Fishing Frenzy

Just like a book, fishing can depend a lot on your ability to read. Instead of reading through pages, you are observing everything around you. Pay attention to the weather conditions like wind, tidal movement, surface and water temperature. All of these factors can help make a decision on how to fish, whether that is by boat, kayak, wading or using light tackle.

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.

Pay attention to where the birds are feeding. I watch especially for the blue heron, pelicans, and gulls. They are always on the fish. Follow them. If you know what to look for you can learn to read the wildlife activity on the water just like a living book. It will tell you where to find fish and 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.

When you get into this drain area, try starting off with a top water lure first. This lure is good for recon as fish nearby will usually strike at it, giving you a quick indication as to whether or not there are any fish in the area. Once you see a strike, switch over to a soft plastic fishing lure that will give you the advantage on that big speckled trout. I always throw a weedless lure, about 3 casts into each section before looking for somewhere else.

Whether I am fishing for fun, with clients or in a tournament, I generally go with the Sea Devil by Brown Lures. Pink Hologram seems to work best for me, but they make many different colors that can work great for clear or muddy water.

Learning to read this "living book" can give you a real advantage the next time that you go fishing. As always, pay attention to the weather, wildlife and structure to get the most out of your day. Time and practice will teach you what all of these clues mean, so go out and test it for yourself. Good Luck Fishing!