When the trout fishing gets to be a grind this month, sight fishing redfish is a great alternative. The Delacroix area can be extremely productive. Local guide Capt. Ty Hibbs does it frequently this time of year, and finds that a certain tidal condition stacks the odds in his favor.
“You live and die by the falling tides this time of year,” he said. “I love the end of a fall. When it starts rising, it’s usually pretty good, but you really want some kind of falling tide to make (the water) clean.”
There’s also one element in July that can prompt a low water, falling tide scenario quite often.
“We usually get a week or two of random west winds in July, which I like for sight fishing reds in general,” Hibbs said.
Target ponds
Hibbs targets ponds around Grand Lake and Spanish Lake.
Sight fishing redfish has become quite a popular activity over the past several years, but with popularity comes pressure. Anglers can gain sizeable advantage fishing for undisturbed fish, according to Hibbs.
“You’re really looking for fish that haven’t been harassed much come July,” he said. “The slot fish get their butt kicked all spring.
“If it’s slick calm and crystal clear and (the redfish) start running away from you where you have to make long casts at them, (that’s a sign) they’ve been pressured.”
There generally isn’t a shortage of submerged aquatic vegetation in the summer months, but Hibbs said finding the right amount of grass is key.
“Areas that had a lot of grass in April and May, by July, are unfishable,” he said. “The grass gets too thick. You’re looking for where that secondary group of grass is growing.”
Morning bite
No angler wants to be on the water in the midday blazing sun of July, but the good thing is the fish bite better in the morning, anyway, according to Hibbs.
“They’re really happy in the early hours, but then when it gets hot, they’ll start acting spooky and stop moving,” he said.
Hibbs recommends launching the boat early, and then when he gets to his first stop, he’ll look for fish moving, and cast a Ribbit frog to try to locate redfish.
“You can cover so much water (with the frog) and it’s so weedless,” he said. “You’ll see the redfish pushing around, especially if it’s slick.
“When it’s slick they can’t hide, especially if it’s low.”
When he locates a redfish, Hibbs likes throwing a Matrix Craw in various colors.
“If you’re new to pitching a crawfish sight fishing wise, you want to go with bright colors,” he said. “It helps you to see that fish ate so you know when to set the hook.”
If the fish aren’t liking the gaudy colors, Hibbs prefers to go to a natural color, like Alabama Craw or black/blue.
Sometimes a weedless setup is needed because of the thickness of the grass, but Hibbs does whatever he can not to have to go to a weedless setup.
“I like to be really precise when pitching, so I’ll use a jighead,” he said.
Hibbs is a huge fan of threading the Matrix Craw on a Slayer Inc. ¼-ounce weedless jighead with a 4/0 hook.
“It’s got a wire weed guard that goes on the tip of the hook,” he said. “That thing is clutch when it comes to that thick grass sight fishing.”
