Redfish thrive across a vast stretch of coastline—from the Gulf shores of Texas and Florida to the tidal estuaries of Georgia, the Carolinas, and even into Virginia. They inhabit an incredible range of environments: beaches to tidal lakes, brackish ponds to grass marshes, oyster-lined creeks, and open sand or mud flats. While redfish have a slightly misleading reputation for being anything but picky, the most productive flies are simple, durable imitations of the food sources they see daily. Shrimp, crabs, and small baitfish make up the bulk of their diet, and redfish lean more heavily on one or another depending on season, tide, and where they’re feeding. In most scenarios, fly choice hinges more on water clarity, depth, and the time of year than on exact imitation.
A well-rounded redfish box should include patterns that cover every zone of the water column. Topwater gurglers and foam sliders shine when fish are pushing wakes or cruising shorelines, while bead-chain patterns excel in knee-deep marsh water. For tailing fish or reds rooting around oyster bars, brass or lead-eyed crab or shrimp flies help get the fly down quickly and into the feeding zone. Color is equally important: as a general rule, darker patterns—black, root-beer, olive, or purple—excel in dirty or tannic water, while lighter, more natural colors like white, tan, cream, or pale olive stand out in clearer conditions. Having the right mix of profiles, weights, and colors ensures you can effectively target redfish no matter where they’re feeding or what the marsh is serving.
Redfish Habitats and Fly Selection
Redfish may be a single species, but the environments they inhabit across the Southeast and Gulf Coast couldn’t be more different. Because of that, fly choice—along with color, profile, and weight—needs to follow the fishery.
In the Carolinas and the Southeast Lowcountry, redfish are the primary sport fish as they are found in all walks of habitat. One of the most notable scenarios is fishing the flood tide. On a large, rising tide, reds push over the edges of spartina grass and onto the grass flats in search of fiddler crabs and once inaccessible forage. These skinny-water events don't happen year-round, and are heavily influenced by the lunar calendar. The window for fishing flood tides is generally no more than a couple of hours, so it is all about maximizing your opportunities should they arise. It is most common to target tailing fish during flood tides, and targeting the fish in thick cordgrass means a weed-guard is a non-negotiable. The key for fishing flood tides is to have a variety of weights, as these fish can be particularly spooky. You want a pattern that gets down quick without setting off any alarm bells, so having a selection of flies with bead chain and lead eyes is the way to go. Gurglers can also be quite productive if the redfish are feeding aggressively. When there isn't a flood tide, you can find redfish cruising oyster bars, working creeks mouths, or schooled up back in the creeks, especially during the colder months.
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In the Florida Everglades and mangrove backcountry, the fishery shifts dramatically. Here, redfish live among mangrove shorelines, oyster bars, and shallow bays. While clarity changes, it is common to target these fish in gin-clear water so flies need to land softly and presentations need to be up to snuff. Lightly weighted shrimp, crab patterns, and small EP-style baitfish work well, especially in natural tones that match the bottom.
The Louisiana marsh is its own world entirely—broad, muddy, and often off-color with wind and tide. These fish are bigger, more aggressive, and far more forgiving, which means bigger profiles and more water displacement are effective. In murky water or under heavy cloud cover, redfish respond well to bulky patterns like deer-hair Borski Sliders and larger baitfish profiles that push water and stand out. Weighted crab and shrimp flies remain staples, but most anglers bias toward flies with presence: something that moves water, throws a silhouette, and can be seen in low visibility.
On portions of the Texas Gulf Coast, redfish live on sprawling sand, mud, and seagrass flats that can shift from crystal-clear to slightly off-color depending on wind and tide. These fish often tail in impossibly shallow water or cruise long grass edges. Because of the generally clearer conditions, fly choice leans subtle—small, lightly-weighted crab and shrimp patterns in olive or tan for turtlegrass flats are commonly employed. Presentation matters more here: soft landings, natural colors, and quiet retrieves. When wind or cloud cover muddies things up, switching to a slightly larger or darker fly can help, but Texas redfish typically reward the angler who fishes lighter, quieter patterns with accuracy.
Across all these regions, the lesson is the same: redfish may be the constant, but the fishery is not. The key is reading the situation and using water depth, clarity, and fish behavior dictate your fly selection.
Top 10 Redfish Flies
1) Sandbar Mullet
Nick Vlahos' knocked this one out of the park. One of the best Redfish flies we've ever fished. of the finest redfish flies ever created. The fly has a tapered profile similar to a standard EP baitfish, but has some major differences. Firstly, the fly is tied with lead eyes to ensure it rides hook up and avoids. Secondly, and most importantly, is the use of foam segments tied in by the head. The addition of the foam aids in pushing water, as well as attracting attention as the fly darts up and down when stripped. This is a must have pattern for Louisiana.
2) Borski Slider
A proven classic from Tim Borski, the Borski Slider is one of the most versatile redfish flies ever created. Its deer-hair head pushes just enough water to get noticed, while the slim, buggy body and subtle tail movement make it lethal in both clear and stained marsh environments. Light bead-chain eyes keep the fly riding shallow—perfect for shallow water reds, snook, and even bonefish, while it can be tied with heavier lead eyes for the bayou.
3) Gurgler
The gurgler is a classic topwater fly known for its simplicity, versatility, and explosive surface takes. Designed by the late Jack Gartside, this foam-based pattern rides high and creates a distinctive “gurgling” sound as it’s stripped across the surface. The buoyant foam lip pushes water and leaves a subtle wake, mimicking fleeing baitfish, frogs, or large insects depending on the size and color. Equally effective in freshwater and saltwater, gurglers are favorites for species ranging from bass and pike to snook, redfish, and tarpon. Easy to cast, durable, and endlessly adaptable, the gurgler remains a must-have pattern for anglers who love watching fish eat on top.
4) Po Boy
Designed by Seychelles Program Director Alec Gerbec, his signature Po' Boy is one of THE flies for redfish and a proven killer in Louisiana. While most baitfish flies targeting redfish ride hook down, Alec tied the pattern on a jig-style hook to avoid unwanted snags and increase hook ups with fish. Alec writes:
"I created this fly out of necessity of needing something bigger and heavier while fishing down in Louisiana for bull Redfish. Essentially, I had shown up with more traditional sized flies more geared towards the gulf coast of Florida and the fish were not reacting to the flies like the guide wanted.
The Po’ boy can lend itself as a baitfish or shrimp, the poor water visibility allows you to get away with a less realistic look and focus more on the profile and depth at which your fly is fished. By using a jig hook, this helps ensure less hook ups on weeds or oyster beds, keeping you in the game when it counts the most."
5) Captain Gregg
When redfish are keying in on crab or shrimp, we’re reaching for a Captain Gregg. Fast sinking, with lots of movement from the natural materials, results in a pattern that starts fishing quickly and is irresistible to hungry reds.
6) Dupre Spoon Fly
There’s a good reason that the Dupre Spoon Fly has been one of the most popular redfish flies ever created. It’s easy to cast, creates huge amounts of vibration to trigger explosive eats, and can be easily fished in very shallow water due to its lightweight design. Is it a traditional fly by any stretch of the imagination? No, but sometimes you've gotta bend the rules.
7) Kwan
A general “attractor” pattern the Kwan is able to represent many food sources that are found in the marsh and one of those classic patterns that won't be going anywhere anytime soon. The Kwan is a multi-purpose pattern, at home targeting redfish, bonefish, and even snook. Originally designed for fishing in the Everglades region, the Kwan remains a producer wherever redfish swim.
8) Clouser
First tied in the late 1980s by Pennsylvania guide Bob Clouser, the Clouser Minnow is one of the most influential and productive flies ever created. Originally developed for smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River, the pattern quickly gained worldwide recognition when Lefty Kreh used it extensively and proclaimed it to be one of the most effective flies he had ever fished. Today, it remains a cornerstone in both freshwater and saltwater fly boxes.
The Clouser Minnow is a simple yet brilliantly designed pattern that combines natural movement with a jigging action. Typically tied with bucktail for the wing and body, a touch of flash for attraction, and weighted dumbbell eyes to flip the hook point up, the fly rides true while avoiding snags. The wing materials collapse and pulse like a fleeing baitfish, while the sparse profile ensures a clean silhouette that can be dressed in countless color combinations to match regional forage.
9) EP Spawning Shrimp
Thinking outside the box, the EP Spawning shrimp is in our opinion an overlooked redfish fly. The spawning shrimp is a killer pattern when water is clear and low and you need to get away with a smaller profile fly anywhere from the Carolinas down to the Texas Coast. For those big bull reds, grab a size 1/0 with lead eyes and you're still cooking.
10) EP Peanut Butter
When in need of a realistic and simply tied baitfish imitation, look no further than the EP Peanut Butter. Easily replicates all baitfish found in the marsh and is easy to cast. It's effectiveness comes down to its realistic profile, mimicing a variety of small forage fish including pilchards, sardines, and mullet. Tied with EP Fibers, this synthetic pattern maintains a natural profile and movement while resisting fouling and drying quickly. Its translucent body and lifelike silhouette make it a must-have for any saltwater angler targeting aggressive gamefish.
The next time you find yourself heading to the marshes of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and more, make certain you have these top redfish flies in your box. One of them could very well be responsible for landing the fish of a lifetime.
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