# Best fly for “crawling” redfish



## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

I fly fish the New Smyrna/North Mosquito lagoon area and sight fish for crawlers on mangrove shorelines. Just want to see what fly has worked the best for these fish. Do not see many trailers anymore.


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## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

Match the hatch.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Their Red fish. Crabs, shrimp patterns


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

I know to use shrimp/crab patterns but wanted to know what pattern has worked more than others. It would be nice to have 2-3 fly patterns that I can rely and know fisherman trust. There are hundreds of different crustacean patterns and wanted to narrow them down.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Mix in a slider that shallow


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## Nway93 (May 9, 2016)

Used to live in Jax and year round it was the same type of thing with fish crawling banks and now live on the Space Coast and have been doing pretty well in the lagoon lately. I think presentation matters way more than the fly have caught them on all sorts of stuff. But if I had to have one fly it'd be a black and purple deer hair slider. X-small lead eyes and a glass rattle keel weight. Been tying them on a #4 umpqua jig hook or #2 daiichi 2546. In the dirty water I fish them very aggressively and lead them at most 2-3'. Always try to throw to the bank side of the fish and cross their face, gives you wiggle room if they veer off the bank.


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Nway93 said:


> I think presentation matters way more than the fly have caught them on all sorts of stuff.


From my observations redfish are way more presentation oriented than pattern. 
Not many shrimp or mullet swim right at their face.


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

Nway93 said:


> Used to live in Jax and year round it was the same type of thing with fish crawling banks and now live on the Space Coast and have been doing pretty well in the lagoon lately. I think presentation matters way more than the fly have caught them on all sorts of stuff. But if I had to have one fly it'd be a black and purple deer hair slider. X-small lead eyes and a glass rattle keel weight. Been tying them on a #4 umpqua jig hook or #2 daiichi 2546. In the dirty water I fish them very aggressively and lead them at most 2-3'. Always try to throw to the bank side of the fish and cross their face, gives you wiggle room if they veer off the bank.


Thank you for the info!!! I have never used that pattern or color.


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

Is there a pattern that you use to “search” or “attract” redfish? I have been in many situations where I can barely see the fish bc the water is too murky but I know they are there. I have tried a popper for redfish to no avail (I’ve caught several snook though).


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

BrownDog said:


> From my observations redfish are way more presentation oriented than pattern.
> Not many shrimp or mullet swim right at their face.


I understand that much lol I’ve head plenty of GREAT presentations in the lagoon and just got passed. Some days an EP pinfish would work and the next not. Not consistency on strikes.


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Nickbeecher710 said:


> I understand that much lol I’ve head plenty of GREAT presentations in the lagoon and just got passed. Some days an EP pinfish would work and the next not. Not consistency on strikes.


That’s just show it goes sometimes unfortunately. You can do everything right, watch them nose the fly etc but sometimes they just won’t eat.

Usually when crawling you can see them pushing shrimp etc if they are feeding.

They can get finicky on low water.


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

Nickbeecher710 said:


> I know to use shrimp/crab patterns but wanted to know what pattern has worked more than others. It would be nice to have 2-3 fly patterns that I can rely and know fisherman trust. There are hundreds of different crustacean patterns and wanted to narrow them down.


Nick, here are my .02c, I believe color and size is most important than type of fly. Crabs vary in colors and they get tuned in to the type of crab they are eating, I would have your favorite crab in different sizes and colors. I would also have some suspending crabs and weighted crabs of same colors. Here in Sanibel on an outgoing tide if you don't have a light colored crab with a purple spot in size 2 then you won't do as well etc. Ref baitfish, for your scenario, I would have two type of flies, a schminnow, it suspends and reds think its a minnow or a shrimp, and I would have some EP fiber Everglades Special type in lots of bait colors etc. Hope this helps your quest.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

If they won’t eat it squirt some ProCure on your fly when no one is looking.


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## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> If they won’t eat it squirt some ProCure on your fly when no one is looking.


I like to tip my flies with shrimp


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)




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## Tankerfly (Jan 22, 2021)

I have a ton of flies, but always come back to this tcb crab in this color combo. This particular one has lasted a few years and many fish. Trying to see how long before it falls apart!


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Seaducer if they are acting skittish. Tan or red and white.


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

Loogie said:


> Nick, here are my .02c, I believe color and size is most important than type of fly. Crabs vary in colors and they get tuned in to the type of crab they are eating, I would have your favorite crab in different sizes and colors. I would also have some suspending crabs and weighted crabs of same colors. Here in Sanibel on an outgoing tide if you don't have a light colored crab with a purple spot in size 2 then you won't do as well etc. Ref baitfish, for your scenario, I would have two type of flies, a schminnow, it suspends and reds think its a minnow or a shrimp, and I would have some EP fiber Everglades Special type in lots of bait colors etc. Hope this helps your quest.


Thank you for the info. Very helpful. I am going to stock up on flies 👍


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> If they won’t eat it squirt some ProCure on your fly when no one is looking.


I may have done that before 😂


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

Tankerfly said:


> I have a ton of flies, but always come back to this tcb crab in this color combo. This particular one has lasted a few years and many fish. Trying to see how long before it falls apart!


I will have to pick one up and give it a shot. Looks like a good fly


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

Jason M said:


> Seaducer if they are acting skittish. Tan or red and white.


I feel like the fish that I target in the lagoon are skittish 95 percent of the time. Thanks for the info


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

mosquitolaGOON said:


> I like to tip my flies with shrimp


I’ve done this for bonefish and it worked


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## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

Nickbeecher710 said:


> I’ve done this for bonefish and it worked


I was kidding and you should probably never tell people you tip flies with live bait ever again


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

mosquitolaGOON said:


> I was kidding and you should probably never tell people you tip flies with live bait ever again


I was desperate


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

Purple and black Kwan with orange cactus chenille hot spot, xs lead eyes, #2-#4 hook


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

jay.bush1434 said:


> Purple and black Kwan with orange cactus chenille hot spot, xs lead eyes, #2-#4 hook


Seems like purple and black is the way to go! Thank you


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## PTLuv2Fish (Feb 10, 2021)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> If they won’t eat it squirt some ProCure on your fly when no one is looking.


One drop does the trick.


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## HelthInsXpert (Jan 24, 2018)

Man, I'd love to help but you're fishing in my backyard so I can't have you creepin on my pets..................

Only joking (kind of). 

As mentioned earlier, the presentation matters more than the fly. With any kind of decent visibility you want to use a fairly small fly that won't smack very much when it lands. I like an EP minnow type of fly for bank crawlers as lead eyes tend to be less accurate and splash too hard. Tie your flies sparse so that they get down in the water. 

When the water is muddy or visibility is low, try something a little bigger in Black/Purple. I used to fish lead eye fly 100% but recently really prefer the baitfish patterns.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

The one that lands where they can see it in most cases. They are crawling because they are feeding and when they are feeding they are not as picky as when they are just cruising or sitting and resting.


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## ElLobo (Sep 14, 2020)

Hit em with the flash grenade . They won't be able to resist.


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## [email protected] (Jul 4, 2012)

HelthInsXpert said:


> Man, I'd love to help but you're fishing in my backyard so I can't have you creepin on my pets..................
> 
> Only joking (kind of).
> 
> ...


🤣🤣 Nick has been fishing the lagoon longer than you have lived here.. Nick is an OG that got me into fishing over here


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

Thank you guys for all the advice and flies. I’m not use to fisherman giving up there secrets 👌 I need to get on the water


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

[email protected] said:


> 🤣🤣 Nick has been fishing the lagoon longer than you have lived here.. Nick is an OG that got me into fishing over here


I’ve been fishing it for 16+ years and still haven’t figured it all out 😂😂😂 been a long time man, haven’t been able to get out as much with my 2 boys


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

Nickbeecher710 said:


> Thank you guys for all the advice and flies. I’m not use to fisherman giving up there secrets 👌 I need to get on the water


As fly fisherman its pretty easy to give up favorite fly patterns and techniques. It's still fly fishing and still hard.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

mosquitolaGOON said:


> I was kidding and you should probably never tell people you tip flies with live bait ever again


Not live shrimp. Little niblets of dead shrimp bro.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Not live shrimp. Little niblets of dead shrimp bro.


Whole shrimps are heavy, they cast right off!

You really have to open your loop.


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## ChickenBone (Oct 12, 2017)

Jason M said:


> Seaducer if they are acting skittish. Tan or red and white.


👆. This


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## rusty777 (Jan 8, 2019)

A lot of success with this guy in NE fl


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## Nolefishing (Nov 14, 2018)

Lead em by 5ft. If it works for Tampa Bay reds it'll work anywhere


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## Bflatisbest (Mar 15, 2017)

Might be crazy, but I find to have more luck with chartreuse - regardless of pattern. I fish with multiple guys that swear by natural colors. I think it's finding confidence in something and then focusing on presentation. That being said, I usually fish shrimp and crab patterns and vary the weight depending on depth and how spooky the fish are.


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## TailHunter13 (Apr 6, 2021)

The kung fu is always working in HHI


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## Tyler White (Jun 11, 2018)

I live in Deland and fish the lagoon regularly and this is my response: a well presented fly. The belly crawlers in New Smyrna remind me a lot of the browns on Big Spring(yes, I’m a transplant going on year 6 in Fl), they will hit a good drift, nothing else matters. Present it well and they will do the rest.


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## Eric-C (Aug 1, 2020)

Light landing crab


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