As promised, let’s start with a “strategy” right out of the box.  Use your eyes!!  I find it continually amazing that many fishermen will simply approach a body of water, and begin fishing, without really scoping out the area.  What is “there” that make you think the fish will be?  Would the game fish find the area you are fishing “appealing,” either as protection, or as an ambush point?  If there is no structure, something to truly attract the fish, you may be fishing “unproductive” waters, and then wonder why the fishing was so bad.  If anglers would only “use their eyes,” they could avoid areas of unproductive water, and concentrate their fishing efforts on areas more likely to hold fish.

 

The training and use of your eyes, along with using a quality pair of polarized sunglasses will, in and of themselves, increase your odds of catching more specks, reds and flounder.

 

Wear a cap, preferably one with an extra long bill. There are several good models available on the market. I, personally, use a long-billed model made by Columbia. I’ve caught many fish while using that cap! The long bill is a tremendous help, as the shadow that it provides over your eyes and glasses greatly increases your depth vision through the water’s surface.

 

As you look at the water, note the various shades of green.  As a rule of thumb, the deeper inshore waters look dark green, perhaps with a hint of blue.  As the water becomes shallower, the water will turn a lighter shade of green.  As you near the really shallow flats, most of the water’s color will disappear, due to the underwater vegetation.  And what beautiful vegetation!  Sea grasses that wave with the current, bathed in colors of browns, greens, olives, and sometimes, grays.

 

This vegetation will account for color changes while on the water.  Specifically, key in on those areas where the water “lightens or darkens” in the area where vegetation is present.  Lighter colored water usually means that a sand hole is present.  Darker colored water usually represents a drop-off in the bay floor.  Both are excellent signs of structure.

 

Incidentally, “super-clear” water is, perhaps, the most difficult water to fish.  The fish simply have “too” clear a view at you, and your bait.  It is much easier for a game fish to notice a “fake” bait, the hook, the leader, the line, etc.  Thankfully, the “super-clear” waters are most common during the winter months, when fishing pressure, and opportunities, are considerably less.

 

Continue to look around yourself while on the water!  What other type of structure (reefs, points, bayous, pier pilings, spoil bank ledges, contour changes, etc.) is present?  Concentrate your fishing in these areas.  Why?  Because the small baitfish use these areas as protection – from predators, and from current movement, and also find their own food (smaller marine animals and plankton) in such areas...

 

By:  Michael Guevara

 

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