Reggio marsh, 4-27-2019
Wind: 10 mph SE, S
Tide: 7:30 am low, high 7:00 pm using Shell Beach Station
Water Level: average to start, getting up in the grass by evening
Water Temperature: ~70 F
Water Clarity: poor at launch, but cleaned up nicely in the marsh
Water salinity: n/a
Weather/sky: clear and sunny
Temperature: ~ 78 F for high
Moon: half, waning
Solunar period: good period 8-10 am, fair period at 2 pm
Time on the water: slipped the Hobie Outback in at 10:30 a.m., out at 6:30 p.m.
Water covered: ~ 4 miles
Other fishers: solo trip
Gear: Abu Garcia Revo/Falcon rod combo, 8 weight fly rod
Lures: in-line spinner bait with a Saltwater Assassin (chicken on a chain). Tried Waldner’s spoon fly and a new crab fly I tied.
Strategy/ patterns: Find redfish.
I fished this area last week for a short period, so I thought I’d try it again when I had more time. I went to where I caught the redfish on the last trip, and they were still there. I caught 5 in the 16”-17” range and then got a 22” fish. I could readily catch them on the spinner, but could not get a hit on a fly. I went back to the spinner and caught a few more. I decided to try to drift and fish, and I picked up a couple of 18” reds. I paddled back into some shallow marsh and tried the new crab fly I had made. I flipped the crab fly in front of a small gar, and it bit but did not get the hook. It began to swim away and was joined by an 18” redfish. Got the fly in front of the red and it ate and ran. Only fish I was able to get on the fly today.
I got into a shallow (1ft.) pond that had several redfish. It was weedy and was difficult to fly fish with the wind, but I did my best to quietly work the pond with the fly rod. Couldn’t get them to feed. I went upwind to attempt a drift, and I got very close to the fish but they were spooky by then. So I left the pond and trolled a bit in deeper water….picked up 3 more reds from 18-22”. Ended up with a dozen or more redfish. I probably could have caught several more if I had stayed with the bait caster, but I spent most of trip working on the fly rod. Nice day to be on the water in the kayak.
Welcome to the Crawdad Hole 