| Season’s
change, and so do the fish we seek. Each week seems to evolve into a
season full of opportunities and memories as the years pass on. A few
planned trips while thinking “out of the box” could change your
fishing habits and your success rate dramatically. Those who score
consistently require foresight and preparation. That being said, try to
remember how many days you hoped to drift the inlet for Fluke only to find
the wind was against the tide making the fishing conditions poor. Did you
really need to catch Fluke? Was there any other species of fish available
in the waters you were fishing? Why of course there were!
Being the
owner of the boat passes on a certain responsibility to know what to fish
for and when, along with keeping your vessel and crew safe. Fishing from
land has the same challenges; except you must intercept the fish at the
location you plan to fish. These are skills you need to develop with time
and effort.
Know Your Home Waters: While fishing the backwaters, be constantly aware
the direction of tidal flow and wind direction. If you are hoping for a
nice drift, try to pick a current that flows in a direction so that the
wind will push you sideways across the current. Avoid wind against the
tide, as this will make it very hard to hold bottom and your bait will not
be traveling along at the same speed and direction as the current.
Instead, seek shelter behind and island, bridge, or houses that may help
block the wind and save the day. Remember that outgoing current flows
toward the inlet, and incoming is reverse. If the wind pushes you against
the tide while fishing North of the inlet, then South of the inlet the
wind would be with the tide, right? Slack tide will surely come, and
when it does, make a move to a nearby location that still has current flow
in a direction to compliment the days wind. Waiting for slack tide to end
can be like watching a pot of water boil, so don’t waste your time. Know
where there is a nearby hole or a quick run up a channel to get another
hour of tidal flow so you can return later when the tide has begun to ebb.
Keep Your Appointments: Be sure to be fishing when your target species is
most active. The summer doldrums can make you believe that the Striped
Bass are vacationing in the cooler waters to our North, but they will be
actively feeding under the cover of darkness in those same waters you were
drifting all day long. Like the Striped Bass, Weakfish have a habit of
being extremely nocturnal and can be tough to find some days, but don’t
count them out so quickly. Their spooky ways and blistering runs complete
with headshakes, make them a very worthwhile target. Several months would
go by and neighbors at my marina thought I did not fish very often. One
day while coming in late (after sunup) and my secret was out. While not
many were willing to trade sleep hours for fishing hours, The Striped Bass
and Weakfish were having a party in my backwaters and I felt obliged to
entertain them. Fishing trips are often planned to fish around Dawn or
Dusk, and rightfully so as these “magic hours” are often fish filled.
These trips normally find the same anglers crossing paths with a casual
wave at a slow idle speed as we work a bank in tandem without spooking the
fish we seek.
Combo Trips:
A few hours before dawn leaves plenty of time to drift live eels along
some deep points near the marina or launch ramp searching for a summertime
Bass. Working Slug-O’s or Buck Tails jigs will also get the Weakfish in
an n eating mood. A bit of Shedder Crab on your jig will often turn
Weakies into crazed maniacs as they hunt down your offering, especially
just past the full moon in May, June and July as the Blue Claw Crabs shed
their shells, Game fish often key in on this highly preferred bait.
Smaller sized plugs and clatter shads are effective as well. At the first
sign of light on the horizon, it’s time to start changing up a bit. Top
water action can provide a thrill that will wake you before the alarm,
even on very early mornings! Take advantage of this by fishing poppers
along the points, sod banks and grass edges with deep water nearby. Fly
tackle truly comes into it’s own here as the morning winds are usually
light, and the thrill is multiplied as a fish erupts on your popper and
pulls the line from your hand with a savage strike. Compare
this to being electrocuted only without the pain, but with all of the
surprise! Fly tackle of choice could not be simpler. Bangers and sliders
fished on a floating line will give the fish fits as the mistake your
offering fro the real thing.
Keep you poppers in the strike zone longer by working them S L O W L E Y.
Almost painfully slow.
Start with a
well placed cast very near the bank, letting your popper rest until the
ripples caused by it’s landing have gone. Give your bait a large POP,
then rest, pop – pop – pop, then rest, large POP, and then rest. The
popper does not need to be moving to be attractive; it simply needs to
look like a struggling baitfish. The hardest part of fishing a popper is
to avoid setting the hook as you see the fish erupt on the surface. Be
sure you wait to feel the weight of the fish before you strike. Keeping
the spinning rod tip high will let you work a popper slowly I more of a
“walk the dog’ fashion. A spinning or casting rod in the 7’ range
will serve you well, providing the rod has the right action. A good popper
rod needs to have a light tip, but with enough stiffness to provide the
proper action to the popper. Match the size popper to the rod you are
using. Practice your retrieve in the daytime so you will be warmed up and
ready for game time. Poppers with a loud rattle are preferred by many of
those who specialize in this inshore game. Stillwater Lures makes an
excellent “loud” popper in two sizes and some very catch colors. We
are designing a fly rod popper with a rattle as well, so fly guys don’t
have to do without!
After the sun has come up and begins to warm the air, you can make yet
another change. Spring and fall is prime time to anchor along a productive
sod bank or bridge pilings a catch a few tasty Blackfish. There is a small
but dedicated group of Toggers who spend the time to master this inshore
game. Sod bank Blackfish often fill in when the more glamorous species
have yet to arrive in force. Summertime will find me returning to my dock
to pick up my wife and son for a casual day of Fluking the inshore waters.
After dinner, the whole scenario starts again, but in reverse! Be sure to
operate your boat with extreme caution at night. Check you navigation
lights to ensure they are in working order. Many inshore buoys are NOT lit
and the helmsman needs to be at the top of his game. Slow speed is the
only way when operating a boat under cover of the night, but when you can
find the fish you seek, you have become a highly skilled angler.
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