Fishing Frenzy

Let me begin by first saying that this is not the ONLY way to catch fish, but some tips that have worked for me. Spending time and practicing your skills and observation techniques is very important as well. Getting familiar with your usual fishing grounds so that you will be prepared and know what you are looking for can help no matter what the conditions are.

One of my favorite marks to key on are the grass lines, especially those found in the southern portion of Baffin Bay. What you are looking for here is where the grass goes from being very dense to not growing in very shallow water. The transition is usually quite visible as it becomes a sandy white bottom, something to look for on clear and sunny days.

Depth changes are another area to look for in addition to the shallow water grass line changes. These can be a very subtle change as the grass goes from dense to very sparse while only changing in depth a few inches. This transition is harder to spot but can be very productive as redfish love these areas. It provides few hiding places for the crabs and other species that redfish feed on, so you will usually find some quality fish hanging around these areas.

Once you have spotted a key grass line, the next step is to focus on your retrieve. I typically start off fast and then work slower and slower until I find what they like. Often times you will get a reaction strike with the fast-steady retrieve, which is a nice immediate result. Mix in a "wave" motion with the fast or steady technique by raising and lowering your rod. This technique has worked very well for me, but the key thing is to keep experimenting. Some people may work their lure extremely slow, dragging it along the bottom with great results. Just remember to pay attention to what works so you can use it in the future.

In addition to the grass lines, be on the lookout for potholes that range from a few feet to yards across. The edges all around the sides of the potholes are very important as small fish will hang around looking for food here. Larger predator fish are usually nearby. Baffin Bay is home to many of these potholes, especially rocky ones with steep drop offs that plunge down 8-9 feet. I like bring out the old Bass fishing tactics here when working these structures and edges.

One of the techniques that I have brought over from Bass fishing is to use short and quick hops, with various speeds of retrieve. When using this method I prefer to use a Devil Eye (made by Brown Lures) Texas rigged on a 1/4 oz bullet sinker weight. This saltwater fishing lure has been effective on Bass as well, and works great when slowly bouncing along those potholes and rocky drop-offs. I think that the large eye on the lure also gives a strong target for fish, which is why it gets so many aggressive strikes when fishing with this method.

Winter fishing is looking promising this year based on how the weather looks so far. The dove and ducks are already moving around down here in South Texas so come on down and we'll hook up for a great outdoor adventure.