FINDING FANTASTIC
FLATS FISHING
Saltwater flats — shallow
bottom rising from surrounding depths — hold abundant angling
opportunity if you know what to look for. I generally take a broad,
sweeping view and try to spot differences in bottom that  help
me know what’s below the surface. I also look for differences
in the water that might reveal fish movement or tide rips.
Predators such as snook, redfish and trout love edges because they
provide ambush points from which to hide and nab passing baits.
Think about it: If you were going to grab someone, would you stand
out in the open where they could see you? No, you’d hide and
grab them as they walked by you.
Oyster bars and sea grass beds provide fish with great ambush opportunities,
plus they’re breeding grounds for several baitfish and crustacean
species. In the grass, look for sand spots or holes that are deeper
than the surrounding bottom. The boundary where sand meets grass
creates an ideal ambush edge, so look for strikes right at this
point. (As the tide falls, fish pile into these sandy “potholes”
for low-water refuge.) Oyster bars offer similar scenarios, as fish
wait behind the structures and grab baitfish and crustaceans that
wash over and around the edges with the tide.
Sometimes, a spot just looks fishy. Maybe it’s a prominent
oyster bar or a broad area of sand holes with tide rips. I’d
anchor uptide and cast back to the tide rips or the structure. When
fishing the flats, if you see bait fish flashing in the water, raining
on the surface or being hit by diving birds, fish the area. Fish
will congregate near available food sources.
Because predators usually feed into the tide, baits get the best
reception when they come
downcurrent to the fish. I like to position upwind of a spot and
drift fish by casting downwind and to the edges. If you can’t
see the bottom, fan cast around on the downwind side of the boat.
If you get a bite, quietly drop the anchor and work the area. Another
technique is drop markers when you get bites. When the bites stop,
go back and drift your markers again.
Some things to remember:
• The higher the tide, the further onto the flats fish will
move. As the water drops, they will move to the deeper edges of
the flat.
• Minimizing noise means maximizing your opportunities.
• Don’t waste time in unproductive areas. If the bite
stops, or never starts at all, go find another spot.
The flats hold lots of potential and understanding what fish want
will give you the “edge.”
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DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT ‘EM
Three Favorite Inshore Lures
By CAPT. BILL MILLER
One of the biggest questions facing inshore anglers is “What
lures should I use?” Well, various scenarios will require
various lures, but for ultimate flats fishing diversity, the
following lure types will enable you to take advantage of just
about any situation you encounter.
• Topwaters: Known for eliciting aggressive,
high-visibility strikes, these lures work best in low-light
scenarios such as mornings, late afternoons or cloudy conditions.
Resist the urge to jerk the lure on a strike, as doing so usually
pulls the topwater away from the fish and sends it zipping back
in your direction. Not only does this create a hazard for you
and your partner, but also it leaves no chance for hooking a
fish that is searching for the bait it just tried to eat.
The best reaction to a topwater strike is to reel until you
feel the fish and then simply raise the rod to set the hook.
Fish often miss topwaters on their first strike, so be patient
and they’ll usually return for the coup de gras. On a
miss, wait until the ripples subside, twitch the bait and get
ready for an explosion.
Worked with a “walking the dog” action, topwaters
are effective fish locators. After a couple of misses toss a
jig or some other subsurface bait into the strike zone and you’ll
usually connect.
• Spoons: With long casting distances
and simple retrieves, spoons enable you to cover a lot of area
and locate fish. A great lure for windy conditions, you just
throw it out and reel it back. Let the spoon sink for a few
seconds in deeper water and vary the retrieve speed to determine
what the fish prefer.
When fishing spoons over grass and around mangroves, single
hook, weedless models are necessary, as clinging vegetation
ruins the presentation. Also, a spoon’s inherent spinning
is what produces the attracting flash, but this action also
twists your line. Eliminate line twist by attaching a split
ring and barrel swivel to the spoon. Tie your leader to the
swivel, so the spoon spins independently.
Although I prefer a naked spoon, some models have a feather
on the hook. You can also attach a grub tail or jerk bait to
the hook for additional color, action and increased buoyancy
(slower fall).
• Rubber Tail Jig: One of the most diverse
lures, a jig allows you to cover the entire water column. Standard
retrieve should be a little hop just off bottom, but over grass,
or other snags, bounce your jig across the top. If your jig
keeps hanging in the obstruction, reduce its sinking distance
with a "cast and count" system. When the lure hits
water, count to five and start retrieving. If you snag the bottom,
give the next cast a 4-count before retrieving. Keep reducing
the count until you eliminate the snags.
Another option is suspending the jig below a popping cork to
keep it just above the grass. Work the jig back by popping the
cork the whole way. The noise sounds like a feeding fish. When
others come to investigate, they see the jig and
attack it.
Over sand, let it hit bottom and make little "puffs."
This looks like a crab or some other critter digging into the
sand and predators usually come to investigate. When fish are
feeding aggressively, most any jig will draw strikes, but when
the fish need a little coaxing, scented jig tails can help attract
attention. Also, color often makes a big difference, so experiment
and find what works. |
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