eyes (depending on the depth of the water). Let the fly sink, twitch it around, raise some commotion to get the attention of anything nearby.

Most redfishing I do with a 6 or 7, but for this kind of work in the wind I like a strong 8 weight with a clear line.

I obviously prefer sightfishing, but I also do love throwing long bombs into potholes, etc.


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

For those fishing seaducers here if you must add weight put that bead chain on the bend of the hook instead of the front.


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## Cory Michner (Jan 28, 2020)

@BrownDog how does that change the action? Does it keep the fly riding "level"?

If I'm fishing potholes and changes in depth then I am ok and like for the weight to be at the front so that the fly jigs a bit and bounces around on the bottom with the hook point up, but there are times when your suggestion may be preferable.

Let me know, interested to hear!


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

@Cory Michner that is correct, fly sinks\rides level.


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## Cory Michner (Jan 28, 2020)

BrownDog said:


> @Cory Michner that is correct, fly sinks\rides level.


Thank you!


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

@BrownDog, @Cory Michner

Can you post a pic? 
I don't know that I've ever seen a seducer with a bead chain on the bend. 
A level decent with a slightly faster sink rate sounds nice in dirty water.....


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Clamfoot said:


> @BrownDog, @Cory Michner
> 
> Can you post a pic?
> I don't know that I've ever seen a seducer with a bead chain on the bend.
> A level decent with a slightly faster sink rate sounds nice in dirty water.....


it is


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

I have been fishing a good amount of seaducers lately.
the brighter chart/white or red/white are primarily trout flies and I tie them unweighted or with the bead chain on a B10s (light wire).

the ones below have been more redfish colors recently. I find tying these on a regular saltwater hook (tmc811s) give the sink rate I want with a beefier hook.
Size 4 is my starting point for both.


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

BrownDog said:


> I have been fishing a good amount of seaducers lately.
> the brighter chart/white or red/white are primarily trout flies and I tie them unweighted or with the bead chain on a B10s (light wire).
> 
> the ones below have been more redfish colors recently. I find tying these on a regular saltwater hook (tmc811s) give the sink rate I want with a beefier hook.
> Size 4 is my starting point for both.



@ browndog, Thanks for the pics, nice.bugs

I tie something similar but with Grizzley Rooster Cape which is a little thinner and denser, with a bead chain on top. Size 2, 4, and even some 6 for winter and sweet water. 
I also tie in some bucktail under the tail feathers to help with fouling. and I tend to keep the palmered feather shorter 
Even with just bead chain (no lead) or no bead, it jigs a little too much, even on fluoro leader. 

I'm going to try that bead on the bend and see if that works better. Thanks for the tip. 
It may help with the fouling as well and I can lose the bucktail. 
The one on the bottom took a bit of a thrashing this weekend.


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

I end up blindcasting sometimes. It’s more effective for trout. 
old man told me one time that anytime that’s good for blind casting is a good time for a Bloody Mary.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Blind casting is for desperate times


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

sjrobin said:


> Blind casting is for desperate times


I do a lot of blind casting......desperate times call for desperate measures


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

Oyster reef margins are pretty reliable, especially if there’s some wave action and/or current spilling over and around the shell. The Old ICU here with long fringing reef is almost always good for a few fish. I can’t really pass up a reef like that without a few tosses and sometimes you’ll get some fleeting glimpses at fish. Trick around the shell is to get the pace and depth right, kind of want to be right at the shell/mud substrate without being so much into it you are getting hung up too much. Sort of have to select a pattern with the right sink rate and taylor the retrieval to fit the depth. Wind currents along shorelines are pretty reliable. A choppy, wave action blowing into a low shoreline can be good, worth a few tosses. Any little break in a reef or little micro drain out of the grass I come across gets a looksy and a few tosses. Even if you are out sight fishing, it’s not such a bad idea to pick a spot next to a reef or shoreline and see if you can hit it. Sometimes that on the water casting practice yields some bronze or gold. The wind and waves along with the light might make a stretch too hard to see much, but you can make a few casts there testing your accuracy until you get to the next protected spot.


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Heres a fish from today, blind casted on a shoreline with a brown seaducer:


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## gestes11 (10 mo ago)

BrownDog said:


> it is
> 
> View attachment 182466


Love the look of these flies


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## JaxFishingAdventures (Dec 8, 2021)

I'll blind cast next to oyster beds and areas that smaller creeks lead to larger ones. Pretty much the same way I'd fish artificial flukes. In deeper water, heavier flies and let them sink a little.


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