flats fishing

[strutzy]

I was wondering what they call the seagrass that is brownish color an real puffy looking. And how do you fish it? jig heads with shad tails don't seem to work too well. Are you supposed to reel it fast enough so it doesnt get caught in the weeds or jig it? Or should I switch to a weedless set up. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Mark

[Norm]

Not sure...a pic would help
Your observation confirms my many years of experience
That is a possibility
This is the direction I would go....or a top water

[ChrisR]

I believe you are talking about the rolling grass that we get in the winter time. I think it is actually an algae mat. The wind and tide push it around, and it collects in the depressions on the flats, and in creek beds. I use jig heads in and around them, but if you are getting caught up in it, switch to a weeldess spoon, or jerkbait. You can also use your shad tail on a weedless weighted hook like the Mustad Powerlock, or Owner Twistlock.

[DaveR]

On more than one occasion I have seen redfish hunkered down in the stuff.

[sfurman]

Are you talking about the stuff that looks kinda like sargasum and is usually attached to rocky bottom? I've always heard it called pepper grass, not sure why.

[strutzy]

ChrisR, you may be right about that, an area i fish in Bradenton there are patches of it that are sometimes an acre in size. The day before I posted the subject I was fishing that area and and it was a slow tide and there was only about a foot of water covering it and i was casting a jighead and paddletail and wasnt getting hits. So everytime I picked up the anchor and drifted I would see some reds. It was frustrating, I don't know if it was my presentation or they just werent interested in feeding.

[strutzy]

daveR, you're right Ive seen them with half their bodies down in that grass or whatever you call it.

[TRKpoker]

Down south here where I live there is a lot of that thin grass. In Biscayne Bay there is large amounts of it but typically it is in with turtle grass but way south in Flamingo there is acres of it everywhere. When the water is really skinny I like tossing a rubber shrimp that is texas rigged to hold off the grass. Did really well last Sunday doing that catching 5 reds and a large assortment of other fish along with one baby hammerhead.

[countryboy_ucf]

I think a weedless presentation is best for fish that won't bite in skinny water because it hits the water lighter. I would switch between a shrimp pattern and paddle tail and jig it to see if anything happens. That being said, I was in Btown last weekend and saw a LOT of reds that just wouldn't eat. Ended up with just a couple of lower slots after seeing 40+ upper slot fish. Sometimes you just can't catch them. However, don't give up on those fish or that lure, they will turn on eventually and you will want to be there when they do. Check the tides and solunars and try again at the beginning or end of a tide change.

[Mark R]

Silver spoon twitched right across their nose. They lazy when it cold.

[Angler X]

I gots one word fer ya. funky chicken. Cuz them redfish shore do love them funky chickens

[Heywood]

Its been my observation that in really skinny water, the reds are in a "survivor" mode. What I mean by that is, they are just sitting in a hole waiting for the water to come up. I've especially seen this on the outgoing tide. You might run across fish just sitting in slightly deeper depressions than the rest of the flats. They wont hit anything. Once the tide turns and they feel or sense the water coming back up, then they will feed.

JMO

[bluebill]

I fished Matlacha Pass, south today. Lots of that algae grass in patches everywhere and some large islands of it over oyster bars. The stuff shows up here every winter. I did not see any reds butI avoid paddling thru the big areas of algae grass. I caught lots of smaller trout on plastics, no large ones. Water clear - no sign of red tide on the Matlacha side of Pine Island. I spent some time answering questions for snowbird paddlers. So far, the far far northerners with the inflatable banana boats have not arrived.