Got out today for some pre-front, pre-Christmas action. Falling tides and semi-low water had some fish concentrated in drains.

First fish was a Black drum. Then it was all redfish for a while. Most of the fish were small to mid slots with some rats mixed in. Left fish to find fish. Didn't find any. Came back to the spot. Caught a couple more reds. It was mostly structure fishing, although one red came up on the edge and I sight cast to it and got the eat.

Came on in and picked off a flounder on the way being marked by some egrets. Good day.

A couple more photos

Congratulations on a great day on the water!

I really like the posts with pictures. Especially during the winter when the fishing slows down up here in North TX.

I've got a CC bay boat but haven't been down to the coast since I picked up fly fishing. Besides that I have trouble casting in high wind and I can count the calm days when I have been down there without using any of my toes and have a few fingers left over too.

I can't say that I'm a completely pure fly fisherman. I probably would have brought along a baitcaster yesterday to deal with the wind but didn't have a set up ready to go. I still would rather fight a fish on fly gear versus anything else so I tend to stick with it wind or not. I also like the eat using fly tackle. It's hard to find relatively calm wind days that line up with my free time. So fly fish in whatever the wind is blowing is what I usually end up doing. The wind surely messes with my cast and adds to the degree of difficulty.

I like fly fishing in the winter here. I struggle with the heat of summer more than the cold of winter. Between paddling my kayak around and the effort of fly casting I'm generating some heat that becomes almost unbearable in mid summer conditions. We always get some days a little above 60 degrees in the winter. Those are prime days. Days that stay in the low 40's or below, I usually abort any fishing plans. On the coast, those cold days are the exception rather than the rule.

Very nice! I go down Port Mansfeild or Padre once or twice a year and have tried for years to catch a flounder. I have thrown clousers into every channel, cut, ditch, gut and pothole I come across. Have caught a ton of specks, ladyfish and drum but no flounder. I sure enjoy your reports - makes me feel a little closer to that salt air. Please keep the fish pics coming and maybe mix in some scenery shots for guys like me that are dreaming about our next trip down there.

Great stuff.

Before picking up fly fishing, I would catch flounder here and there on plastic tails. I probably lost more than I netted. Since I started fly fishing, I for sure get many more in the net rather than coming off the hook. I think I'm starting to understand better where flounder hang out so my catch rates are getting better. That shrimp fly and modified crack fly are my two best flies for flounder. The shrimp fly is heavy with a 3/16" tungsten bead on a size 4 or 2 jig hook. I also put in a 3mm glass rattle for our murkier water. It sinks about a foot a second.

One version of redfish crack I tie has an eyelash yarn collar versus the more normal EP. The eyelash yarn is very sparkly. Maybe it makes a difference. I can weight the fly however I want and use it a lot for redfish up shallow. This year, I saw a lot of flounder up shallow flipping out of the water after bait. Anytime I saw that, I'd paddle over, stake out, and fire the fly into the zone. I wouldn't quit on one cast either. I'd keep casting many times. Sometimes, I'd get the eat on the eighth cast or so. The flounder might pop up at a slightly different spot. I'd try to stick with the fish until I got the eat or decided I scared it off or it wasn't interested in my fly.

I'll try take more bay and marsh photos. I use my LG G3 for my photos and for a phone, the camera isn't bad. I have a Pentax waterproof camera I need to remember to bring along.

This is the shrimp fly. I bent the hook on a redfish that I put a little too much pressure on. I was using my TFO Minimag 6-8wt and it has a lot of lifting power.

can we see more of the fly - shrimp? Variations?
Thanks, Tio Pick, RGV

Nice Catch. I too would like to see some more pics of those shrimp flies.

My favorites are the pink or chartreuse back with white EP body or burnt orange over tan EP. I glad y'all asked because I'm about out and I need to tie some new ones. I'll try and post some steps in the tie.

The sheepshead on the fly is supposed to be really tough/rare. Either way congrats!

True that! I haven't had a bunch of luck with them. I usually spook them before the shot. The photo up above is a Black drum. They look very similar.
Here is a little sheepshead. It came on a crack fly variation this summer. They have human looking teeth.

Whoops.

Clearly, I'm still working on my SW fish ids here.

Anyways, nice fish.

Awesome post and some super fish. Good job.