Just the Facts - Redfish Report

Have been down for 6 weeks so thought I'd post up how my season has gone so far. No adjectives. Just numbers. Ya'll can decide for yourselves how you'd rate that.

Trips - 15
Fish Landed - 20 (only fish I landed are counted here....if others guys were with me they have had similar numbers).
a. 1 sheepshead
b. 5 black drum (biggest 35#)
c. 14 redfish - 6 bulls (over 20#, biggest so far 39" and 28#), 4 over slots (10-16#), 3 slots (4-8#), and 1 rat (12").

Seeing more and more skiffs, especially out of area guides. As far away as MT.
Water has been pretty clean and salinity levels have been terrific.
Weather has been typical but few of the magic combo days of sun and no wind. Most days have been clouds when there's no wind or lots of wind when its sunny. But still getting out 2+ trips/week is about my average over my 10 previous winters down here.

 

[Brute]

Where is "down here"?

 

[ifsteve]

Most of my fishing is in the LA marshes.

 

[Porter2]

Nice job. So is this mostly a 8-9 weight adventure?

 

[Brute]

It's been awhile...I used to fish down in Delacroix & Lafitte...

 

[ifsteve]

Nice job. So is this mostly a 8-9 weight adventure?

My day in day out setups:

9wt with a good sized crab (1/0 or 2/0)
10wt with a big Puglisi baitfish (3/0)

 

[Stonedfish]

Interesting about the out of state guides.
I wonder if some of the Montana guides that used to come here in the winter have now found redfish since steelhead opportunities here are dwindling?
SF

 

[albula]

Strange how circumstances change. When I fished down there, gosh 12 or 15 years ago, it was the guides bemoaning the "snowbirds" who appeared each winter with their skiffs. Looks like the worm has turned.

 

[ifsteve]

Strange how circumstances change. When I fished down there, gosh 12 or 15 years ago, it was the guides bemoaning the "snowbirds" who appeared each winter with their skiffs. Looks like the worm has turned.

Typical guide mantra. You should hear the comments floating (pun intended) around the Henry's Fork and South Fork of the Snake in the summer. If guides had their way they would have rec boaters outlawed. Crazy how they think they have some special right to earn a living off of a public resource.....LOL. And don't get me started on the crazy cost for a day on a trout river.

 

[_WW_]

And don't get me started on the crazy cost for a day on a trout river.

Just curious...how much do you make in a day?

 

[ifsteve]

Just curious...how much do you make in a day?

Not sure what your point is but to answer I make zero. Have never made a dime off of fishing in my life.

But I have fished off of flats skiffs for almost 50 years and have owned one for over 10. I have fished rivers out of drift boats for longer than that. It costs way more to run a guided day on a skiff than it does a drift boat. Which is why I get a kick out of the going rate for a river trip these days. See guides now charging $700/day for a trip down the South Fork. Course I see redfish guides as high as $1000/day. Craziness......lol

 

[Porter2]

I think the question was pretty simple….he asked how much do you make in a day (at your job).

You may think those are ridiculous rates being charged for guided trips but the guides I know are not living in mansions and driving brand new rigs. Just MHO. Always DIY is an option.

 

[_WW_]

Not sure what your point is but to answer I make zero.

I guess if you have no income then any price is too much.

 

[fatbillybob]

Any of you guys have a good NOLA fly guide for redfish? I'm going there in Mid- February which is a tougher time but I think the reds will be there or is it a waste of time?

 

[ifsteve]

Any of you guys have a good NOLA fly guide for redfish? I'm going there in Mid- February which is a tougher time but I think the reds will be there or is it a waste of time?

February can be really really tough. Or it can be really good. All depends on the weather at the time. Hit a cold front with 20+ N winds and its hard. But hit it right before or 2 days after the front and it can be superb.

 

[albula]

Have never made a dime off of fishing in my life.

Given that fact it is quite remarkable how much of an authority you purport to be on the specifics of the guiding industry.

 

[ifsteve]

Given that fact it is quite remarkable how much of an authority you purport to be on the specifics of the guiding industry.

Ok then please tell me where I am amiss? My point was just that a river guide has a less expensive day on the water than a flats guide. And years ago that was pretty well reflected in the going rates. But those rates have gotten pretty close anymore.

I know what it costs to go fishing for a day whether that's a float or a flats trip. Unless their insurance is some astronomical amount on a per trip basis then I have a pretty good understanding of the costs involved. Are guides living in mansions? No but most all of them I know are certainly not hurting and make pretty dang solid incomes. Is it hard work? Heck yes.

Now I also know that, by and large, there is a ton of work that goes into a day on the water that the clients don't see.
a. Cleaning the boat and gear after the day is done and the clients have left. Oh by the way I do this every day too.
b. Spending time looking at the weather. Networking. Reading reports. All to plan the next days trip. Oh and I do that too.
c. Answering emails, calls, and texts from potential clients. THIS is time consuming and thankfully this is one thing I don't have to do.

So while you may dislike my opinion (and that's all it is) it is not without some pretty good knowledge of this game.