The past two weeks on the Gulf Coast have been nothing short of spectacular for SUP anglers targeting redfish. Water temperatures have settled into the mid-80s, pushing schools of slot-sized reds onto the shallow grass flats where a paddleboard gives you the ultimate stealth advantage.

Conditions This Week

We launched from Pine Island Sound at first light — around 6:15 AM — with a light southeast wind of 5-8 knots. The tide was falling, which concentrated baitfish along the edges of oyster bars and mangrove shorelines. Water clarity was excellent at 3-4 feet of visibility, perfect for sight-casting from a SUP.

What Worked

Gold spoons in the 1/4 oz range were the top producers all week. We rigged them weedless on 20lb fluorocarbon leader and made long casts ahead of tailing fish. The key was letting the spoon flutter down naturally — any aggressive retrieve spooked the fish in the skinny water.

Live shrimp under a popping cork also produced well during the higher tide stages when fish moved off the flats into slightly deeper troughs. We used a 2-foot leader below the cork with a #1 circle hook.

SUP Positioning Tips

The biggest advantage of fishing these flats on a SUP is the silent approach. We anchored upwind of the flat using a 3lb grapnel anchor with 15 feet of rope, then used the paddle to make micro-adjustments. When fish were tailing within 40 feet, we switched to a push-pole technique — using the paddle blade to silently push along the bottom.

The Numbers

Over three sessions this week, we landed 14 redfish between 18-26 inches, released two oversized bulls at approximately 32 and 35 inches, and picked up a handful of speckled trout as a bonus. The best single session produced 7 reds in about 3 hours of fishing.

Forecast

Expect this pattern to hold through mid-August. As water temps climb above 88°F, the bite will shift earlier in the morning. Plan to be on the water by 5:30 AM for the best action. The new moon phase next week should produce even better tailing conditions on the low tides.