Redfish on Fly and Light Tackle
Fly Fishing Gear
7 to 9 weight fly outfits with floating or clear floating fly lines.
Leaders for Redfish
Leaders ranging from 9 to 11 feet tapered to 15-pound test fluorocarbon, however, snook, and small tarpon frequently occur in the same areas as redfish, in which case the wise thing is to use the same leader system you would use for snook, incorporating a bite tippet.
Redfish Flies
Weedless fly patterns are sometimes necessary as the shallow and sometimes weedy habitat in which they often reside requires this. A weed guard also allows you to "crawl" flies over logs and Mangrove roots. There is a school of thought that says that weed guards will hinder hookups but I think that the benefits outweigh the negative in certain situations... weed guards should be light and only used when necessary. Reds will bite a wide variety of fly patterns, from small bonefish style crabs, streamers, to poppers.
Spin and Plug Fishing
Rod and Reel Six to Seven-foot fast action spin and plug outfits spooled with ten-pound test mono are just right.
10# test mono, #2 to #4 diameter braid (12 to 15lb. test) is my choice. Topwater plugs, crank baits, jerk baits, paddle tails, tubes (bass style tubes), spoons and jigs are the standard for spin and plug casting. If snook and tarpon are in the area a heavier leader such as 30 to 40-pound test fluorocarbon is a good idea.
