Tight Lines: Captain's Choice

While the Lowcountry offers year-round opportunities to catch redfish, nothing competes with the thrill and excitement of seeing a bluish-orange tail breach the surface, then quietly sink down and disappear in mere inches of water. Stalking tailing redfish on flooded grass flats is, without a doubt, the ultimate sight-fishing experience.

When the sun and moon align during the full and new moon phases, we experience what are known as "spring" or "flood" tides. These above-average tides flood areas of the grassy salt marsh that are normally dry. When this happens in the spring, summer and fall, redfish move onto these flats to feast on fiddler crabs that burrow in the muddy bottom.

Redfish use a combination of sight, smell and sound to find their food. On the grass flats, reds seem to rely on their sense of smell to find fiddlers. Once these fish locate an occupied crab hole, they'll burrow their noses into the mud in an attempt to dig out the small delicacy. To get the angle and power needed to dig deep for their meals, reds often angle their bodies more vertically than normal, exposing their tails above the surface of the shallow water. Anglers take advantage of this feeding behavior to hone in on "tailing" reds.

When searching for a suitable flat, I look for an area with short grass, generally a foot-and-a-half tall or less. Shorter grass grows on relatively hard bottom that's easy to walk on (wear old, tight tennis shoes). I often find these hard-bottom flats near small islands in the marsh.

Anglers should avoid areas with tall grass, which typically grows in much softer bottom. This seemingly bottomless pluff mud has claimed many flats fishermen's shoes!

Once I have found a likely area, I start looking at the border where the grass meets the water's edge. There should be some small cuts or creeks that serve as an entrance point for fish to get onto the flat. Some flats are right next to main creeks, but others can be very far back. I have caught many fish at both kinds of flats. I find that as long as there is some type of small creek that leads back to a flat, the reds will get there.

Just remember that the redfish's worst fear is getting stuck high and dry on that flat, so as the water goes slack or starts to turn, those fish begin to make their way toward safer depths.

Fishing for tailing reds can be done two ways: Leave the boat and wade the flat, or fish from a shallow drafting skiff. While wading through the water with fish swimming around you is exciting, this method does pose a few problems. It's hard to cover a large area, it's difficult to keep extra gear on hand, and you lose the visibility a boat provides.

Specially designed, shallow-drafting skiffs solve these problems. My boat, an 18-foot Lostmen custom-built by East Cape Canoes (www.EastCapeCanoes.com), allows me to pole into the shallow grass flats quickly and silently, reaching areas only 5 inches deep. It offers the perfect platform for finding and catching redfish with flies or other artificial lures.

Once on the flat, actually finding the fish depends on sight and sound. Listen closely for splashes, which can give away a fish's location from far away. And while it's easy to spot a fish if its tail is sticking out of the water, you also need to look for signs of fish moving below the surface. Ripples and grass stalks moving or shaking are good indicators.

Good polarized sunglasses and a hat with a dark under-sided brim keep you from being blinded by glare and can help you see fish.

Once you've spotted some fish, figuring out in which direction they're moving is important when planning your casts.

Getting a fish to commit is the next challenge. Using a piece of bait such as chunked blue crab, cut mullet, menhaden or shrimp will often get the fish to come to you. But that's not very sporty.

I prefer to use artificial lures or flies. The problem, however, is that when reds are tailing, their noses are buried and sniffing for crabs, so they're not using their eyes. The best time to get hooked up on artificial bait is shortly after that tail goes back under water. That's when the fish is looking ahead and can see a lure, and an angler needs to be ready for a quick cast to get the lure in the fish's line of sight.

Gulp lures and other scent-infused artificials are good crossover baits, because their smell will attract a fish that might otherwise miss the sight of a lure going by.

Whenever using lures, always try to match the hatch. DOAs and other shrimp-style baits can be deadly on the flats, but don't throw them if shrimp haven't shown up yet.

Spoons, spinner baits, paddle-tail grubs, crab flies and clouser flies all make excellent lures. Just remember that weedless is your friend.

And keep in mind that while these fish are on the flats to feed, they also know they are exposed, and are therefore very spooky. Whenever possible, avoid moving baits fast and unnaturally through the grass. Take your time and stay stealthy.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when going after tailing reds:

Wind can blow water in or out a few inches. Keep a log of your flats with the water height and the wind history for the past 24 hours to determine how susceptible the location is to wind-based tidal change.

While on the flats, redfish are vulnerable to attack by ospreys, so any overhead shadow usually spooks them. This is important to remember early or late in the day, when shadows are long.

Mind your steps in the water. Loud splashing will spook the fish. Voices don't spook them as much as you would think.

Remember that the grass can put an extreme amount of extra pressure on your line. Don't be afraid to chase after a hooked fish if it runs into thick grass.

Be courteous out there. If someone is set up on a flat, don't assume that fishing 200 feet down the same flat will keep you out of their way. Keep in mind that a single boat can cover a lot of ground. If someone's already fishing a flat, just look for another spot.

TAILING TIDES Anglers hoping to stalk redfish in the flooded marsh should plan their trips during particularly high tides. Capt. Graham Hegamyer specializes in this type of fishing, and keeps track of when fishing might be best. Here are his recommendations for the best "tailing tides."

Editor's Note: This month's "Captain's Choice" article comes courtesy of Capt. Graham Hegamyer, a full-time inshore guide with Southern Tail Charters. Hegamyer, shown above with a redfish caught on the fly, specializes in chasing tailing reds around the Lowcountry's many grass flats. For more information about Southern Tail Charters, call Hegamyer at 843-991-8372 or visit SouthernTailCharters.com.

Charter captains interested in sharing their own "Captain's Choice" can contact Tideline Senior Editor Matt Winter at 843-937-5568 or matt@tidelinemagazine.com.