Fishing – Chapter by Chapter
When reading a book you start out by looking at the cover, and the same is true for fishing. In this case, your cover is the weather and whatever conditions surround you. Note the wind speed and direction, where is the sun, what tidal movement is there if any, the temperature and so on. Whether you are going to fish from a boat, kayak or wade fish this information is vital to your success. It can tell you where to fish and what species you are going to target.
Now that the basic decision-making is done, you can head for the water to do some more heavy reading. As you paddle out you see all the early morning activity on the water. There are schools of mullet of all sizes and baby shrimp jumping for their very lives up close to shore. If the bait source is running away, they are being chased by something, so that would be a good place to cast. As you look down, there are crabs scurrying across the bottom. What are they fleeing from? Notice their speed and direction, and use that information to figure out where to cast your lure.
Birds are another great fishing indicator, especially when they are feeding. My favorites to follow are the blue heron, pelicans and gulls. All of this wildlife activity is useful if you know how to read it. Not only can it help to find fish but also give clues as to what they are feeding on.
Learning to read the structure of your fishing site is another way to catch those elusive fish. Look for drains. Those are gaps in the islands that allow water to flow in or off the flats into deeper water. I call these areas bait highways, and if the bait fish are traveling them, the predator fish are not far behind. Set up to the sides of these highways, especially at peak tidal changes.
Once I am settled into an area, I generally start off with a topwater to check things out. This will draw some agressive strikes pretty quickly if there are any game fish in the area. Once the fish are found try switching to a soft plastic fishing lure, possibly weedless depending on your situation. This will help you get that big fish. A few casts in each area of the drain should be enough to scope it out before moving on.
My lure of choice is a Brown Lure Devil Eye or Sea Devil. There are tons of colors to choose from, and we each have our own favorite. My favorite is Little Pinky (pink with silver hologram). It has been a proven color for me in clear to muddy water for over a year. This method of fishing works well, and I use it whether fishing for fun, with clients, or in tournaments.
Reading these clues can take time to learn, but the edge you get is worth it. The next time you get on the water look for wildlife movement, tidal changes, and pay attention to weather and structure. Hopefully this will help you to catch more fish the next time you are out there.