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.