Redfish, red drum, or reds go by several different names. They are beloved by anglers for their aggressive eats, willingness to show themselves on skinny water flats, and their ability to pull hard. Few places are better to target redfish than the Texas Coast. Especially when we were fishing at Bay Flats Lodge–known for its incredible flats fishing and world-class guides.
On a recent trip, the Flylords team packed our bags and hit the road to experience this world-class fishery. The thought of tailing reds had us excited and eager to leave. Knowing how and what to pack ensured we didn’t miss anything as we hastily made our way to Bay Flats Lodge. This guide to packing for Texas redfish is a culmination of years of traveling to fish, the tips we learned along the way, and a complete checklist for all the gear needed for a successful trip to the flats.
The Purpose of This Guide:
Recently, we took a trip to the Texas Coast in search of Redfish. Now, we’ve fished for reds before but Texas is a true redfish paradise. Endless shallow water flats, an abundance of food, and happy, tailing fish are something every fly angler should experience. With that said, we all know the feeling of getting to a place and not having the right gear. Whether it be as small as forgetting the right fly or as large as showing up to the ramp without rods we’ve all been there. For a trip of this magnitude, packing is critical.
Texas heat, sporadic storms, and an assortment of fishing and camera gear meant diligent packing. Ensuring the right rods, reels, flies, clothes, gear, and camera equipment all get to our destination in one piece is important. There is a lot to unpack here, pun intended, but after dozens of trips we’ve got packing down to a system. With some tips and tricks we’ve learned along the way, this guide is meant to help you pack for the next big trip. We dive into what to bring, how to pack, and most importantly how to stay organized on any fly fishing trip.
The Process:
On fishing trips, it’s easy to overlook basic essentials when packing, especially when you have fishing gear on your mind. Everyone is guilty of this–overanalyzing rods, reels, leader setups, and flies while forgetting to pack the basics like socks. To make sure everything makes it in your bags, we break packing into categories. By distinguishing between fishing gear, clothing, and personal items it’s easy to stay organized.
Prior to your trip, build out lists based on these categories. When it comes time to pack, you can go line by line ensuring everything makes it in your bags. This way when you arrive you know you are ready to go and there is no scrambling.
Tips:
Organize Bags Based on Your Equipment
Picture this, you’ve made it to the lodge, the guide says to get your fishing stuff it’s time to hit the water. Now you look at a pile of bags and wonder where exactly is all your fishing equipment. To avoid this and stay organized it’s best to pack with dedicated bags separating your equipment by category. On a redfish trip, waterproof duffels like the Yeti Panga Waterproof Duffel are our go-to. They have ample storage, come in three sizes 50L, 75L, and 100L and of course are waterproof. When coastal storms pop up the bags protect your gear and clothes for the trip, like when your bags end up in the truck bed. As an added benefit the Panga 100L can fit 4-piece fly rod tubes, keeping your rods protected. A dedicated bag for clothing, a hard case for camera equipment, and a fishing bag will have ample space for your gear.
When it comes to breaking bags into categories, an often overlooked bag is your carry-on. We choose either the Yeti Panga 28L Waterproof Backpack or the Yeti Crossroads 27L Backpack. The Crossroads is a great carry-on offering padded protection for a laptop, ample compartments, sunglass storage, and water bottle sleeves. Best of all it fits under the seat if you don’t plan on paying for an actual carry-on. For a dedicated fishing trip, you may prefer the Panga Backpack if space is limited. This doubles as an on-the-water bag, keeping the essentials close by and dry when you’re chasing fish.
Sub-organize with Packing Cubes
While duffels are great for packing a lot of gear, staying organized can be another story. We are guilty of digging through bags and throwing gear everywhere just to find a shirt. Our solution: packing cubes. Packing cubes in varying sizes allows you to sub-organize and keep your gear in check. Yeti’s packing cubes are available in sizes small through large. We prefer the large and medium size for clothes and rain gear while the small size is perfect for toiletries. When you get to your destination, pull out the packing cubes you need and you are ready to go.
Don’t Over Pack
Overpacking can be a fly angler’s worst nightmare. We love to overanalyze the gear we may need, bring extra clothes, and jam our bags full to the limit. Yet, on the trip we wear our same favorite sun hoodies and tees. Learning what is valuable and what can get cut comes down to experience. The more you travel the more you’ll realize what you actually use. That said, there is no need for 14 pairs of underwear for a 5-day trip. Pack critically and you’ll be more organized and amply prepared for a trip to the Texas coast.
Don’t Forget Rain Gear
Packing a quality set of rain gear–pants and jacket included–can be a trip-saver when conditions turn. Summer storms or long runs in rough water can leave you soaked. Sure, you can fish through it but staying dry and comfortable always leads to better focus when the shots matter. To stay organized we have a dedicated packing cube for rain gear. When it’s time to hit the water move the cube from your luggage to your day pack and you are ready to fish in any condition.
Traveling with Rods and Reels
In addition to a few duffels, we pack a separate rod/reel case with all the essentials. This means multiple rods, reels, fly lines, all the leaders we need, and a few fly boxes. Our go-to bag is the Sea Run Norfork Expedition Travel Case. This case checks all the boxes for gear storage. When you are flying with this case and can bring it as a carry-on you should. Rods and reels are expensive and delicate. Ensuring you are in charge of getting it on the plane means your gear will be protected and will make it to the final destination. Airport security may take a peak in your bag but should not have any issues letting you carry on your gear.
Packing List:
You’ve got the tips and tricks to pack like a pro, but what gear do you bring? This packing list is an all-encompassing checklist for Texas redfish. You may not need everything we brought but our list covers everything from fishing gear, clothing, camera gear, and more.
Fishing Gear:
Rods
Redfishing in Texas means tailing fish and powerful fish. We recommend bringing 8 and 9-weight rods. An 8-weight will deliver accurate casts to tailing reds while landing the fly softly on the water. A 9-weight offers more backbone for larger bull reds and ample power for punching through the wind. Here are our favorites:
- Sage R8 Salt 8-Weight
- Orvis Helios 8-Weight
- G. Loomis NRX+ S 8-Weight
- Hardy Marksman Z 9-Weight
Reels
A smooth and powerful drag system is a must to stop bull reds from running you around. Add to that the corrosive properties of saltwater, and a good sealed saltwater reel is a must. Here are the reels we bring when tackling Texas.
- Ross Reels Evolution Salt R 7/8
- Abel Model SDS 7/8
- Orvis Mirage IV (7-9)
Tools
Pliers:
- Mirage Fly Fishing Pliers
Fish Dehooker (Redfish have a tendency to engulf flies)
Pocket Knife:
- Benchmade Mini Adira
Polarized Sunglasses:
- (Low light) Costa Lido – Sunrise Silver Lenses
- High Sun: Costa King Tide – Blue Mirror lenses
- All around: Grand Catalina – Gold Mirror Lenses
- (also bring a lot of lens wipes)
Sunglass Retainer:
- Chums silicone retainer
Fly Boxes:
- Cliff Bugger Beast Fly Box
- YETI GoBox 30 Gear Case (for fly box organization).
Line and Leader
Redfish are not particularly spooky, that said big flies and dumbbell eyes are fairly standard. A fly line that can turn over heavy flies and land fairly soft is your best bet. Below are several fly lines and leader setups for redfishing.
Lines:
- Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 Gulf Redfish 8-Weight
- Airflo Supeflo Flats Universal 8-Weight
Leaders:
- Umpqua Performance X HD Leader 9ft (30lb, 25lb, 20lb, 16lb)
- Umpqua Performance X HD Tippet (30lb, 25lb, 20lb, 16lb)
Flies
Redfish eat a varied diet consisting of crustaceans, baitfish, and just about anything they can get their mouths around. A mix of topwater flies and subsurface flies is a good choice. Crab battens, shrimp patterns, and baitfish patterns should be in every redfish angler’s fly box. For more tips and flies check out our guide to Texas redfish.
- Po Boy Fly
- Sandbar Mullet
- Enrico Puglesi Lousiana Red’s
- Rio’s Morrish Grab Crab
- MFC Doyle’s Shrimp HD
- Redfish Toupee Crab
Here’s a nice video for how to tie one:
- Gurglers
- Swiss Army Slider
- Spoon Fly
Clothing
Flats fishing means high sun and hot conditions, the name of the game is sun protection. While clothing is mostly a personal preference, gear design to protect against UV rays is a must. Here are our picks to protect you from sunburn.
Hats:
Any hat flat-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face and cut glare will do, but why not look good with a Flylords one…
Sun Shirts:
- Simms Solarflex Cooling Hoodie
- Marshwear High Noon Tech Hoodie
Pants/Shorts:
- Grundens Gaff Pant
- Free Fly Breze Pant
Footwear:
- Chacos Flip Flops
- Simms Flats Booties
- Simms Pursuit Shoe
Rain Gear:
- Grundens Trident Jacket
- Grundens Down Rigger Bibs
- Simms Waypoint Rain Jacket
- Simms Waypoint Rain Bib
Neck Gaiter:
- Buff Coolnet UV Neck Gaiter
Camera Gear
- Mirrorless Camera like a Sony A7 Series model
- 24-70 MM Sony G Master Lens
- 70-200 MM Sony G Master Lens
Luggage
Suitcase
- Full Size: Yeti Crossroads 73L Suitcase or Yeti Panga 100L Duffel
- Carry-On: Yeti Crossroads 27L Backpack
- On The Water: Yeti Panga 28L Waterproof Backpack
- Organization: Yeti Crossroads Packing Cubes
Toiletries
- Tooth Brush
- Sun Screen
- Ibuprofen
- Dude Wipes
- Chapstick
- Personal First Aid Kit
Essentials
- 1L Yonder Bottle with Cap
- Phone Charger
- Passport (if traveling internationally) or other ID
While everyone packs differently, these tips and tricks we’ve picked up over the years will help you stay organized and focused on fishing. Our list of gear is what we brought to Redfish in Texas and worked for us. Your list may look slightly different but if you follow our steps to pack you’ll be prepared for when a tail pops up on the flats. For step-by-step packing check out our Packing List for Texas Redfish.
