Fly Fishing For Red Fish

  Fishing Report and Current Conditions

We are in the summer pattern in the Golden Isles of Georgia.  Daytime temperatures are in the 90’s and evening temperatures in the low 70’s.  Water temperatures are in the low 80’s to high 70’s.  Sometimes high 80’s on the flats in the heat of the day.  The strong cold fronts of winter and Spring are no more.  Prevailing winds are calm to Southerly and Southwesterly in the morning giving way to the Southeasterly sea breezes in the afternoon.  After a cool front, they may become Easterly for a few days.  Normally the wind is calm during the early morning hours.  This pattern makes for more reliable fishing conditions.

Red fish:  Your best bet for success is when there is a low tide early in the morning. Many times the mud-flats are slick calm at this time of day.  The water is cooler and the fish more active, particularly at first light.  Sometimes you can see fish pushing water from 50 yards away.  Put a well placed fly in front of them and don’t be surprised if you are rewarded with a strong strike.  We can fish low tides most days.  If the low tide is in the afternoon, you will be faced with sea breezes, so head to the creeks to get away from the wind.  The fish are more scattered at this time of day.  Sometimes you will find them everywhere, and other times you will have to look around.  Keep moving, looking and you will eventually find them. On days when there are tides greatern then 7.8′ during day light hours, the water floods the high marsh and the reds invade the short grass to grub for fiddler craps.  This is classic, Southern fly fishing for aggresively tailing reds in the grass.  Look for evening tides in June, July and August on the new or full moon.  In September and October, we have morning high tides, and the fishing is outstanding.  Watch the tides and moon, plan your trip around them and you will find success.  My favorite fly for flood tides has always been and still is the Black Toad.  Look at my flies page for tying instructions.  Red Fish flies.

Triple Tail: Triple Tail are still floating in front of Jekyll and in other places.  They are not as numerous as they were in April and May.  They are normally smaller, but they are much easier to catch because of reduced pressure.  Try throwing a clouser around channel markers on the high and low tides for TT.  Sometimes you will be rewarded.  When fishing the markers, use heavy hooks and leader because when you catch one, you have to pull him away from the marker or he will break off.  Try the Prawn’s Revenge or St Simons Scampi. Tying instructions on my Red Fish flies. page.

Tarpon: Tarpon are in their anual migration up the Atlantic coast.  Look for these fish in front of all the barrier islands.  Fishing for Tarpon on bait balls is exciting.  You may have a 130 lb fish surface right next to your boat.  Heavy equipment and strong flies are necessary for these fish.  Also look for them in the marshes.  They are there, you just have to figure out where. Look at my Tarpon page for more informations.

Speckled Sea Trout:  Trout are back on the oyster banks.  When the water gets very warm, you may have to look for them in 15′ of water over shell bottoms.  My favorite fly for trout is a chartreuse and white clouser.  Try some lightly weighted one under a popper.  The popping action attracts the fish.  The popper keeps your fly from getting hung up on oysters.  At first light, look for trout feeding on the surface.  Try a popper or Gurgler for some top water actoin.  Keep a few for dinner.  They are delicions.

Jack Crevalle: These fish are like ducks.  They are here one day and gone the rest.  They follow the bait.  If you find bait balls in the sounds or ocean, make sure you are ready for Jacks.  These fish pull like a Mac truck.

The South Atlantic Fisheries Council completed their Red Drum stock assessment.  Because of above average or average recruitment success in the past few years, we have more Red Fish now than we had 5-6 years ago. However, as a  result of the assessment, the SAFC found that the red drum populations of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida are overfished.  The survey determined the escapement rate (where reds in the marsh fish mature to adults and leave for the ocean to join the breeding stock of Bull Reds) is 30%.  A 40% escapement rate is necessary for a sustainable fishery.  We are still waiting to see what our DNR will do to increase escapement.  In other words Georgia must reduce harvest dramatically.  Let’s hope our DNR does the right thing for you and my kids and grand kids and reduces bag and slot limits.

Fly Cast Charters is strictly catch and release for Red Fish, Tarpon, and Jacks.  We encourage conservation for all other fish species.

I do not want to take anyone on just a boat ride. I will be honest about your chance of catching fish.  Check out my weekly fishing reports on Orvis.com by clicking here.

Give me a call or click the Book Now link at the bottom of the page and let’s go, “Hunting Fish in the Marshes of Glynn.”