# Fly fishing for redfish in the surf



## JIMMYZ750 (Feb 20, 2007)

Interested in the same. Pics of flies or streamers that would work would be good. What gear too.....


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

Use an intermediate line. I generally catch them along with other species, I don't target them specifically. Learn to read the beach, like regular surf fishing. I use clousers, shrimp patterns, Crazy charlies, and other bait fish patterns. Look for working birds and bait getting busted. Good luck.


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## AZ_squid (Mar 14, 2018)

In Texas, I keep an eye on the surf forecast and pick days 0-1' (pretty rare) and only if the surf is clean (even more rare). 8wt rod intermediate line, flouro leader mainly for the non floating aspect, fly with a good sink rate that can cast into the wind. I head down the beach in search of deep guts right along the shoreline. I generally hit the bar behind the gut and wade it. You'd be surprised the fish you find up shallow. I'd say half the reds I find are crossing the bar the other half are using the edge of it as a travel corridor. TX is nice because I have 70+ miles of beach at my back door I can drive and hit different areas if things aren't productive. That's just my game, I know other guys chase different structure. Oh and wear shoes, I've stepped on all kinds of stuff out there as well as pissed off a number of crabs.


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## Mark H (Nov 22, 2016)

AZ_squid said:


> In Texas, I keep an eye on the surf forecast and pick days 0-1' (pretty rare) and only if the surf is clean (even more rare). 8wt rod intermediate line, flouro leader mainly for the non floating aspect, fly with a good sink rate that can cast into the wind. I head down the beach in search of deep guts right along the shoreline. I generally hit the bar behind the gut and wade it. You'd be surprised the fish you find up shallow. I'd say half the reds I find are crossing the bar the other half are using the edge of it as a travel corridor. TX is nice because I have 70+ miles of beach at my back door I can drive and hit different areas if things aren't productive. That's just my game, I know other guys chase different structure. Oh and wear shoes, I've stepped on all kinds of stuff out there as well as pissed off a number of crabs.


Drove that beach with Billy Sandifer a couple of times. Once with buddies and once with family. Great trip both times.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

I've always wanted to fly fish the surf for redfish, but I just don't really enjoy blind casting a fly rod. I'd rather bounce some soft plastics if I'm blind casting.

I'd love to hear if anyone is able to actually sight cast redfish in the surf -- I think that would be a blast.


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## AZ_squid (Mar 14, 2018)

Mark H said:


> Drove that beach with Billy Sandifer a couple of times. Once with buddies and once with family. Great trip both times.


It's a beautiful place to spend some time.


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## VANMflyfishing (Nov 11, 2019)

I've done it many times. Try to find a current break on an incoming or outgoing. Another tip would be use a double fly rig with a baitfish on top with a heavier crab/shrimp on the bottom. Full intermediate works for me - SA Sonar titan. Stripping basket helps a lot too.


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## ReelFisher (Mar 14, 2017)

Not for redfish, but I used to hit the beach at low tide for bonnetheads which was a blast. Having a bike to cover a lot of ground and sight fish them was the key for me. I imagine it'd be the same for redfish, but looking more for current breaks and beach features than actually sight fishing.


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## Mark H (Nov 22, 2016)

AZ_squid said:


> It's a beautiful place to spend some time.


It is, and spending it getting the full Billy Sandifer experience in a place he truly loved are memories I will enjoy till I die. To top it all off, he wrote a magazine article about both trips after the family trip. Apparently he had a ball as well. Called my buddies on the first trip a crew of hardcore grinders which we all appreciated. Yeah we weren't doing any fly fishing in those days.


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## AZ_squid (Mar 14, 2018)

Mark H said:


> It is, and spending it getting the full Billy Sandifer experience in a place he truly loved are memories I will enjoy till I die. To top it all off, he wrote a magazine article about both trips after the family trip. Apparently he had a ball as well. Called my buddies on the first trip a crew of hardcore grinders which we all appreciated. Yeah we weren't doing any fly fishing in those days.


Billy Sandifer was one of the greats for sure, wish I'd have been able to meet him. I've been really fortunate to meet guys like Oz, Jeff Wolda and Nick. The knowledge they have of that section of coastline is amazing.


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

bryson said:


> I've always wanted to fly fish the surf for redfish, but I just don't really enjoy blind casting a fly rod. I'd rather bounce some soft plastics if I'm blind casting.
> 
> I'd love to hear if anyone is able to actually sight cast redfish in the surf -- I think that would be a blast.


Not very often or very successfully. I have had a very few fleeting shots at Bull reds at the edges of big here now gone seconds later schools, this from a boat deck in a calm surf. There’s also been a few fleeting shots up shallow while wading in a very unusually structured stretch of beach. None of those worked out in actual eats with hook sets. Too transitory and chaotic in nature I do believe to have much of a reasonable chance in those instances.

I’ve picked up a very few redfish, along with other species, in the surf drifting negatively buoyant patterns like Borski sliders just off the sand substrate. I don’t really call that blind casting as I know predators are there feeding in specific zones in the bar/gut structure. These fish would come from targeted casts to specific zones with intentional drifts of weighted patterns. Call it blind casting if you like, seems like that phrase isn’t descriptive enough to capture what’s really going on in this instance.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

karstopo said:


> Not very often or very successfully. I have had a very few fleeting shots at Bull reds at the edges of big here now gone seconds later schools, this from a boat deck in a calm surf. There’s also been a few fleeting shots up shallow while wading in a very unusually structured stretch of beach. None of those worked out in actual eats with hook sets. Too transitory and chaotic in nature I do believe to have much of a reasonable chance in those instances.
> 
> I’ve picked up a very few redfish, along with other species, in the surf drifting negatively buoyant patterns like Borski sliders just off the sand substrate. I don’t really call that blind casting as I know predators are there feeding in specific zones in the bar/gut structure. These fish would come from targeted casts to specific zones with intentional drifts of weighted patterns. Call it blind casting if you like, seems like that phrase isn’t descriptive enough to capture what’s really going on in this instance.


No negative connotation intended at all when I say "blind casting", I'm just using it as a very broad term for when I don't see the fish I'm casting to (even if I know they are holding in that water). I do fly fish like that fairly often, but if I know that's all I'm going to do I will probably bring a spinning rod along too. On a beach trip where I'm trying to cover a good bit of ground and I'm not familiar with the "structure" of a specific area, I'd probably lean towards spin gear to start with, and switch to a fly rod for the next trip if I feel like I've patterned the fish a little.


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## marshrat (Feb 22, 2018)

Scotty at the Fly Shop in Mount Pleasant had some sand flea flies that he recommended for this pursuit. He had some good photos of big reds in cresting waves that, theoretically, you could cast to...


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## Jaterac (Jul 30, 2020)

I'd rather target pompano. Not a lot of reds in surf here.. Before I got my skiff, I fly fished the surf a lot with little luck. 

I use a 9wt sage motive, line is 8wt rio outbound sink tip, 3 piece leaders 2,2,4 ft of 15,25,40 or something. Or 8wt mangrove with 8wt full sink and 6ft of 30lb flouracarbon and weighted flies. 

Stripping basket, gloves, and water shoes are a must. Fly fishing the surf is very frustrating though. Best luck I've ever had was after 6 straight hours of casting without a single bite, I hooked up on a massive Florida pompano.... 

I mean sure I've hit dozens of whiting but most days on the surf just aren't productive. Spot is most important. Any place I normally surf fish with spinning tackle usually won't do me well on the fly. 

For redfish, use redfish ritalin or redfish crack patterns. For pompano, Ive had luck with white deceivers with ball chain eyes. For whiting, crazy Charlies in tan. 

Ive ties a ton of variations of sand fleas and used different techniques to make them look as real as possible ... No go either. Never had luck with sand flea flies. 

You really need to get used to failure fly casting the surf. Ive gone out maybe 200 times and caught 20 fish total. Maybe I just suck. Maybe blind casting sucks.... But if you can hit on some rocks and jetties, you'll have more luck. Just avoid wide sandy beaches. 

Also if they've done a beach restoration within 2 years, you'll probably have less luck. 

If you cast into a draining trough, you can extend your hang time on the fly too. You probably have best luck snagging a red waiting for food to come out. Thats where I bagged all my whiting. 

Good luck. Also, make sure you take the gloves and shoes advice of anything.


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

don’t think they don’t hit on top as well


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

Karstopo
"I’ve picked up a very few redfish, along with other species, in the surf drifting negatively buoyant patterns like Borski sliders just off the sand substrate. I don’t really call that blind casting as I know predators are there feeding in specific zones in the bar/gut structure. These fish would come from targeted casts to specific zones with intentional drifts of weighted patterns. Call it blind casting if you like, seems like that phrase isn’t descriptive enough to capture what’s really going on in this instance."

I fly fish the surf every chance I get. I am wading without a srtripper basket using a floating line and a 9' hand tied tapered leader with a loop on the end and a tippet looped to that. I can change out tippets fast that way. I have tried intermediate lines and found that they don't do any better than floating and they are more fatiguing when you are pulling it out of the water instead of on top. I tie a clouser type fly with medium and heavy dumbell eyes, a little flashabou in the center line and change up my strips in. Every time I have seen red fish in the surf I have caught them but I am mostly fishing like Karstopo has described above but without the sliders. The problem with redfish in the surf is you just don't see them that often until September through October when they begin schooling in the surf and you need a boat or yak to follow them. In Texas Tarpon do the same thing on the beach, except they are 100 + lbs so if you target them you better be ready. So the answer is (at least in Texas) yes you can site cast them in the surf when you see them, and they will definitely hit a fly.


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## Todd (May 23, 2018)

I’m finding them close to shore, less than a foot of water, as the water recedes from a wave. Slow stalk watching for the clear water after the turbulent water settles. I’m only seeing them within about 30 ft so only getting quick shots before the next wave comes in as they’ll move a little with the next wave and spook many more than I hook. I can sometimes follow a small school down the beach until I pull one out. Typically using a masked minnow though recommendations above for flies all sound good.


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## greyghost61us (Dec 8, 2014)

bryson said:


> I've always wanted to fly fish the surf for redfish, but I just don't really enjoy blind casting a fly rod. I'd rather bounce some soft plastics if I'm blind casting.
> 
> I'd love to hear if anyone is able to actually sight cast redfish in the surf -- I think that would be a blast.


I fish around the Bay County/ Walton County line in the Florida Panhandle. I sight fish redfish and pompano in the surf with my fly rod. An intermediate, quick shooting short head line and fluorocarbon leaders help get your fly down quick and make those short, fast casts. I like sand flea flies, there are a number of local variants in this part of Florida and sand fleas are what all the fish seem to like. Most of the time we have gin clear water and the fish are not hard to see....you need to learn what to look for. This is a surf caught red on a private beach during the covid shut down. The reds and pomps were just feet off the beach. You could see their backs breaching in the surf. Sand flea flies were the key.


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## citadelmarineservices (Jan 22, 2021)

I have it pretty dialed In to sight cast them in the surf on fly in SC, almost guaranteed fish with a decent caster. Not willing to give any info really, but if you want to book a trip you can reach out.


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## citadelmarineservices (Jan 22, 2021)




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## fatman (Nov 23, 2012)

citadelmarineservices said:


> View attachment 190325


that looks like an old Shakespeare Wonderod


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