Louisiana fly fishing report January February 2015

Ah the month's of January and February in Louisiana. Winter is in full swing for our neck of the woods. As usual the tail end of artic fronts sweep our state. Tough conditions for sight fishing to say the least. On special days, generally when a High pressure system floats over New Orleans way, the fishing is easy. Warmer stable weather patterns also produce great days for a fly. The big fish are still here until the winds of spring blow out our clear waters of the inside marsh.

 Rocky and I loaded up and went to the Beavertail Skiffs factory. I saw the unsung hero's of our passion. They toil for our enjoyment producing the tools of the trade.

The bays and ponds on the inside marsh that are not directly connected to the outside waters hold fish. The big fronts bring big winds which can blow out even the most protected areas. Sometimes I have retreated to small duck ponds in order to find big fish in clean water. Ponds may be small so patience is key. Silent entry, quiet polling, and please don't shake the skiff when you cast. Pond fish don't move constantly and spotting them motionless on the bottom does require a bit of skill.

Banks of the inside bays are worth a look see. Most days we have an incoming tide. Keep this in mind when searching. The fish are generally in the same area but may prefer a different bank for incoming tides. Certain flats are always good. If the water is blown out on the flat I idle across with the Yamaha instead of polling. If the fish are there you will see them move.  

Happy hunting:
Captain John Iverson

Mid November Louisiana fly fishing report

The Louisiana marsh south of New Orleans is no doubt a fly fisherman's dream. Huge cold fronts moved Artic air over the south. Colder temperatures cool and clear the waters of the marsh. Big redfish become much easier to spot in the gin clear shallows.


This time of year the bull reds move into more protected waters. Lounging lazily on the bottom waiting for an easy meal. Once the tide begins to move entire schools go on the hunt. Acres of fish maraud the flats. Finding the redfish is simple because they general mix in with hundreds of black drum. Find the black drum and your day is amazing.

December is my favorite month. Most of the non native guides leave the area to head home. With very few fly fisherman on the water the bull reds are free to congregate without molestation. This allows me to better control which fish I rotate into my route.

There is not a better time to fly fish than right now. If you have been planning a trip December is a great month. Email me for availability.

October fly fishing 2014

October fly fishing is in full swing. The marsh banks are crawling with giant redfish. We are seeing tons of bull redfish crawling the banks. The average size is 20 pounds with some fish weighing just below 30 pounds.

The weather is cooler and the days are mild. With good tides and some sun great fly fishing trips are almost guaranteed.

Video Jacks and Bulls  https://vimeo.com/108893657

The time is right

Cooler weather has arrived. Hopefully the dog days of summer are behind us. The mild temperatures will cool and clear the water. Clean clear water is very important to see the monster redfish that I target. The big redfish usually swim deep and cloudy water just wont work.

November is the premier month for the big reds in Louisiana. The fishing gets easy. The tide begin to be much lower in the winter months. Less water uncovers the bull redfish hiding places. Now all we need is low wind and some sunshine and the bite will be tremendous.

I still have a few days to book in November. If you can be flexible on dates I can get you on the water. This should be a great season. It has started off wonderful and should only  get better.  
 
 

 
 

 

  

Guidelines to book a good Louisiana fly fishing redfish guide in season

Louisiana is known for monster redfish swimming in the shallows or up high in the water column. These bulls or donkeys are a fly fisher's fantasy fish. Most of my clients have never caught a fish over 10 pounds much less a fish in the 25 to 30 pound range. The redfish live here year round. Do not let anyone tell you any different. The summer time here is brutally hot, the water is not that clear, and the tides are much higher. That is why our most booked season is in the mild cooler months of October through March. Finding a good guide during these months is easy if you book a year in advance. Unfortunately most clients plan their trip a month in advance and want to book two weeks out. This action will land in a tight spot. You will call a good guide and hear the line "I am busy that day but I will find you a guide." Be assured the guide you will receive is by no means top notch. Buyer beware if you are not fishing with the guide you are calling.

The fly fishing here is awesome. On a great day even a novice fly guide will stumble on some good fishing. Most great days have low water, low wind, lots of sun, and a moving tide. I prefer low tide around noon with about a 1.5 foot tide range. Incoming tides are also good just as long as the water is moving. There are probably only 12 to 15 good tide days a month. That is why these days book up so fast. Of the good tide days only 6 or 7 days a month have low tide around noon. Conditions may be poor one day, so booking 3 days is ideal. Most good guides make long boat runs so we don't book half days in season. Checking the tide range for the days you want to fish will increase your chances for an amazing day of fly fishing. The guide will do this for you but planning ahead and being flexible is key. 

Some fishermen have a limited booking window. Perhaps you are in New Orleans for business. Booking a good guide is imperative. Most good guides will be booked if there is good tide. We may have the occasional hole in our calendar or a cancellation. Avoid any guide that says "I will find you someone". At minimum ask for the other guides phone number. If the area code is not 504 or 985 (New Orleans and surrounding area) you are probably getting someone that is just here for the season overflow. I have fished these waters since 2000. It takes years to learn how to run all this water. The marsh south of New Orleans is huge. Look on google earth and see what I mean. The interloper will probably know only holes the locals fish. There may be fish there but they are wise and skittish. If their boat is not registered in Louisiana you have probably made a huge mistake.
  
 This is a technical fishery. Big fish are much wiser. A good guide is key to maximize the number of good shots you will get. Find a good guide and make sure he will be fishing with you. Don't let someone pawn you off for the 100 dollar booking fee. His gain will be your loss. Good guides share trips and will give you the other guides phone number. You are spending a lot of money and effort for your days on the water. Please use these guidelines to increase your chances for what can be and incredible day fly fishing. Here is my latest video for August.

Bulls crawling in August
https://vimeo.com/103401483 

Bull Redfish Crawling



24 pound beauty

The past couple of weeks have been absolutely amazing. Huge bull redfish are crawling on the banks of the outer islands. Jacks are also abundant when the tide is pushing hard. The outside islands water is fairly clear making the redfish stand out. Some of these big fish are sticking their backs out of the water. I can easily spot these fish up to 100 yards out as they crash bait along the shallow banks.

Nice 30 pound fish with no spots

Same 30 pound no spot fish about 40 inches long

 

To find the big redfish is fairly easy right now. Calm banks holding tons of bait fish seem to be the key. The fish swim tight to the shores smashing anything that moves. New Orleans is in a summer weather pattern. Storms flare up in the afternoon, dump their rain, then dissipate. Low light levels are common but when these fish crawl you could spot them by moonlight.

36 Pound fish 43 1/2 inces

The Jacks are on the move also. Birds like frigates and gulls hover working for the leftovers. This makes Jacks easy to spot from a distance. I can idle in close then drift into their path. The jacks are generally in a frenzy so any fly striped at high speed will get crushed. As long as the tide is moving giant schools of these silver behemoths can be seen working the surface.

The fishing is extremely easy right now. Any one with a 30 foot casting range can play this sport with success. As soon as the full moon tides settle I will get out there for more carnage. There is plenty of footage for a new video. I cant wait to show everyone some these amazing sites.  

Summer School begins

Tagging some fish

Summer time sight fishing patterns have arrived. The Mississippi River has fallen to the critical stage where dirty fresh water no longer inundates the southern salt water fishing grounds. Our eastern marsh is largely unaffected by the mighty Mississippi. The flats on islands outside the marsh will have fairly clear water exposing the monster bull reds. We are finding some pretty good numbers of fish. This cycle should only get better as the River subsides and September approaches.

Lucas with a nice summer time bull redfish

The large schools of big reds and black drum are beginning to appear. I have even seen a few schools of Jack Cravelle. The Jacks crash mullet on top making them susceptible to large poppers and fast moving tarpon style flies. Once hooked these 35 pound fish take line so fast your hands will get line burned before the line can hit the reel. Your fly reel's drag will be tested as one hundred yard runs are common. I general have to crank the motor to chase hooked fish while an hour long fight ensues.    
Soon these fish will be easy pickings on deep flats.

Black drum caught tailing in shallows

Finding these big schools of reds can be difficult in poor weather conditions. Low winds and lots of sun are the Louisiana fly fisherman's best friend. Usually big redfish hang around the schools of lethargic Black drum. The Black drum feed on the bottom creating plumes of mud in the clear water. Bait flees the big nasty drum and bull redfish lurk on the outer edges looking for an easy meal. Louisiana Redfish are notoriously lazy. The bull redfish will float to the surface and meander slowly. This habit makes the fish easy to see sight fishing targets. Put the fly on one's nose and he cant resist accelerating, mouth agape in a predatory frenzy.

My three favorite fishing months September-November are approaching. We are already on track for a spectacular year. Treat yourself by coming down to New Orleans for the three f's. Food fun and fishing!

Sight fishing Louisiana weather patterns

Inclement weather can be an absolute nuisance to sight fishing. Lately weather is a monster gobbling up chunks of good tide weeks. Occasionally the center of a high pressure system will pass close enough to clear the skies and calm the winds. Recent weather seems to mean ice storms. New Orleans rarely experiences snow and sleet. In the past month we have had two ice storms with another on the way. This renders a lot of my bookings unfishable.



There are many conditions considered in calling a day unfishable in Louisiana. Some of the basics include wind, water height and clarity, air temperature,  and lightning. A day can be cloudy with 20 knot winds and produce high floating aggressive bulls ripe for the picking. Louisiana may have small tides but they can play a key role in finding active fish. I prefer a 1.5 foot tide with the low tide value below ( +.5).  Sometimes the rotund girls just seem to show up to the dance for no reason whatsoever. However, there are some conditions that just plain stink for the Louisiana marsh.

Wind, the fly fisherman's nemesis. Actually wind can be managed to a certain degree. Large fly rods, like 9 and 10 weight, can handle big wind. Polling downwind gives clients downwind shots. There is a point of huge diminishing returns. Fishing becomes increasingly more difficult when my clothes begin to flap like a  flag. This happens around 18-20 knots. At or above 25 knots I begin to loose the ability to pole and direct the boat. Casting with accuracy becomes almost impossible. At winds above 25 knots I generally tuck my tail and head for the launch. Don your gear, this ride will get a little bumpy.


 High water can be a trip killer. This seems to be a Louisiana phenomenon. Both Florida and the Carolinas seem to treasure their flood tides. Louisiana boys don't have the same glossy outlook for flooded marsh grass. If the tide is above +2 feet don't expect to see many fish. When the water gets to +3 feet  most of  the areas launches go under water. Parking lots flood and levee gates close. Empire and Bayou Beinvenue Louisiana I am looking at you since I have gotten caught outside both gates. In general a hard Northwest wind will blow water out and a hard Southeast wind blows water in making tide charts unreliable. 



Poor water clarity can make sighting fish tough. If the fish are active and moving, dirty water is fishable. You may have to shoot at wakes, boils, and dark shadows. Obviously cleaner water is preferable. It is not essential unless the fish are sitting on the bottom inactive. Then all you may see is plumes of mud puffs coming up from the bottom like massive mushroom clouds. In these conditions the most common shot is right under the boat. Practice your short game fellas it will come in handy.

 

 

 

Air temperature effects redfish. Fish conducive to sight fishing live in water that is at or near the air temperature. When the High for the day does not reach 50 degrees I don't leave the house. Around 23 degrees the Louisiana marsh will have a fish kill. The big fish will not take the risk and head for deeper warmer waters. Defensively they sit on the bottom, gathering leeches and other parasites all over their body. The reds cant stay down forever in such a state of discomfort. The first warm stable day should produce  good fishing. On the opposite end of the thermometer 95 degrees seems to be a cutoff point for me. I start to overheat polling. Shallow fish come off flats to head for deeper cooler water.


Most of the year lightning would keep me landlocked. Fly fishing Louisiana summers include thunderstorms and water spouts. Generally small storms dot the fishing grounds and fire up most afternoons. They cannot be completely avoided. Chasing tails I will generally skirt the edges and run into sun openings trying not to allow a white towered cluster to slip between the skiff and the dock. At steak is a run home in the stinging rain with bolt after bolt popping off close. The balancing act could be called a guides version of risk management.

Anyway as for tails from bayou big easy, fly fishing has settled into full a blown winter pattern.  Fishing the bull redfish is easy when the big easy gets a break from this abnormally severe weather pattern. Lately I am finding the schools of bull redfish much closer to the mash banks. Any nice flat with shallow still water seems to hold sunbathing 10-15 pound fish. Since they are inactive sitting on bottom try polling in a zig zag pattern. This will stir the fish up. Some fish will want to come back to the same holding spot. Easy pickings for a good caster like you.  Come on down I'll show ya.  

Captain John Iverson