Flats fishing can be an enjoyable, memorable, and well-spent time out in the ocean. However, whether you are a novice or an expert, you may wish to hire a flats fishing guide. A flats fishing guide can help you learn how to flats fish or help you perfect your technique. When hiring a flats fishing guide, there are several things to look for.
The first thing to consider is money. The price of hiring a flats fishing guide in Florida will vary from company to company. You must examine their expertise and time in the business and measure this against the price they are charging as well as your own budget. Second of all, make sure you do not hire a company that guarantees you will catch a fish. No one can guarantee that you will catch a fish, but what a company can guarantee is that at the very least you’ll have fun trying and learn a few things about flats fishing while doing so. You should also inquire as to whether or not the guide will provide the tackle and equipment. Most companies will provide these items, but you are better off double-checking on this. In most cases, you will be required to bring your own lunch, beverages, and sun protection. As far as fishing licenses go, the captain’s license will be enough coverage for you and will allow you to flats fish.
When booking a guide, you will also need to check on the number of anglers that the guide will allow on the boat at one time. This is critical if you are planning a trip with multiple friends. As far as children go, many companies will allow children on board. However, there is often an age requirement, such as seven years old, although some companies will make exceptions to the age rule for families. Regardless of whether the company makes an exception for your family or not, you will be required to maintain control of your children and their ultimate safety will reside with you. Also, when hiring a guide for flats fishing in Florida, you will need to make note of their deposit and cancellation policies in the event you must cancel your trip. When flats fishing, you may walk away with a fish or two and you may not. Regardless of whether you actually catch something or not, you are guaranteed at least a memory or two.
Anyone making a living on the water fly-fishing will tell you they tie flies out of necessity. It’s true. Purchasing flies in the large quantities used by guides would be very expensive. In the process of tying, I think it is only natural to modify designs that, even though they work well, get over used. Plus it gets boring tying the same flies over and over again. The objective in changing a known design is to make the fly just a little better for the conditions that you fish. A lot of tweaking can sometimes alter the appearance of a fly; hence a new fly is born. Sometimes we make minor alterations by adding some tan marabou or find ways to eliminate dumbell eyes and still have the fly sink. Dumbell eyes tend to hang up in the grass. Their purpose is to get the fly down on the bottom and come to rest inverted (hook up).
It isn’t simple just making a new design. It must be tested. So multiple copies are made so that friends and fellow guides can try them. The fly must be durable and hold up in many situations. They are tested for casting characteristics, sink rate, activity in the water and most important will they catch fish. Here are three such modifications which I have tied, tested and guarantee will work under the conditions discussed.
Redfish Diver
This fly looks similar to a deceiver and has some of the same characteristics of Liz Steele’s Purple Passion (one of my favorite flies). The Redfish Diver has a fast sink rate, the same as if it were tied with a 1/50 oz dumbell. Here are the details.
Hook: Mustad #34007 (#1)
Head: No. 25 Lead Wire
Tail: Red Buck Tail (1 ½ inches), Orange and Tan marabou (2 x the hook length) Tie in six strands of gold Krystal flash.
Body: Tan Ultra Chenille
This fly is tied using Orvis G Smoke monocore thread (02RR-6207). Tie off a small section of thread, then place a 1-inch piece of No. 25 lead wire folded and crimped and tied 1/8 inch behind the eye. Tie to the back of the lead wire; wrap once behind and over to secure the lead wire (you can also super glue the wire to the shank). Next run the thread to the curve of the shank and tie in the red buck tail (about ½ a pencil thickness). Next tie six strands of gold Krystal flash and then the tan ultra chenille (cut about 7 inches of chenille). Wind the mono thread to the front just behind the eye. Wrap the chenille forward tightly and bring to just behind the eye. Tie a uni-knot over the eye with the chenille. Braid the Krystal flash by twisting or twirling the strands together and wrap them over the chenille leaving about 1/32 inch between as you spiral the wraps forward and tie off behind the eye.
Turn the hook over so that the shank is down and the hook is on the topside. About ¼ inch behind the eye, tie in a small clump of orange marabou, then tan marabou. The marabou should just cover the hook point, making the fly weedless. Now tie off and whip finish the fly.
This fly is very effective in clear water or in cloudy water (not murky). The fly sinks fast and will be in on the bottom in about 6 seconds (18 inches deep). The retrieve is a slow constant retrieve. Only strip about 3 inches at a time. Because the weight is forward and there are no dumbbells the fly will not hang up in the grass. Redfish really like this fly. I’ve lost a number because they inhale it into their throat crushers, if this happens just cut the line. The hook will dissolve in about 4 hours.
Redfish Bugger
This fly is similar to a fly pattern designed by Dana Griffin of Gainesville, Florida, except without dumbell eyes. This fly uses lead wire as a head weight
Hook: Mustad #34011 (1/0)
Head: #25 Lead Wire Wrapped to Bend
Tail: Orange and Tan marabou (2 x the hook length), tie in six strands of gold Krystal flash.
Body: Tan Ultra Chenille with orange dyed grizzly hackle palmered.
Tie in #25 lead wire 1/8 inch behind the hook eye using Rust colored 6/0 mono thread.
Lead wire is wound around the shank leaving about 1/8 inch to the hook eye. Thread is wrapped forming a collar in front of the wire and behind the wire before the shank bend. Do some wraps along the shank aft of the wire to secure the marabou.
Select marabou feathers of orange and tan and tie in at rear of hook bend, tan above and orange underneath. On each side of the wing, tie in 6 strands of gold Krystal flash and leave hanging. Tie in a 6-inch segment of tan chenille and at the same point at the rear of the hook tie in the orange grizzly hackle at angle suitable for palmering. Run your thread up to the hook eye and leave hanging. Wrap the chenille forward in tight winds to just behind the hook eye and tie off. Take the 6 strands of flash and twist to make a kind of rope and pull straight forward so that the strand runs along the side of the shank and tie behind the eyes. Do the same thing for the other side of the shank. The final step is palmering the feather, making space on the turns so that the gold flash will show through. Now tie off and whip finish.
This fly is very effective in grass flats in windy conditions, and in situations where there is sand (white holes) scattered through out the flat. This fly will sink fast and a slow retrieve is recommended.
You’ll notice that this fly resembles a Wooly Bugger (one of my favorite flies). I tie it in a number of ways including my Tarpon Bugger below.
The Tarpon Bugger is tied in the same manner but uses Purple and Blue marabou, purple chenille, chartreuse super hair and Purple Grizzly Hackle. The Tarpon Bugger is really effective at night and daytime in brackish backwaters and creeks. I’ve had redfish hit this fly at night.
Redfish Assassin
I got the idea for this fly after watching a guide using a Bass Assassin. I didn’t have a trip and was actually about 150 yards away from a guide working a mangrove line. I was intrigued by his work and watched intently with my binoculars from a distance. I had used Crazy Charles type jerk worm before but it hadn’t occurred to me to try tying a fly to emulate it. Jerk worms work best in cloudy, murky or dark water, or on a cloudy day. The action is similar to a shrimp, but more than likely imitates a sand worm or eel.
I’ve tried many different renditions of this fly and these three work best. You’ll find a similar fly imitating a needlefish. This fly has been effective with redfish, black drum, jacks, catfish, and snook. I’ve caught a flounder on a fly made of white super hair. So there are many ways to tie this – but here is the simplest.
Hook: Mustad #34007 (#1)
Head: 1/50 oz yellow/black eye dumbell
Tail: Orange super hair tail (1 ½ inches), Black buck tail 2 ½ inches long.
Body: Black Ultra Chenille
Guard: 80 # mono or gold Mylar weed guard is optional
Tie in barbell eyes behind the hook eye. Select orange super hair and tie in at rear of hook bend. Tie in a 5-inch segment of black chenille and at the same point at the rear of the hook tie in silver Mylar. Run your thread up to the hook eye and leave hanging. Wrap the chenille forward in tight winds to just behind the hook eye and tie off. Take the Mylar and pull it straight forward so that the strand runs along the belly of the shank and tie behind the eyes. The final step is tying black buck tail in over the eyes to just behind the hook eye. Now tie off and whip finish.
This fly is a killer in dark or brackish water. Reds attach this fly with fury. Most hits are made on the second or third strip. Strip is slow, pause, and slow. The fly will sink pretty fast, so you want to keep it off the bottom and just hopping. The strip action will pick it up and allow it to sink again. After the cast count to five and then start the strip. This is a deadly fly at dusk. I’m sure it would work in freshwater, even though I haven’t tried it there.
Most flies are modifications of old designs that still work well. Try some of your own. Make the same ones or modify the ones here. Experiment, have fun, and go out and fool some big fish.
Doug is a USCG Licensed Captain and fly-fishing guide from New Smyrna Beach, a member of CCA, FFF, AFF, APCA, and FOWA. He can be reached at 877-969-4242
Party boat fishing is a style and type of fishing unlike most other fishing. You can do several things on a party boat to make it a trip of a life time or a hanging over the side chumming trip. Here are a few tips to make the trip a very good day.
Keep in mind you are not going out with your buddy next door and if you get sick, he will bring you back to the dock. On one of these boats there are between 30 and 60 other people and you will not be brought back to the dock if you get sick. These boats are usually farther off of the water than your neighbors 26 foot boat and this results in more of a rolly poly motion when at anchor. If you are the slightest bit concerned about getting sea sick, DO NOT wait until you are chumming to take something. By then, it is too late and nothing works to make you stop the chum line. I recommend that all of my clients that want to go to the ocean, take a motion sickness pill before going to bed the night and another when they get up that morning. There are several other remedies for motion sickness, the wrist bands, patches and now some device that looks like a watch, with an adjustment for different amounts of pressure that you can place on the wrist, for varying degrees of prevention. I personally prefer the pill, because I have recommended it for over 20 years and I have only known of a few times that it did not work.
Another thing about getting sea sick is, if you sit in your house in your rocking chair and tell yourself, I am going to get sick, I am going to get sick, over and over, you will eventually be sick. The point that I am trying to get across is, DO NOT think about it. When I leave the dock heading for the ocean and I do not have to drive, I like to take a nap. I lay right down on the deck and sleep on the way out, this is some of the most restful sleep that you will ever get and you are not thinking of being sick.
Now that we have pretty well covered that, lets talk about the fishing part of this trip.
After you have made the run and the captain is getting ready to drop the anchor, you should be getting ready for the catching part of the trip. Yes, catching not fishing. If you are with a good captain, you will be catching. Now, what is it, that you want to catch. Do you want a chance at one or two big fish, such as red snapper or grouper, or do you want to catch a cooler full of smaller fish, like seabass, vermilion snapper or trigger fish?
If you are interested in trying only for the BIGGGG fish, this is how Houston Stephens of Houston's Meat Market does it, and he is the best bottom fisherman that I have ever seen. By the way he is giving away an 18 pound red snapper on Tuesday, May, 1st. The only thing that you have to do to have a chance to win this is to go by and register at his store, located at 12545 N. Main Street. The drawing for this very nice red snapper, that he caught on the Mayport Princess on Sunday will be at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, May 1st.
He starts out by bringing his own tackle, rods, reels, leader, sinkers and hooks. His rod consist of a Shakespeare Big Water Ugly Stik, model BWB 1120 8' long, heavy action. He says "the longer the rod, the more distance you get on the hook set". He then uses a reel that will hold about 200 yards of 80 pound test monofilament. From there, here is his rig: slide an 8 ounce egg sinker on the line then tie on a 200 pound test barrel swivel, then to the swivel tie on, 5 to 6 feet of 100 pound test monofilament leader, then a Daiichi 8/0 D-18 hook. For the bait he prefers a fresh cigar minnow. He starts the hook in the tail and bends it around the fish and hooks it again about one inch forward of the first place the hook went in. Send this to the bottom. The bite is going to feel like a few small taps. Let the fish chew on the bait for a few seconds. When the fish starts to move off with the bait, SET THE HOOK and wind. If you were successful in the previous steps, there will be NO DOUBT that there is a fish on.
Now for the smaller fish such as seabass, vermilion snapper or trigger fish:
Use the same rod as above. I like the Shakespeare Tidewater Bigwater model TW 50 LA reel. This reel has a level wind and is tough enough to get the big boys up from the depths and in to the cooler. I like 50 pound test on the spool, from there I make a dropper loop at the end of the line. I use this to attach a bank style sinker. This way, I can change the weight of the sinker without having to cut my line. Use enough weight to get the rig to the bottom. From the sinker come up about eight inches and tie another dropper loop. Do this about three more times, all bout 6 to 8 inches apart from each other. In the loops put a Daiichii D-18 4/0 or even better a Daiichii D-82 Circle Wide in 3/0. Now for the bait: I prefer a small piece of cut bait, about 1 inch by 1 inch. You are now after smaller fish that have smaller mouths and a big piece of bait will not fit in their mouth. Send the rig down to the bottom and then crank it back up about 2 to 3 feet from the bottom. If you are using the Daiichii circle wide hooks then just hold the rod until you feel about four good bites, then come up with it and you should have a few fish on. If you are using the Daiichii D-18, you will need to set the hook on each bite.
If you follow these instructions, you should come home with plenty of fish and have a darn good time. There are two Party (Deep Sea) boats in the Jacksonville, Florida area, the Mayport Princess and the King Neptune. To book a day with either of these boats you can call 241-4111. Now for some Inshore action:
The creeks are still fired up with reds. If you can get an early morning low tide, and you can make very long cast, you can catch a few real nice reds on top water. Try the MirrOlure Top Pup, this lure has been working for me. If you prefer to fish the creeks with a jig and shrimp, you should be able to persuade a few reds and trout to eat your bait. The flounder are starting to move in the creeks and river and you know how good they eat. Be sure to save me a few.
For trout, try a jig and shrimp or a jig and minnow. Put your trolling motor down and ease along the edges tossing the edges tossing along the sides and slowly winding back to the boat. This should be productive for some trout and an occasional blue.
The spanish have slowed at the jetties, but there are good numbers in the river around the flats past the Fuller Warren Bridge.
The Jacks are showing up in fair numbers in the creeks and ditch. I like to throw a fly pattern that looks like a minnow. Be sure that you have a stout rod, because some of these bruisers are pushing 8 pounds. Offshore:
There are starting to be a few kings show up at the outside reefs and the bottom fishing is fantastic. Dennis Young reported two days last week of limits on bottom fish by 10 in the morning. The Jetties:
There are still good numbers of reds, drum, sheepshead and a pile of 3 to 5 pound sail cats at the jetties. For these fish try a large fresh shrimp on the bottom, fished in about 30 to 50 feet of water. There are also some real nice blues to 10 pounds along the rocks. Try a silver spoon, cast into the rocks and worked back out. Be ready for the strike, as it seems like the fish are swimming 50 miles per hour when they hit.
For charter information you can call me at (904) 757-7550, email me at funfish@mediaone.net or check out my website at http://www.hammondfishing.com. Jim Hammond
The appeal of deep sea fishing begins where the water has become a dark blue essence, where land is far out of sight. So far out of sight as to belong to the different era of a hearty breakfast ashore well before dawn. Out here the mightiest creatures may be the predator or the prey. Any emergency must be dealt with on the terms of the sea. Although the deep sea fisherman usually returns safely, with only a sunburn, this is nevertheless true adventure.
In North Florida, deep sea fishing belongs essentially to the Gulf Stream and to the wandering eddies and branches that flank it. Immediately along St. Augustine's shore, surf fisherman compete for redfish, pompano and whiting. Just beyond the near shore in waters forty to one hundred feet deep, there is excellent fishing for king and Spanish mackerel, small tuna, tarpon and the sociable barracuda. This fishing is within the capabilities of most boats and gives any number of people a pleasant taste of the sea. Yet the deep sea crew does not slow down in these waters. You plug in the coordinates to the "ledge" with St. Augustine lighthouse behind you and sunrise a glimmer on the horizon, the compass reads 100 degrees and the radio relays reports of other boats ahead and behind, all seemingly crewed by Daffy Duck. The first flying fish erupt from the swells. Porpoises scramble to ride the bow wave. A toy tanker appears on the rim of the world. Somewhere near the "ledge", the Stream waters reveal themselves quite clearly to the eye.
The first sight is a shock, looking into depths the color of blue topaz. The suspicion that this could be your day of days edges into consciousness. Here the engines are cut to a murmur. The leaders are clipped to lines, the outriggers swung out. The baits first skip in the water and then settle down in varying lengths from the stern. The reels are checked. Fishing begins.
Fish of the open sea are accustomed to taking prey that is moving fast itself. The trolling speed is sometimes set surprisingly high - large species of the mackerel family (Wahoo, King) can move through the water at better than thirty knots. Strikes can be spectacular. A 50 lb. dolphin will greyhound across the surface to take a bait, dive sixty feet and, visible all the time, rise like a Poseidon missile into a series of acrobatics.
Part of the magic of deep sea fishing is that it is carried out on the edge of the unimaginable. The trout fisherman, even the salmon fisherman, fishes with poetry and technique, but they fish within limits for there is only so much that will fit into a mountain stream. Not so in The Stream. A foot behind the bait, parting the water just twenty yards astern, may be the throat of a 500 lb. blue marlin or a mako shark. The beginning of a battle to last eight hours or more may be two seconds away at any moment the lines are in the water.
There is an unusual delight and remembrance of those sports whose imagery relates closely to home. St. Augustine, the nation's oldest settlement, remains a child of the sea. The air of Salt Run before dawn when every surface is as wet as after a thunderstorm, the sun rising from a fiery sea, the exciting dance of the lures, the ice cold beer as the Stream slips to the stern homeward bound, along with the outrageous camaraderie at the dock at Camachee Cove and the pan bread at Oscar's, are images equally of deep sea fishing and this area's life. They are impossible to improve upon. And sixty miles out, a meandering thunderstorm flickering far astern, with your line being ripped out by a marlin rising out of the sea like a flying boxcar, you will remember how it once was there in The Stream. When united by good and kind feelings, you and your friends captured your dreams.
Average Water Temp: 80-83, Often 20 knots and rough, Occasional there are excellent days Average Weather: Land Temperature 80-90. Water Clarity: Variable inshore, good offshore
Mahi Mahi in Fiji
The fickle winter weather conditions continued to frustrate with weeks of trade wind chop separated by perfect weather days and big fish numbers. Wahoo and sails have dominated with plenty of winter Yellowfin for added variety.
GT in Fiji
Warmer water currents moved through in August to quiet the Wahoo bite a little but with it came huge numbers of Mahi Mahi for excellent light tackle action. Most are small around 20lbs but some good bulls mixed in to 50lbs.
Yellowfin Tuna in Fiji
All in all, the winter Wahoo season didn't live up to early expectations, mostly because of unusually poor weather. The GTs however love nothing more than crashing barrier reefs breakers and the popper casting has been and continues to be absolutely outstanding.
Mahi Mahi in Fiji
October will see game boats start to move offshore and dust off the heavy tackle with and Blue Marlin and Yellowfin the main targets.
M-60 Black Marlin Record
Expect the usual by-catch of Mahi Mahi, Wahoo and the occasional Spearfish making a valiant attempt at eating an 18" Marlin lure.
Keep in mind you are not going out with your buddy next door and if you get sick, he will bring you back to the dock. On one of these boats there are between 30 and 60 other people and you will not be brought back to the dock if you get sick. These boats are usually farther off of the water than your neighbors 26 foot boat and this results in more of a rolly poly motion when at anchor. If you are the slightest bit concerned about getting sea sick, DO NOT wait until you are chumming to take something. By then, it is too late and nothing works to make you stop the chum line. I recommend that all of my clients that want to go to the ocean, take a motion sickness pill before going to bed the night and another when they get up that morning. There are several other remedies for motion sickness, the wrist bands, patches and now some device that looks like a watch, with an adjustment for different amounts of pressure that you can place on the wrist, for varying degrees of prevention. I personally prefer the pill, because I have recommended it for over 20 years and I have only known of a few times that it did not work. 
