How To My Friends

Even though the three main species listed in the last blog live in relatively the same type of habitat fishing for them requires slightly different techniques. To the inexperienced angler it may seem that all there is to catching fish is to drop a line in and sit back, however, there subtle differences that can improve your chances at landing more fish. The three species that I will be discussing are redfish, snook, and trout. Occasionally all of these fish can be found roaming the flats; however they tend to gravitate to different types of areas and exhibit unique strategies to catch them.

Redfish

The red drum, sciaenops ocellatus, or redfish like to roam the flats that have quick access to some sort of cover. Whether that protection comes in the form of a deep water canal or an oyster bar redfish seek that quick availability of cover. To catch these fish Bob McNally wrote, in his arcticle Top Redfish Techniques which was in the Saltwater Sportsman, that Captain Kevin Olmstead’s best way to trick these fish into biting is to bounce a jig off the bottom.

He likes to cast, allow the lure to hit bottom and then, with short, slow rod twitches, impart subtle action to create soft bottom "puffs" behind the lure. The trail of bottom puffs from his jig imitates a fleeing crab or shrimp and tempts reluctant reds. His favorite artificials are Berkley Gulp! lures in 3-inch Shaky Shad configurations, pearl-silver or smelt colored.

McNally informs us that these bottom puffs trigger the redfish to attack a jig like it was a fleeing crustacean. This technique spawns such great success in part because the red drum primarily feeds on the bottom. Their mouths are angled down which assists them in vacuuming prey which is why the bottom bouncing retrieve is one of the prefer methods of catching these fish. I believe that this will be an easy technique to master because you have a defined water column to target which is the bottom.

Snook  

The snook, Centropomus undecimalis, is the most coveted game fish that is pursued on the flats. This fish produces some of the best fighting and table fair of any of the three species that I will be covering. With long runs and aerial acrobatics it’s no wonder why the snook is considered the cream of the crop within the flats fishing community. The snook like the redfish also seek the shelter of cover choosing to hang around mangroves, docks, oyster bars, and bridge pilings. Although snook can be caught with a variety of presentations live bait seem to be the preferred method as stated by Captain Robert McCue in his article Snook Fishing in Florida from gainttarpon.com. “Though still willing to take a fake, they key in on live scaled sardines. The sardines play a great roll in the survival of the snook on the Florida west coast.” I believe that for any type of fishing live bait would be best; however it seems that for snook it is even more crucial.  This type of fishing should be the easiest for me utilize because I already possess what I feel are good live bait handling skills.     

Trout

Trout, Cynoscion nebulosus, unlike the other two species enjoy being in the middle of the flats. Trout search for sea grass beds to camouflage themselves in, which they ambush bait fish and crustaceans as they swim by. As far as technique goes trout may be the simplest to target. Trout will chase a variety of swim baits. However topwater plugs seem to be the most advantageous strategy to use when focusing on the species as John Donohue declares with his article Fishing for Speckled Trout in Winter Months which was published in the Inshore Fishing Journal. “While top water baits land some of the largest specks during warmer months, they will still land some large trout throughout the winter. Don’t be afraid to give your favorite plug a few casts, especially amidst an abundance of mullet.” While he states that topwater plugs produce the bigger trout smaller plugs and swim baits will usually  generate a better bite for the “schoolly” trout that are sporadically positioned all over the flats. I guess this is a situation of quality verse quantity big bait big fish, however if I’m looking for action I might go for the schoolies.

With their physical location being fairly similar it would be inaccurate to assume that one style of fishing will be the optimal to catch all three species of flats water fish. While one technique may work occasionally for all three, an angler must use different methods when trying to reap the most of his angling experience that day. Whether that’s bottom bouncing for redfish, live baiting for snook, or flipping topwater for trout a successful angler must adapt his strategy to the specific fish he is chasing.

Introductory To Flats Fishing

As stated in the introductory blog post, the main purpose of this blog is to inform and perform different techniques pertaining to hunting and fishing. With this said I have chosen to evaluate flats fishing. This phase of the sport is used wherever the water depth is relatively shallow ranging from mere inches to upwards of ten feet. However the majority of the angling is done within three to five foot range. The species that are primarily targeted by flats fishermen are snook, redfish, trout, and bonefish.  When targeting these fish many anglers have to consider the tides, structure, and bait. In addition anglers will also have to choose how they will access the fish this means either using a boat or fishing from the shore.  

Tides

The tides are determined by the proximity of the moon in comparison to the earth. As the moon gets closer more of its gravitational pull is imposed on the earth’s surface causing a draw on the oceans. This draw is what creates coastal tides. The tides are very important to flats fishing in the sense that they dictate when the bigger game fish will approach the flats to feed. As the tides begins to draw out many game fish begin to leave the flats and seek shelter in deeper water. In contrast when the tide starts to move in you will see an influx of game fish flooding the flats in search of food.

Structure

For fish to stay in an area there must be something to keep them there. Fish like any other living creature seek structure. Whether its mangroves growing along the shoreline or grass in the middle of the flats, both provide shelter to smaller fish and hunting opportunities to larger fish. As a result this makes structure a primary component in an angler’s formula for success.

Bait

The two main bait choices that an angler must contemplate using are live baits or artificial lures. The main difference between the two is the potential of an artificial lure to cover a greater amount of water than live bait. This is important if an angler is searching rather than targeting fish. While an artificial can be casted multiple times live bait cannot without running the risk of death.

Poling

The most popular and effective way to stalk the fish on the flats is “poling“ from a boat, which involves using a pole to guide the boat along the flats. It allows the angler to cover more area, as well as allowing more access to different depths. Being versatile is a great advantage when fishing it allows you to adjust to varying situations which in turn increase the odds of success.

Wading

Wading and shoreline fishing the flats are the simplest techniques to utilize for an angler who doesn’t want the hassle or cost of a boat. Wading is accomplished by actually entering the water and slowly meandering the flats stalking the fish. Whereas shoreline fishing consists of setting up at the water’s edge and relying on the fish to approach the angler.

Conclusion

This type of angling seems very challenging however quite fun. I’m rather intrigued with only fishing in a couple of feet of water because in the form of fishing that I have experience with I tend seek depths around thirty feet. Being able to sometimes see my quarry excites me as an angler. I have seen bites occurring at the surface of the water on television and to me it will get anyone’s heart pumping. As a result I will like to explore more of the techniques that pertain directly to the different species that are primarily targeted during flats fishing. I would also like to observe if there are any similarities in methods of catching these species; however that will be for another post.

Resources

http://www.floridainshoreangler.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84

More Than What Meets The Eye

Most animal rights activists try to portray hunters as evil people who just like to kill defenseless animals for the fun of it. This simply is not true. Yes the ultimate goal is to harvest whatever game you’re targeting but it is more than that, it’s trying to outwit nature in its own element and also become entwined with it at the same time. Hunting is the oldest form of competition. It wasn’t that long ago that man had to hunt to survive. I know that times have changed but I still feel that we carry a predatory instinct with us. Football, hockey, or competition of any kind I feel is just a way of expressing that instinct by challenging, outsmarting, and ultimately conquering your adversary.  Hunting is basically the same thing however instead of outsmarting a fellow person you’re trying to prevail over Mother Nature and her billions of years of evolution.

I know that a rebuttal to that argument is that it is now become an unfair playing field. Whereas the hunter has a rifle and powerful optics and the game has nothing to defend itself. However I would challenge that claim by stating that I have been hunting for the past three years and I have yet to harvest anything. Now if the odds were stacked so grossly uneven I would assume that I would have something more to show for my investment. Thus there must be a reason for this. Deer the game species that I targeted does in fact boast some impressive defenses. They possess great vision, smell and hearing all of which makes this animal very elusive to hunters. Therefore, validating that the competition between hunters and their game is in fact a fair fight.   

Even though I haven’t harvested any game to date I would still call my hunts successful because of the interactions that I enjoyed within each hunt. Whether it was scouting many different areas looking for any sign of activity that might point me in the right direction or sitting at a chosen spot for hours waiting patiently, the goal was to blend with nature. I would much rather sit in a tree all day and watch the world revolve around me than harvest an animal that was just laid out in front of me without any effort on my part. This belief is how most hunters I have spoken to approach the sport of hunting. So this notion that all a hunter likes is too kill any unlucky animal that crosses their path is simply untrue. It is not the act of killing that we seek it’s the competition and triumph that drives our love of the hunt.

The Road To Success

A cool breeze floats by carrying the slight scent of sun tan lotion. The sound of the gentle rapping of the rippling water against the fiberglass hull of my grandpa’s boat resonates. The intense heat of the sun is starting to build as it creeps higher in the vast blue cloudless sky. Suddenly I’m snapped back to reality by the sound of monofilament fishing line starting to peel off the reel of my favorite fishing rod. As an angler this is truly paradise on earth.

I have experienced this situation many times over the last twenty years and it truly never gets old. However, even though I started fishing at the age of three with my grandpa and dad I never really embraced the whole art of becoming a prolific angler. In the past twenty years I was only introduced to one method of fishing which was bottom fishing in Tampa Bay. Even though I have caught my fair share of snapper, sheepshead, and the occasional grouper I know that there is much more to experience than this. Fishing not only involves the technique that I have partaken in but much more, for example, flats, deep sea, freshwater and even fishing that doesn’t require a rod and reel. I would like to take this opportunity to bring you along as I become familiar with various methods that pertain to fishing.

In addition I have just taken up hunting within the past couple of years which will allow me to encompass the two major elements that build the foundation of an outdoorsman. As a contrast to my fishing background my hunting background is limited to only a few outings as a child. Nevertheless I am growing a passion for the sport that rivals the passion I feel as an angler. Hunting also has a vast amount of differing techniques and strategies such as archery, modern gun, and muzzle loading which I will be familiarizing myself with.  However, without any substantial knowledge of the sport as I was growing up I feel there will be a greater learning curve in this discipline for me. Despite that, I feel that with this blog I will be able to master both sports along with sharing my experiences so others can utilize and hone their craft as well.