if you want to catch redfish DIY it’s going to be extremely tough to manage with only one day to find a good access point and also align it with tides, weather and seasonal nuances.
If you want to just catch whatever may bite then spend some time on Google earth close to where you are staying and try to find something you can access and also looks like it will accommodate fly casting, I’m getting pretty good at picking those spots now that I’ve had 4 months of practice, I might be able to help you find something. I’ve found that there are some variety of fly eating fish in every canal, pond or marsh I’ve laid eyes on yet. LM bass, bluegill, perch, several species of catfish, gar, reds, black drum, and sheepshead have all found my flies in random places all around here. But it still takes poking around to find the honey holes.
I’ve been in Houma (about an hour away from NOLA) for 4 months. I have the luxury of a car and can fish and explore every day after work so I’ve been able to find decent to good fishing on foot with a fly which is a pretty tall ask I’ve figured out. Earlier this spring when the brackish water of the canals was cooler and saltier, it was easier to find reds close to town and I did well blind casting when I found good water (that may repeat again when water temps drop in winter). But that has since changed and I’m spending my time in the marshlands to the south in my little triangle of dulac, cocodrie, Houma to find reds and it’s a whole lot more difficult but still very fun and rewarding. Walking through chest high reeds in boot eating mud through swarms of biting insects and in 100° heat has been brutal to say the least. But you forget about that when you see a red patrolling the reed line. There is a reason everyone fishes from watercraft.
If I only had one day I would definitely hire a guide, even for a half day. You will be in one of the most redfish infested places in the world during a supposed prime time for trophy sized bull reds. Absolutely no better place to be then on the bow of a skiff. YOLO.
I can PM you a couple guide recommendations if you want?
For blind casting it’s been hard to find a better fly then a simple chartreuse and white clouser with medium or large lead eyes and some flash. It just works. I’ve done pretty good on larger baitfish patterns but I think more species will hunt the clouser down. Redfish don’t seem to care what the fly is as long as it is right on their dinner plate. But for sight fishing I have high confidence in crabs. The Kung Fu Crab is a great fly pattern. Size 2 tan and olive.
