Winter Redfish on Fly, What You Need to Know, PT 1

Why Winter Redfishing Stands Out in Charleston

Winter redfishing gets mixed reviews, but it is one of my favorite seasons here in Charleston. This is the first part of a three part series built to help you understand winter fly fishing for redfish and improve your results.

How Water Temps and Clarity Shift in Winter

Winter shifts the focus to low water. This feels different compared to fall flood tide tailers. Cooler weather makes long days on the skiff easier. Mosquitoes and gnats fade. You stay comfortable without sweating through your shirt. Another plus is low boat traffic. Many anglers still overlook how strong our year round redfish fishery is. Winter gives you some of the best conditions of the entire year.

Why Redfish School Tight in Cold Weather

Cold nights drop water temps fast. Visibility jumps once the water hits the low sixties. It gets even cleaner as temps fall. Clear water and light pressure push fish shallow to warm up. Fish also group up in tight schools. When you spot one pod, you often see several more. The tradeoff is fish see you faster. Look for large moving clouds or tight flashes on sunny days.

How Winter Feeding Changes and What to Expect

Bait thins out and redfish get hungry. The way they eat and fight changes. Overslot fish slow down. Puppy drum and mid slots stay energetic. Eats become deliberate. These fish are not reacting to anything that hits the water. Sparse, neutral flies work well in this season. Slow steady retrieves get the best response. I will cover winter fly patterns in the next post.

Next week I will break down fly options, tactics, and how to locate fish!

Thank you for reading,

Captain Conner