As an avid fly fisherman living in Central Florida I am flooded with awesome fishing opportunities. Despite being able to chase multiple species throughout the year, I always find myself targeting redfish time and time again.

Being able to fish the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River systems has made chasing redfish a big part of my life. Sneaking up on tailing reds in my kayak is one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I have been able to experience.

Most of the fish schooling in these areas are slot fish; however bigger fish in the 40″ range are more common than most people think. Targeting big redfish is a challenge and serious investments in quality fly tackle is well worth it. 9-10wt rods are ideal if one is targeting these monster reds on the flats. 7-8wt rods are what I would recommend for most of the reds one is likely to encounter. My largest redfish was 43″ and I landed him on my 7wt TFO.

Anyway, here is a video of some nice reds I caught recently in the Indian River and Ozello grass flats. Hopefully this motivates you to get out and chase some redfish for yourself. Never overlook the waters you have in your own backyard.

Keep your hearts right, and your lines tight!

Capt. Jesse Males