Targeting Redfish on The Fly For Complete Dummies.
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There are few fish in fly fishing that deliver the same mix of accessibility, visual excitement, and raw power as redfish. Whether you’re stalking tailing fish in ankle-deep marsh water or casting to cruising fish along oyster edges, targeting redfish on a fly rod is equal parts patience, precision, and control.
Do it right, and you will truly be hooked for life.
- Understanding Redfish Behavior
Redfish are shallow-water predators that feed with purpose. They aren’t subtle and they aren’t complicated—but they are highly influenced by tide and water movement.
Most encounters fall into a few categories: • Tailing fish feeding in flooded grass or mud • Cruising fish moving with the tide along shorelines • Pushing water where wakes give them away before you see the fish • Schooling fish in slightly deeper water, often more competitive but more alert
Moving water positions fish. Slack water spreads them out. Plan your time around the tide, not the clock.
- Redfish Fly Gear
You don’t need exotic equipment to chase redfish, but you do need gear that’s balanced, durable, and designed for saltwater.
Rod: Tidewater Rods Salt Series – 7 to 9 Weight - 9ft.
A 7 or 8-weight handles most shallow-water redfish situations and is perfect for calm days and lighter flies. A 9-weight shines when wind picks up or when throwing heavier crab patterns.
Tidewater Rods are built with: • Enough backbone to turn fish away from oysters and grass • Fast-recovering tips for accurate, quick shots • Salt-ready components designed for hard use
These rods are designed to fish—not sit in a rod vault.
- Reel
Pair your Tidewater rod with a sealed-drag reel that can handle salt exposure and long runs. Smooth startup matters more than max drag—redfish hit hard and run fast. I highly recommend looking at Nautilus, Tibor, or Hatch reels. These are proven, American made brands that will handle all the redfish you can handle for a LIFETIME.
- Fly Line
A warm-water, weight-forward floating line is ideal. Look for a line that loads quickly and maintains stiffness in heat so it doesn’t turn gummy on summer flats. I personally recommend Rio's Redfish specific lines featuring their new slick cast coating.
Leader & Tippet • 9–12 ft tapered leader will keep things sneaky • 12–16 lb tippet depending on pressure and structure should do you just fine.
Keep it simple. Redfish aren’t leader-shy, but sloppy presentations will spook them.
- Fly Selection: Keep It Subtle
Redfish feed shallow, which means they see everything.
If you are tying your own flies or don't have access to the patterns suggested above, try a Purple/Black patterned Clouser! This color combo tends to work well in murky water conditions as well... My Personal Favorite color combo!
Neutral colors—tan, olive, rust, white—cover most situations. Weight matters more than color. You want the fly to land softly and sink naturally, not crash and burn.
- Presentation Is Everything.
Redfish reward accurate, thoughtful casts.
Key rules: • Lead the fish, don’t hit it • Minimize false casts • Let the fly settle before moving it
Often, a single twitch is all it takes. Overworking the fly is a fast way to blow the shot.
- The Eat, the Set, and the Fight.
When a redfish eats, you’ll feel solid weight or see the fish tip down.
Strip set. Keep the rod tip low, drive the hook home with the line hand, then lift once the hook is buried.
Redfish fight hard and dirty. Let the reel work, apply steady pressure, and keep them away from sharp structure. Land them quickly, handle them carefully, and get them back in the water.
- Why Redfish and Tidewater Rods Make Sense Together.
Redfish fishing is honest fishing. It’s visual, technical, and unforgiving of mistakes—but incredibly rewarding when done right.
Tidewater Rods are built for that kind of fishing. No corporate fluff. No inflated price tag. Just purpose-built rods designed to perform in the places redfish live.
The fish don’t care about logos. They care about presentation.
Looking to target Redfish and want to get rigged up? Contact our owner/rod builder directly at jon@tidewaterrods.com and he will set you straight!
