Trip Types

Louisiana Redfish Fly Fishing Trip: What a Trout Angler Should Know

Daniel Bowman Updated November 4, 2026 11 min read

Redfishing in the Louisiana marsh is a different sport from trout fishing. You stand on the front of a small boat in a few feet of water, a guide pushes the boat with a long pole, and you cast to a fish you can see. It's a completely different experience from trout, and one every fly angler should have.

This guide covers what a trout angler needs to know before signing up for our hosted Louisiana redfish trip, from the fish and the gear to the license and the booking steps.

What is Bowman's Louisiana redfish trip?

It's a hosted trip to fish for redfish in the marsh around Hopedale, Louisiana, in December 2026. It costs about $2,500 per person, all-inclusive except flights. Sight-cast to cruising redfish in Louisiana's marsh. Fast action, shallow water, and the biggest redfish in the world.

What all-inclusive means on our hosted trips:

• Included: lodging, meals, gear, guide services and ground transportation.
• Not included: flights. We help you book the right ones.
• Group size: we keep groups small, typically 6 to 8 people.
• Who leads it: the same guides you'd fish with in Georgia.
• Before you go: you'll receive a detailed packing list before the trip, but the big stuff is handled.

We're there with you every step of the way, from what gear to bring and flights to book, to walking with you through the airport.

When you join the interest list, ask us for the exact dates and nights, the lodge, how many anglers share each boat, the deposit and whether your Louisiana license is covered.

Sight-casting to redfish is better suited for anglers with some experience, because the shots come fast and wind can make them harder.

Where is Hopedale, and why fish there?

Hopedale sits at the edge of the Biloxi Marsh in southeast Louisiana. MidCurrent's guide to Louisiana bull reds puts it at "the end of Highway 624," with Hopedale and nearby Delacroix "each only a quick 45-minute drive from the French Quarter." (MidCurrent)

The marsh between Venice and Hopedale is known for big redfish in shallow water. Anglers Journal adds that "the water tends to be clearer east of Hopedale, creating spectacular sight-fishing opportunities." (Anglers Journal) Clear water matters, because sight fishing means you have to see the fish before you cast.

Why is December a good time for bull redfish?

Because December sits inside the late fall and winter window, when the biggest redfish move into the shallow marsh. MidCurrent writes that "from late summer through the fall and winter, bull reds commonly weighing north of 30 pounds swim in water ranging from a few feet to just a few inches." Game & Fish agrees that "the late fall and winter months are the best times to go." (Game & Fish)

Louisiana Sportsman describes the same pattern: Louisiana is strong "especially during the winter when the bull reds push into the interior marshes." (Louisiana Sportsman)

How is redfishing different from trout fishing?

Almost everything gets bigger: the fish, the rod, the cast and the wind. The table below compares a typical day on our North Georgia trout water with a day in the Louisiana marsh.

The fish also come and go fast. Capt. Peter Scafaru told Louisiana Sportsman that redfish "come into view real quick, and they are gone just as quickly." That's why the cast has to be ready before you see the fish.

What does a day on a redfish skiff look like?

You fish from a flat skiff about 18 feet long or less. The person casting stands on the casting deck at the front, and the guide stands on a poling platform at the back and pushes the boat through shallow water with a long pole. Ask us how many anglers share each boat on our trip. Orvis's guide to skiff etiquette lays out how it works. (Orvis)

1. Get ready. "Strip out 40-50 feet of line" onto the deck, which means pulling line off the reel so it lies ready to cast.
2. Wait for the call. The guide spots fish from the platform and tells you where to look.
3. Cast fast. "Make one or two false casts," the back-and-forth casts that build up line in the air, and put the fly in front of the fish.
4. Strip on the guide's call. Stripping means pulling the line in by hand in short tugs to move the fly. The guide watches the fish and tells you when.
5. Tip your guide. Orvis notes that "Tips are the norm" on a skiff. Ask us what to plan for on tips.

The guide controls the boat and you focus on the cast. You're hunting one fish at a time, by sight.

What flies and gear work for Louisiana redfish?

Gear is included on our hosted trip, and you'll get a packing list before you go. Here's the standard redfish setup, from MidCurrent's guide to Louisiana bull reds, so you know what to practice with. Ask us what rods and flies we bring for the trip.

• Rod: rods are rated by weight, and a higher number means a heavier rod for bigger fish. "An 8-weight fly outfit is standard for redfish, but when pursuing powerful, 30-pound bulls, you'll want the added muscle of a 10-weight rod."
• Line: "A floating, weight-forward fly line," meaning the heavy part of the line sits near the front, which helps carry big flies into the wind.
• Leader: "no more than 9 feet... ending on a 20-pound tippet." Tippet is the thin last piece of line the fly is tied to.
• Flies: weedless spoon flies and baitfish patterns that ride hook up, so they don't snag the marsh grass, plus poppers, which pop on the surface. On color: "Black and purple" for "dreary, overcast days or murky water," and "chartreuse is hard to beat" on clear, sunny days.

Louisiana Sportsman adds "3- to 5-inch streamers" made with "marabou or strips of rabbit," fished "at the redfish's eye level."

How do wind and weather affect a redfish trip?

A lot. Clear, calm days are the best for sight fishing, and windy days are hard. Capt. Scafaru told Louisiana Sportsman: "A clear, calm, sunny day is the best time... If it is howling and windy, it can be tough controlling the boat." He also says "the wind in Louisiana affects the levels of water in the marsh a lot more than the tides do."

December weather can swing hard. MidCurrent notes that "temperatures some days can be in the 80s, then a cold front could send temperatures plummeting to below freezing." The good news, per MidCurrent: "Windy days accompany cold fronts, but the slick-calm conditions that follow make for epic sight fishing."

Pack for both:

• Layers you can add or peel off as a front moves through.
• A rain jacket for the cold fronts.
• Polarized sunglasses, which cut the glare so you can see fish in the water.
• A hat with a brim to shade your eyes.
• Sunscreen.

The full packing list comes from us before the trip.

How should a trout angler practice before the trip?

Practice fast, accurate casts at about 40 feet, and work toward reaching 50 to 60 feet in the wind. Orvis puts it plainly: "If there's one thing you should do before your next saltwater trip, it's to improve your casting." (Orvis)

The sources differ a little on distance. Capt. Cleve Hancock told Orvis News that "many of the shots you'll end up taking at redfish are within 40 feet," and suggests practicing "until you can accurately deliver a fly up to 40 feet while using minimal false casts." (Orvis News) Game & Fish quotes a California guide who saw fish "sitting out at 60 feet" and wants anglers able to "cast a minimum of 50 feet." Train for both: quick 40-foot shots, with more in reserve.

A practice plan for the weeks before the trip:

1. Learn the double haul. It's the casting move that adds line speed and distance. Our guide to the double haul walks through it.
2. Practice in a yard or park with an 8-weight if you can borrow one. Orvis suggests "your yard, a nearby grassy park, or a pond."
3. Practice with few false casts. Pick a target, strip line onto the ground, and get the fly there in one or two false casts.
4. Practice in the wind. Orvis's advice for casting against the wind includes a sidearm cast and keeping the wind "directly behind you or coming from your non-casting side."
5. Fish for bigger fish at home. Throwing streamers or casting for stripers on Lake Lanier builds the same muscles. Our Lake Lanier striper fly fishing guide covers it.

Do you need a Louisiana fishing license?

Yes. Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries requires anglers 18 and older to have a Basic Fishing License, plus a Saltwater License for fishing south of the state's saltwater line. (LDWF)

Nonresident prices from LDWF are below. We haven't confirmed which license fits this trip, or whether it's covered. Ask us before you buy. The charter license lasts 3 days, and the trip's number of days isn't published yet:

LDWF says the Charter Passenger license is "Valid to fish from a charter vessel in saltwater areas of the state, with a licensed guide on board at all times." Anglers under 18 don't need a license. This is separate from your Georgia license: at home, trout water takes a Georgia fishing license plus the trout license (Georgia WRD), and neither one covers Louisiana. Ask us whether the license is covered when you join the interest list. Rules and prices change, so check LDWF before you go.

Can you keep a bull redfish in Louisiana?

No. Since June 20, 2024, Louisiana's red drum (redfish) rules are an 18-inch minimum, a 27-inch maximum and 4 fish per day, and "keeping Red Drum over 27 inches is prohibited." (LDWF) A 30-pound bull is far longer than 27 inches, so every bull goes back. Charter captains and crew can't keep any.

Those are Louisiana's rules. Ask us whether the group plans to keep any legal-size fish. At home, all of our private trout water is catch and release.

Is the Louisiana trip a good fit for you?

It's best for anglers with some fly fishing experience. Some of our hosted trips, like Alaska, are great for all skill levels, but others, like sight-casting for redfish, are better suited for anglers with some experience. We'll help you find the right fit.

It's a good fit if:

• You can cast comfortably and want a new challenge.
• You want to catch a much bigger fish than a trout.
• You're fine with wind, cold fronts and a day standing on a boat deck.
• You'd like the whole trip handled, from lodging to rides.

If you're newer to fly fishing, a guided day on our Georgia water before the trip will help. Our hosted fly fishing travel guide covers how our hosted trips work. Whether a partner who doesn't fish should come depends on the destination, so ask us.

How do you book the Louisiana redfish trip?

Join the interest list, then reserve with a deposit. Our other hosted trip this winter is Patagonia in January 2027, at about $4,800 per person.

1. Join the interest list. We'll send you trip details, dates and pricing as they're finalized.
2. Reserve your spot. Secure your spot with a deposit. We'll help you with booking the correct flights and handle the rest.
3. Pay the balance. Final payment is typically due 60 to 90 days before departure. With December this close, ask us how payment works for this trip.
4. Show up and fish. Lodging, meals, gear, guides, it's all covered.

If a trip doesn't fill, we'll notify you well in advance and refund any deposits. Each trip is limited to a small group, and spots fill quickly. Join the interest list from our hosted trips page or the booking page. The trip is in December 2026, so it's coming up soon. Call us at (706) 963-0435 to check for a spot and how payment works.

A Bowman gift certificate also works on hosted travel, so a family member can put one toward the trip. The details are on our gift certificates page.

Daniel Bowman

Owner & Head Guide · Bowman Fly Fishing

Daniel has guided fly fishing trips in North Georgia for more than 10 years. He runs Bowman Fly Fishing with a team of 10 guides on the Toccoa, Soque, Etowah, Noontootla, and Tuckasegee — including private water access most anglers never get to fish.