Georgia Redfish

Our honeymoon in Belize was my first real taste of saltwater fly fishing, and I must admit, while to me it lacks the intimacy of being in a river, there are other unique aspects you just can't get in freshwater, such as fish not being bound by riverbanks and currents, free to run any direction as hard as they want. I had a little free time, so I headed down to my parents home in Savannah for a week to breath in some salty air and learn about Redfish opportunities in the area.

The Redfish (AKA: Spot Tails, Red Drum, Channel Bass) is an increasingly popular target for fly fishers, particularly along the Southern and Gulf coasts. Predominantly an inshore species, young Reds mature over a period of 4-5 years, reaching almost 30 inches before sexual maturity and moving off-shore into breeding populations, forming large schools sometimes visible from the air.

For the fly fisherman, the target is predominantly the younger fish 'tailing' in the marsh grass as they hunt for crabs and shrimp, and it's addictive. This was my first time stalking them, and I can't wait to go back. My father and I went out with Scott Wagner (www.savannahfly.com), a local guide with over 15 years of experience in local and foreign waters. He knows the area, the fish, and we learned a lot and had a few rewards for our hard work. Thanks for a fun day and the photos.

Unfortunately we also learned that like so many of our natural resources, Georgia's Redfish are in a fight of their own. What used to be thriving populations have been decimated, largely by irresponsible management and private and commercial over-fishing and netting. Georgia is lacking behind Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and its neighbors Florida and South Carolina, in granting Redfish protection by having 'gamefish' status, banning netting and commercial sale, and limiting harvesting to hook and line only. Current creel limits allow 5 fish in Georgia, compared to 1 or 2 in other states -- a practice which can quickly eliminate a school of 50 fish with the numbers of anglers now targeting this species. As it continues to grow in popularity, it will only get worse.

What makes Redfish particularly sensitive is their life cycle. As mentioned earlier, the majority of the fish being targeted by anglers are immature inshore fish. Harvesting of these fish prevents future generations from ever having a chance. Due to their schooling behavior during the breeding season, large reproductive fish are easy targets for commercial fishing operations. They simply don't stand a chance unless we recognize their value as a sport/game fish, and protect them for future generations to enjoy. I have read reports where sampling of breeding fish showed ages were generally from 12 to 25 years old, as opposed to the 4 to 12 year goal bracket, showing that young Redfish are never even reaching their breeding potential.

Fortunate for Georgia's Redfish, a dedicated group of local anglers and guides recognize the problem and aren't willing to stand by and let things go unnoticed. They've formed 'Georgia Redfish' (http://georgiaredfish.org/), a grass roots organization raising awareness for the need to protect and improve Georgia's Redfish population. One of the ways they're doing that is by creating a petition for GA's legislature asking for the granting of gamefish status to Redfish.

Please visit the site, sign the on-line petition, and help their cause.

If you want to catch Redfish, practice catch and release.

The fish will thank you.

D