Inshore Slammer by Gabe Littlefield

Now that we’ve had a few cold fronts, the action is really beginning to pick up. As we experience the transition to late fall patterns and warmer than usual weather, finding snook, redfish, and speckled trout becomes much easier.

Redfish

Redfish action will continue to improve as the temperatures drop. Look for the brutes on the flats in larger schools ranging between 10 to 100 fish actively feeding on crabs, shrimp, marine worms, and baitfish. This can help narrow down your fly selection to Merkins, Kwans, Muddlers, and Clousers. Natural color schemes relating to tannic clear water such as dark browns and blacks are my go-to’s at this time. Long stealthy casts are necessary to attack these schools. Begin by targeting the edges of these schools to avoid spooking the whole group.

Snook

Snook are active, moving to their wintertime haunts of the backwater creeks and inland rivers. Look for these fish cruising mangrove shorelines and shallow flats with potholes, a perfect ambush point for these predatory geniuses. With large amounts of glass minnows, a small thin baitfish, try tossing a large streamer or mullet pattern. Flies with chartreuses, whites, and purples will tend to draw the attention of snook.

Speckled Trout

With cooler weather and closed seasons, trout are making an amazing comeback and returning to their usual stomping grounds. For larger sized “gators”, look for shallow flats with good water flow and large amounts of bait. Try using mullet flies, poppers, and gurglers to draw some vicious strikes from these aggressive fish.

Gabe Littlefield is a kayak fishing guide, specializing in fly fishing for flats species such as redfish, snook, tarpon, and speckled trout. If you’d like to try your hand at kayak fly fishing, book your trip with Gabe.

Phone: (813) 602-8824

Email: purefloridaws@gmail.com