I’m really getting frustrated with flood tide outings here in Charleston. I’ve been rockin the low tides around the oyster rakes and creeks. Three low tide trips in a row with at least one fish. A Perfect flood tide situation today. 11:08 7.5’ high tide. A little breezy, but nothing I can’t handle on an 8wt. Went out solo and set up ahead of the flood around 9:00am. I must have covered a half square mile of my favorite flat and didn’t see a single fish This is my second flood tide trip without seeing a single redfish. Mullet jumping everywhere. I was piling super quiet and still nothing. They’re just not there.
I know flood tide redfish is the ultimate fly fishing experience around Charleston, but I’m getting really frustrated. Last year I was super successful on the floods, and my casting is much better this year. I just don’t know where they’ve gone.
This. Try to change depths until you see a few fish. Once you do make a mental note of that relative depth and stay in that range. Most times the fish are pushing up on multiple flats all at the same time and tend to be in a certain depth as they push further in.
Yes, I was likely too deep most of the time. It was a big tide and flooded up to the woods. But up in much of the sparse grass I was 1.7’-2’ the couple times I checked. I doubt i was ever shallower than 1.7’ though.
The big mullet were jumping mostly in the deeper areas, like the small creek were I enter and exit the flat. I did not see a lot of shrimp or finger mullet schools in the grass.
I live on the Wando and it’s not famous for great flats. I did a lot of Google Earth research today. I think I found an area that can flood in further and shallower. Its just way off the main water. I’ll try that first, but I may have to tow the skiff down to Bulls Bay or Edisto. I just hate going to new places for high tide fishing by myself. If I get stuck, I’ll bore the S#!T out of myself for 6 hours.
A 7.5’ tide is really high to begin with (very short window of ideal water depth in prime areas before it gets too deep), and it sounds like you need to look shallower. The shallower you’re looking, the easier they are to see, particularly when their tails aren’t tipped up. Once you get it dialed in, you’ll be surprised how little water these fish need. There are plenty of great flood tide flats in the Wando, and there’s no need to tow to Bulls Bay or Edisto. The best flats are relatively close to the main waterway or larger feeder creeks. Look for areas near islands (hard bottom), short grass, and shallow water.
At my favorite low tide spot, I’ve seen slot reds belly walking in 4” of water. So cool to see. The fish in my profile picture was caught in less that a foot of water. I’m not concerned with oyster rash and have the low tide fly game down. It’s the flood tide game I’m struggling with. It’s much more difficult to do solo.
Like others have mentioned, the tide was too big today. I typically do not fish anything over a 6.6ft as it is usually too much water and the fish are swimming around eating and not tailing. If you are over 1.5ft of water it is going to be very difficult to see tailing fish. Solo fishing is hard in general if you are on the platform poling and then trying to pick up your rod and throw your fly. Have to be very patient when fishing solo.
With how the wind has been this year I’m not sure I even know what a regular flood tide is anymore. I’ve fished the grass on days where the forecasted tide was probably a foot lower than what was needed to fish those flats. Just gotta keep trying new things and getting out as often as you can, sometimes even on days where conditions might suggest otherwise.
This may not be helpful… but i have had a flat covered w tailing reds one day (or one moon cycle) and then the next it is suddenly a ghost town.
Same water levels… they just don’t show up. It is fishing… I have some theories as to why… but sometimes the fish are elsewhere.
It is good to have four or five spots to check out. If I hit a usually productive flat, and find it deserted, I don’t waste more than 10 minutes as the floods are very short.
When the water is right, they are either there or not.
I’ve noticed the same depending on what time of day the tides are. I’ve seen flats loaded up with tailers in the evening and those same flats are ghost towns during a similar mid day flood. Maybe heat from the sun keeps them from wanting to get up?
It’s good to be analytical and understand the fish patterns. For example some flats are great at a 6.5’ others 7’ or 7.5’. It’s important to know which will flood and when. However, they are fish and they change things up. Sometimes where I was catching fish one year will completely change the next. I can’t tell you how many areas I’ve been in that check every box but there’s no redfish. Don’t overthink it and keep moving until you do find them, that’s what makes catching them worth it. Sometime’s you’ll be on a pattern but nothings ever in stone.
The only way to constantly be on fish is to consistently be on the water. If you can only go every once and awhile you are destined to have slow days spent covering water to try and learn something.
I’m on the water at least three days a week. Retired I’ll get there. I’ve only been here one year.
I don’t exclusively fly fish. I often take neighborhood kids out for sheepshead or golf buddies out to throw plastic. I don’t have any friends or neighbors who are willing to learn to pole or throw a fly adequately. As frustrating as solo fly fishing is, it’s not as frustrating as pulling a fly out of my ear, cutting wind knots, or getting the tip snapped off an NRX+…all real events from my friends who wanted to try the fly.
I am the opposite @BrownDog - not to contradict you.
I have three different “circuits” I take for flood tide fishing.
One that starts at the north end of the island I fish and then I check a series of flats while I head south and fish toward the center of the island.
One that starts south and then I head north towards the center (I get an extra 30 minutes of floods that way as the ocean mouths flood 30 minutes sooner than the center of the island)
Last I have one that is for high wind scenarios- but it is my “catastrophe cove” place as you have to navigate over a lower unit’s nightmare of oyster bars for 1/4 mile to get into this starting place.
If I show up at any of my spots and don’t see fish in 10 minutes, I am gone. All of my flats have my normal entry spot and a quick exit spot that allows me to get back into deep water and push to the next flat on my circuit.
I have sat on dead flats for far too long only to eat up precious flood tide time waiting for life on something DOA.
Somewhere on my circuit is fish, my goal is to find them.
I’m in the “I don’t know crap” camp, so I will sometimes just sit and watch the area. I’ll just sit in an area and watch it develop, not even pick up a rod. This has been one of my most powerful tools when I fished Flamingo or Biscayne Bay. Just sit on the platform and observe. Bit of a Zen moment.
But there were some spots I use to fish that were very much “window of opportunity” spots. Be here between 8:32am and 9:47am or don’t bother. @BrownDog discussed this in the video I shared in that other post, here in the Low Country that window is significantly shorter. I’m moving much more than I would have down south.
Now this tactic is very different from another style of fishing I enjoy, working mangrove line and docks. That is very much a power game. Cover as much real estate as possible during the right tide. But even here pay attention, observe what nature is telling you. Don’t just completely and blindly run your tolling motor mile after mile. @lemaymiami best tips for mangrove fishing, aside from the typical clues such as, current, ambush points, etc. watch the birds. Look for shoreline/mangrove lines where birds are stalking bait fish. Those areas will also generally hold snook, reds etc.
How do you know which areas to target in your fishing?
For flood tides specifically, I look for a hard bottom flat that has easy access points for the fish. Usually for me this could mean a flat right off of big water, areas where a mud flat transitions into the grass and turns into hard bottom, or if I work further back into creeks, flats that are either bracketed by a few creeks or have several creeks feeding into a single flat. I’ve found flats that look great but don’t hold much, and I’ve also found flats that look terrible but hold fish.
As a disclaimer - all that is purely from my own experiences/observations as someone who fishes for fun, the guides are gonna be a lot more credible.
@MillerFlyLife not sure I’d say we are more credible ha!
So here’s an example of my last few floods:
I’m fishing a flat that is pretty dead the majority of flood season, however this time of year the shrimp really come into focus and more fish come into that area. I am able to chase them from low on mud, through the grass and into the flood flats.
We stayed in essentially a 1/4 mile area and had around 50 shots over the past 2 floods. This area the rest of flood season you’d maybe scrape and handful of shots in.
I’ll get there. I’ve only been here one year.