Most of the time 15-pound leader will do the trick if you’re fishing for speckled trout and white trout. If you move up to redfish, you should move up to 20-pound or 30-pound, especially if you’re tackling bull reds.
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What is the best time to redfish in Louisiana?
There is no closed season for redfish in Louisiana so they are open to harvest year-round. The best time of year to catch big redfish in Louisiana is in the fall while spring will produce more fish.
How do you catch redfish on the fly?
What flies do you use for redfish?
Crab flies are deadly for targeting Redfish (and Sheepshead) in the Gulf Coast region. Some quick online research will show you hundreds of Crab patterns available. Some popular patterns include the Merkin, KungFu, Contraband, Flexo, Fleeing Crabs, and many more.
Where is the best redfish fishing in Louisiana?
- Grand Isle.
- Venice.
- Lake Pontchartrain.
- Cocodrie.
- Vermilion Bay.
- Hopedale.
- Lafitte.
- Lake Maurepas.
What is the best month to catch redfish?
The best season for redfish is late summer & mid-fall in grassy flats. August & September are particularly good in Tampa Bay area grass flats. During the summer, the larger redfish, called bull reds, come up from the deeper waters to the shoreline and can be found along jetties and bridges around this time.
How many redfish can you keep in Louisiana?
Redfish can get pretty big, over 50″ in length. 16 inches is the minimum total length to keep a redfish. Five fish per person is the daily bag limit with not more than one exceeding 27 inches. Always check with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website to ensure you are in within the legal limits!
What size fly rod do I need for redfish?
Most guides say the best fly rod for redfish is a 9-foot, 8- or 9-weight rod paired to most any brand of saltwater reel and spooled with a warm-water, weight-forward floating line. Leaders can measure 9 to 12 feet, with a 40-pound butt section tapering to a 15- or 20-pound tippet.
What is a 8 weight fly rod good for?
These rods can handle all kinds of lines, wind, and flies ranging up to larger patterns like bass bugs and saltwater streamers. The amount of power in an 8 weight also means it can take on some bigger, stronger species, yet more average-sized specimens remain enjoyable because it’s not too much rod.
What do I need for saltwater fly fishing?
How do you make a redfish fly leader?
- The butt section should be 5 times the fly-line weight. Example: an 8-weight fly line requires a 40-pound-test butt section.
- The butt section should be at least half the total leader length.
What is a 9 weight fly rod for?
A 9wt fly rod is designed for fast-action performance with powerful swing rates. This means you can easily launch big flies over considerable distances in bustling winds and yet remain precise. You could say that a 9 wt fly rod is somewhere in the middle of being a lightweight and heavy duty fly rod.
Where can I fly fish in Louisiana?
Hopedale Louisiana is the most constant place for incredible fly fishing in Louisiana. The vastness of the marsh and its location provide the backdrop for some of the best saltwater fly fishing in the world. The deeper water flats surrounding the marshes in this area provide the perfect habitat for really big redfish.
What state has the biggest redfish?
The redfish records vary quite a bit from state to state, and you might be surprised that the world record for the biggest redfish ever caught is not from Florida or Texas! The redfish world record comes from North Carolina where a 94 pound 2 ounce redfish was caught!
Where can I find the biggest redfish?
- Mosquito Lagoon, Florida Redfish Fishing. Florida’s Mosquito Lagoon has produced a number of world-record size redfish.
- Redfish Fishing in Pine Island Sound, Florida. The clear waters of Pine Island Sound offer exciting sight fishing for redfish.
- Beaufort, North Carolina Redfish Fishing.
How deep do you fish for redfish?
You can catch redfish from just about any water depth from 6 inches in the back country shallows to more than 100 feet deep when you are fishing the offshore reefs, wrecks and oil rigs.
What is the best bait for redfish?
During the spring, the best baitfish to use are mullet, pilchards, greenies or pogies. Although redfish also eat shellfish and crabs, they’ll eat the prey that’s easiest. If you’re not able to get some live bait, you also can use dead bait too. Use a 7/0 hook and put some mullet fillet on it.
Where is the best fishing in Louisiana?
- Black Bayou Lake – Monroe, LA. Black Bayou Lake is surrounded by a national wildlife refuge just north of Monroe.
- Venice, LA.
- Lake Verret – Napoleonville, LA.
- Caddo Lake – Oil City, LA.
- Toledo Bend – Zwolle, LA.
- Grand Isle, LA.
What does Louisiana redfish taste like?
The mild, sweet flavor and moist white meat seems to be far superior, especially from those smaller redfish less than 10 or 15 pounds, as the meat of larger “bull” redfish can be coarse, stringy, and unpalatable.
Is red drum good eating?
In short, Yes, Redfish are good to eat. But, you may want to focus on Redfish smaller than 24 inches or so. Redfish are a very popular with anglers across the Southeast. Overall, It’s a great food fish and can be prepared in many different ways.
How big is a trophy redfish?
Species Information. Average Size: 10 – 12 lbs. Location & Habitat: Redfish can be found in areas with long shell bars and rocky or grassy shorelines and on shallow flats, where they are usually fished by sight.
What is a 10 weight fly rod good for?
10wt fly rods are pretty good for casting heavier and larger dry flies. Plus, they’re great at for casting over longer distances against the wind. In addition, 10wts are a good choice when it comes to fishing from different positions such as standing on the boat or from the shoreline.
Can I use my freshwater fly rod in saltwater?
Does it have to be different than what I already have?” Actually, any rod that works in freshwater will work in saltwater fishing, but there are trade-offs. Saltwater is corrosive to many metals. Once saltwater penetrates into seams between metal parts, you can never get it out.
What is a 6’6 fly rod good for?
A 6-weight fly rod is ideal for light-duty angling for snook, bonefish, steelhead, carp, and bass. You can also use it for heavier trout.
Will a heavier fly line cast further?
If you are using a rod designed to throw an eight-weight line and you’re fishing at 30 to 40 feet from the target area and the backcast area is less than that, a nine-weight line will permit you to cast much better because the heavier line will load up the rod and let it flex.