Usually the best action is going to be around the last hour of incoming and the first hour of outgoing, depending on the height of the tide for that day. You need enough water to reach the dry areas of the marsh, so the big reds can feed on fiddler crabs. Flats near Jacksonville don’t need as much water to flood; flats near St. Augustine and points south need a tide of 5.4, 5.5. Flood Tide Fishing. King Tides around Pawleys Island can reach heights greater than 6 feet. The water was shin deep, and I waited for it to reach the bottom of my knee caps. The allure of tailing redfish on the marsh is intoxicating. Marching to the beat of a different Drum. If you’re late, head to the next flat. I load up my fly boxes with EP crabs in black and tan, toad style. July 11, 2020 July 16, 2020 moldychum. Flood Tide Fishing can be an incredible experience! Usually the best action is going to be around the last hour of incoming and the first hour of outgoing, depending on the height of the tide for that day. Your email address will not be published. The Axiom will punch through the wind and the Power will handle any flood-tide red with ease. Rio’s lines tend to be heavier. The projected flood tide never arrived. Fishing shouldn’t be this Good. After 30 minutes of walking, I arrived at my favorite spot and looked for fish. Kayaks are more stable; paddleboards have a better casting platform, but require above-average balance and core strength. Copyright © 2020 Temple Fork Outfitters™ All Rights Reserved. However, if your tide is borderline with a southwest wind, the fish might not have enough water to tail, which is exactly what happened on my most recent trip. But I got up to go fishing anyway. By contrast, a south or west wind pushes water off the flat, which means you’ll have less time to fish, or even worse, not enough water to cover the flat. A flood tide is a larger than normal tide that pushes water onto spartina grass flats and floods mangroves, allowing redfish to feast on the thousands of crabs that live there. Rod Repair 101: The Basics of TFO’s Warranty Program. Below are a few flood-tide tips that I learned along the way. Flood Tide Charters are well equipped to catch Redfish, Flounder, Sheepshead, Tarpon, Spotted Seatrout, Spadefish, Bluefish, Jack Crevalle, Black Drum, and who knows what else! The culprit was Hurricane Florence, which was several days away, but close enough to yield a west breeze, which stymied the tidal flow. The primary food source on the marsh are fiddlers. Most of the time these Redfish get so caught up on foraging that they often let their guard down making these fish easier to target. I arrived at my favorite marsh in time. If your skipper does something similar, look at your tide table and work out which side of the boat is the better for you, so that you are not fishing under the boat for the best part of the day. Wind is a big factor in tidal flow. Post navigation. On average the Nature Coast will see around 10-15 of these tides per year and for those anglers that try to home in on these particular tidal phases a tide chart is the best resource for trying to nail down these flood tides. Kayaks and paddleboards are solo affairs. In Northeast Florida, for instance, you generally need a high tide of at least 5.2, but that designation is a mere guideline. The flood tide happens when our high tides reach a height of +5.2 feet. After a long drive from the North Carolina mountains to the beaches of north Florida, I was dog tired. That means you can fish longer, because you’ll have ample water. You may like these posts. In north Florida, north or east wind pushes water on to the flat. It doesn’t hurt to have a Gurgler or two. Once high tide arrives, you generally have about an hour or so of good fishing before the water will recede and the fish will leave. Each area has its required tidal flow to entice tailing fish. fly fishing for redfish fly fishing video. Copyright © Reel Florida Fishing Charters 2019-2020. A boat or kayak/paddleboard requires more preparation, but offers the advantage of mobility. Get up early and be on the flat well before high tide, so you can be in position before the water rises and the fish move in. For longer trips, I use a kayak. When fishing flood tides anglers usually want to start around 2 hours before high tide, so they can be in a prime location as the fish start to move onto the flat with the incoming tide. The sun was up and the tide was trickling in. Something about seeing a tail slowly cutting through the top of the water column, surrounded by short spartina grass, on a flat that is only covered by water a few times a month is simply special. Watching these fish casually tail their way through the flat, digging their noses in the mud looking for a shrimp or fiddler crab is almost as entertaining as watching them eat after a perfectly placed cast. The Rio Redfish or Cortland Liquid Crystal Guide are both good options. by Kyle Messier | Sep 5, 2018 | Fishing Reports | 0 comments, “I ALWAYS TELL MY CLIENTS THAT FLOOD TIDES CAN EITHER BE A GIFT FROM GOD OR A CURSE BESTOWED UPON US BY MOTHER NATURE.”. Website by Heritage Marketing Group. It will happen around the new and full moon cycles, as well as when there is added wind from storms and hurricanes. Sheepshead, Black Drum, Snapper, and even Snook are also common on these flats but the one thing that all of these fish have in common is that they’re all on this flat to feed. Though counter intuitive, this approach sometimes works. The Dirtbag Diaries: Endangered Spaces. Flood tide fishing is only available from north Florida up through the Carolinas. Tagged. Affordable, high performance fishing rods. Any other advice or questions, feel free to comment on one of our social media pages. It’s important to prepare the night before. So if flood tide fishing sounds like a your next fishing adventure feel free to give the guides of Florida Fishing Adventures a call today. Sleep would have to wait. I have a soft spot for tailing reds. When fishing flood tides anglers usually want to start around 2 hours before high tide, so they can be in a prime location as the fish start to move onto the flat with the incoming tide. Flood tide fly fishing for reds in the Golden Isles with Captain Rob of Southeastern Angling. For anglers in the know in Northeast Florida, this is the epitome of light tackle and fly fishing in our area. The beauty of fishing for flood tide Redfish is that it gives anglers the opportunity to target fish in areas where they normally can’t be targeted. The sun came up early. Posted Under. Cortland’s lines, in my opinion, are lighter and easier to cast. You can cover more ground and potentially reach more fish. But I got up to go fishing anyway. In Florida our flood tides typically occur around the months of September and October and during these tidal phases our average tide rises from 2-3 ft to 3.8-5ft depending on the direction of the wind. Where there’s a marsh, there’s usually a tailing redfish. I’ve used both. The mere sight of a spotted tail in the grass takes my breath away. This is, however, not always the case, especially during late summer when fish seem to feed nonstop through the tide. Archives Slightly Moldy Chum Videos. In short, each area, each flat, has different tidal requirements. In a matter of minutes, you can be on the water and fishing — before or after work or on your lunch break. Seriously!! Local knowledge is key to ferreting out these nuances. After a long drive from the North Carolina mountains to the beaches of north Florida, I was dog tired. Tidal flow is huge when it comes to flood-tide redfish. Photo courtesy of Jason Sheasley. And I waited and waited and waited. Also realizing that not every fish on the flat will be a Redfish is equally important.