Malone's Fly Fishing Adventures

Louisiana Backcountry Slam

Capt. Jarid Malone — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 23:30:54 +0000

Coming soon…

Biloxi Marsh Winter Redfishing

Capt. Jarid Malone — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:47 +0000

Having a day off with one of the best looking weather forecasts that we’ve had all winter, I did what any guide would do… I went fishing. Finding giant fish at almost every location that we stopped throughout the day, I realized that we had finally reached our peak season, and was able to enjoy sightfishing for huge redfish of up to 40lbs and black drum pushing 50lbs without another boat in sight. Putting our 8wt rods to the test, we boated fish after fish with the smallest still making it over the 20lb mark.

The Biloxi Marsh with John Murrill

Capt. Jarid Malone — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 01:00:45 +0000

For anglers that have braved the cold this winter, the fishing has been well worth the effort. Large schools of redfish and black drum have been consistently found in areas offering shallow mud flats, especially those with oysters nearby, and the afternoon bite has been very rewarding. With almost nonexistent fishing pressure this time of year, peak low water levels and the opportunity for big fish always present, now is my favorite time of year to be on the water.

The Biloxi Marsh with Dr. Michael Wilensky

Capt. Jarid Malone — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:30:52 +0000

Having fly fished for redfish in Florida on several occasions, Dr. Michael Wilensky had just figured that redfishing was a tough game full of long hours dedicated to casting at spooky fish. Lucky for both of us, I was able to introduce him to the world of Louisiana redfishing, a land full of big redfish that love to eat flies. Within the first half hour, “Doc” was already hooked up to his largest redfish that he had ever caught, despite the cold conditions that existed throughout the day.

Port Fourchon with Baron Boyette

Capt. Jarid Malone — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:00:53 +0000

Over the past year, it has been fun watching Baron learn how to effectively present flies and ultimately feed the fish of the salt. Just as all who have experienced sight fishing the flats already know, there is a big difference from merely tossing a fly blindly into a vast body of water and hoping for a bite, as to stalking a fish and persuading it to eat, even when it may not be hungry or looking for a meal. It is the ability to feed a fish, despite the conditions, that I feel truly reveals the skill of an angler though.

Let’s face it… in the world of the salt, things like “too windy” and “too cloudy” are just everyday challenges that need to be factored in. Fly fishing is a game that is always changing; no two days are ever the same and nobody said it was easy, but it sure is rewarding and fun. Today was one of those days where it all came together, and Baron was rewarded with his first double digit redfish.

The Biloxi Marsh with Bill Scott

Capt. Jarid Malone — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:50:37 +0000

Since Bill had been waiting for months to experience what the fishing in Southeast Louisiana was all about, we jumped on a last minute opportunity to get a day of fishing in and hoped for the best. Battling tough winds all day, we stuck it out and made the long run to the far reaches of the Biloxi Marsh, hoping that the water clarity would hold up and that the fish would still be hanging around by the time that we arrived. What we lacked in numbers for the day, we more than made up for in size, and Bill was rewarded with a huge 35lb black drum that was sightcasted in only a couple feet of water.

Louisiana’s Monster Redfish

Capt. Jarid Malone — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:00:43 +0000

Today started early, a couple of hours earlier than it usually does when trailering down to Hopedale for the day. As Alex Beane pulled up with his Maverick in tow, I realized that the entire deck of his skiff was frozen over with a sheet of ice. We knew it was going to be a cold day on the water, but that the freeze would drop the water temperatures down into the ideal big fish zone that it needed to reach and we wanted to make the long run to our fishing grounds while the sun was still low. Within the first half hour, Alex was already hooked into a big 20lb redfish that was swimming with three others of the same size, and we were just getting started.

The fishing only gained momentum as the sun warmed the shallows, bringing in giant redfish and black drum to feed on the crustacean life that littered the mud flats. Upgrading from 10lb fish, to 15lb fish, and ultimately agreeing to not cast at anything under the 20lb mark, our patience was ultimately rewarded with huge fish that were willing to go out of their way for our flies. We ended the day with our biggest fish consisting of a 25lb redfish and a 28lb black drum. What’s even better though, is that we saw fish that were even bigger.

The Biloxi Marsh with Lauren

Capt. Jarid Malone — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 05:32:48 +0000

After an hour of running to the far reaches of the Biloxi Marsh, I could tell that my wife was beginning to wonder just when I was planning on stopping. Ideal winds and water clarity is something that has to be taken advantage of though in these parts, and after hooking up to a large redfish within the first 10 minutes, she quickly realized my motivation to do so. Throughout the day, we casted at pods of tailing fish and countless cruising fish until a smokin’ +30lb redfish decided to give us an opportunity but ended up merely short striking and quickly exited the scene. There are some really nice fish on the flats right now, but it seems that it’s still a little early and warm outside for these huge fish to really be pulled to the heat of the flats.

Hopedale with Alan Christian

Capt. Jarid Malone — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 03:00:34 +0000

You just gotta’ laugh sometimes when it comes to weather forecasts. Calling for sunny skies and calm wind, we arrived at Hopedale to find complete cloud cover paired with scattered showers and a steady breeze. Making the best of it, Alan was a great sport and toughed it out to land several solid redfish while fishing in the backcountry to escape the weather, including his personal best. With a nice series of falling tides throughout the week, the fish will remain in the shallows as long as possible to keep feasting on the plentiful shrimp and crabs in the tidal creeks and back lakes, providing some great days on the water.

The Biloxi Marsh with John Murrill

Capt. Jarid Malone — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 02:30:42 +0000

I had the privilege of taking John Murrill out on his first trip into the Biloxi Marsh today. The winds were stiff but with the sun out in full force, I knew we would be able to find some good redfish in the interior marshes. From the very beginning, John was able to sightcast fish as they swam around in the gin clear water of the back lakes and lagoons, and ended up landing a three best fish weight of 38lbs for the day, consisting of a 12lb and two 13lb reds. The fishing this time of year is absolutely action packed and very consistent, allowing us to chase the giants on open water flats during the days that the winds subside, and to retreat to the backcountry on windy days which offers shot after shot at “smaller fish” in the 28-32″ range.