Read the Water to Improve Fishing Success
We all believe that ten percent of the fishermen catch ninety percent of the fish. Let’s think about why this happens. You can have the best lure or bait, the finest equipment, great casting ability and tactile sensation, but if your presentation is not in front of fish, failure will result. If every cast you made on your last outing was in a quarry’s strike zone, a banner day would have been the reward of your effort. Was it? What percentage of the time was your bait where there were fish? If all other factors are correct and a fish was not there to pick up your offering, you would have had a very poor day of fishing.
Successful freshwater trout fishermen learn how to look at a stream and determine where fish would be holding. In front of, or behind a rock, where the obstruction breaks the current and creates a resting zone where little energy is wasted and food washes into easy reach is one example. Undercut banks are another, where the overhang protects the trout from predators and the deeper water insures security.
When you plan an excursion to your favorite inshore fishing area, do you have a good idea of where most fish will be concentrated? Seasonal migration is a factor, water temperature, and bait location for the time of the year are also important. We will concentrate on what is under the water’s surface where we plan to fish. A freshwater lake where the depth rarely varies is best probed with a good depth finder. Next to an outboard motor, this could be your best equipment investment. Structure that holds fish, usually attracted by the presence of food can be located in deeper water. A GPS or marker buoy can be used to pinpoint a spot that has fish holding potential. Saltwater affected by tides will make this easier.
I often hear fisherman say, “I only fish here when there is a lot of water.” They are fishing a tidal peak, usually the last of the incoming or beginning of the outgoing. Some fish may be close to the mangrove shorelines and casting to this structure will be productive. How did the fish get there, and how do they leave as water depth varies? Many of the places I enjoy fishing are most productive in the cooler weather. Since I prefer fly fishing, I don’t have to worry about floating grass to foul hooks, most other anglers have put their boats and gear away and are pursuing other interests, Jet skiers are gone, water is clear and sighting fish in shallow water is easier, there isn’t as much bait around and fish are easier to catch with artificials, and if you like to sleep in, afternoons are best because the water on the flats has warmed considerably from the sun’s rays. Winter also has some of the most extreme tides. Why not take advantage of shallow water?
Have you ever visited your favorite fishing area when the tide was at it’s lowest? I’m not suggesting running all over the place up on plane waiting for the first obstruction to damage your boat and possibly the passengers. Go there and stay in the deeper water going slowly and be a keen observer. Look for differences in the flats that will act as fish holding structure or migratory routes. A video camera or a plane 35 mm camera will be helpful. You will be surprised at what some of your productive spots may reveal. One of the mangrove shorelines I like to fish has a deep channel adjacent to the trees as well as several points created by oysters jutting out from land. The adjacent flat has a large isolated oyster bar a hundred feet or so from the shoreline. The isolated bar is very productive at higher tides as I feel reds hold there on their way to the shoreline. Prop scars or small channels will provide security as redfish move to the shoreline in search of food, and will be especially productive if they connect two or more pieces of structure. A deeper area at low tide may be filled with fish waiting to migrate, as water gets deeper. This could be a real “honey hole.”
Look for structure adjacent to deeper water. A shoreline that has a lot of fish holding potential will be best if close to a channel. At lower tides this deeper water will hold fish leaving or getting ready to invade the shallows. Mentally think of an approach to this area to fish it effectively without disturbing the fish. I often observe boats approaching a good spot only to throw an anchor overboard, bang hatch lids, create a major disturbance that sends fish scurrying and then after a few minutes of unproductive fishing, reverse the process as they speed to their next hot spot. The presence of birds feeding on the exposed flat will indicate the presence of the same food fish will eat.
Successful fishing is a mental game. The time you spend developing a plan will be a good investment. Don’t be in such a hurry to make your first cast. As your observation skills increase, you will get closer to being one of the fabled ten percent.
