|
|
 "Tip
of the Week"
| For the week of
January 17, 2007 |
Not long ago we talked about
fishing slow during the colder months. It
has gotten as cold as it ever gets- water
temp-wise- around here so I thought that
that tip would be worth repeating. Fish like
this 4 1/2 #'r still eat when they're cold,
but they aren't going to chase a fast moving
prey for two reasons. 1.) they themselves
have slowed down and 2.) the prey has
slowed.
With those thoughts in mind, try to
concentrate on not over-working your bait.
Be sure that you stay in touch with the
bottom if you are jigging and slow down
those mullet imitations if you are using
surface or sub-surface mullet imitations,
being sure to work a good, long pause into
your presentation.
|
| For the week of
January 10, 2007 |
 Sierra
Waine’s redfish measured 40” and weighed
30#’s. She caught it on a light spinning
reel with 14# test line- a thrill that
she’ll remember for a lifetime. This week’s
tip is inspired by her catch and release of
this magnificent fish that fought her for 45
minutes. These fish are very old, but do
well when handled properly and released.
They are the spawning fish as well so by
catching, properly handling and releasing
them, more of us can enjoy the thrill that
Sierra did.
|
| For the week of
December 27, 2007 |
What’s your new year’s resolution- to catch
more fish, catch bigger fish? Come on, you
can do better than that! How about doing the
things that are necessary to accomplish the
aforementioned goals? Here are few that you
may want to consider- they work for me and
they are still my resolutions every year,
you can always do better!
-
Fish harder- everyone can fish hard when
they are not biting- try one more spot,
cast or technique on one of those tough
days when you normally would give up.
-
Prepare better- take a few minutes the
night before a trip to analyze the
tides, weather etc. Come up with a game
plan, be rigged for it and execute it
rather than hooking up the boat and then
deciding what you are going to do.
-
Try something new- get out of your
comfort zone every once in a while. Pick
a good conditions day and try a new
area- if you do, be sure that the area
fits the pattern (i.e. don’t try the gas
rigs during mid winter, or a shallow bay
on a neap tide during mid-summer).
-
Take a young person fishing- this won’t
help you catch any more fish on that
trip, but the fishing Gods will reward
you on your next trip!
Happy New Year- Capt. Bobby Abruscato
|
| For the week of
December 20, 2007 |
Over the past week, I've started
to notice that the trout are moving more into a
true winter pattern. This usually occurs when
the water temps dip and stay below 62 degrees.
The most effective technique for
catching quality and quantity trout is buy
jigging a lead headed soft plastic. Although
size, shape and jig head weight are important
factors in success with these types of lures,
the most important is color selection. All
things being equal, I like to use a color that
matches the hue of the prey that I am trying to
imitate with the lure. Root beer, motor oil or
smoke work well in normal water clarities as
they are very close to the color of shrimp- a
favorite food of the trout and redfish. When the
water is turbid, I switch to chartreuse or even
white. Lastly, it never hurts to add some scent
to your soft plastic. The new super scented
baits, like GULP! and Powerbaits, have scent
that releases very well and will help catch fish
with soft plastics.
|
| For the week of
November 29, 2007 |
This weekend looks to be a very good one to
leave the trout alone- at least for a little
while- and try some of Alabama’s
famed bull red
fishing. The falling tides at daylight coupe
with winds from he north will make it a good
weekend on Dixey
bar. A couple of tips are 1.)
If you are using live finfish, be sure to use
enough weight on a Carolina rig to keep the bait
onor very near the bottom. Also get the bait
way away from the boat. When you ting that
you’ve let out enough line, let out twenty feet
more. That way you won’t be dragging your bait
right through where the boat has just gone. 2.)
when using artificial bait, once again be sure
that the jig is getting to the bottom. I prefer
½ oz jig heads and a streamlined lure like a
GULP! swimming minnow. Lastly, these fish
relatively easy to catch so no one is real
impressed with a box of dead ones. Besides, the
food quality is poor on them be sure to practice
catch, proper handling and release on the
monsters.
|
| For the week of
November 8, 2007 |
GO TO THE CAUSEWAY!
(Just kidding) That was some sho-nuff cool
air that we had during the previous week. One
important thing to remember about fish and more
importantly, water temperatures is that they do
not cool nearly as quickly as the air. So it may
feel like winter to us, but the water temp will
probably only drop a few degrees- and then will
warm right back up. All of that means that if
you
have been catching fish a certain way and in a
certain place over the previous few weeks,
you’ll be able to catch them like that again
this weekend. Fish respond to their environment,
not ours. The trips that I have had this week
were all shallow
water trips and we used all artificial bait.
Most of our success was with top waters and
shrimp imitations suspended under a cork. That
should hold true during the upcoming weekend.
Some real good action was on redfish as a “by
the way”.
We focused on marsh drains and imitated forage
being drained, by casting GULP! shrimp rigged on
a flutter hook in the mouth of the drains and
letting them drift out. You’d be surprised how
many redfish will be near the mouth of an
innocent looking marsh drain!
|
| For the week of
October 25, 2007 |
By
the weekend we will be post full moon and to top
that off, we’ll have rather sporty north winds. If
you haven’t noticed the temperature changes lately,
then you just haven’t been outside. The nights of
low 50 degree weather will serve to drop the water
temps dramatically. With all of that said, the best
success for catching inshore fish this weekend will
be to focus on the deep channels- especially where
you have been catching fish on shallow flats nearby.
Even though the fish won’t need to move to deep
water to survive, the sudden water temperature
changes, coupled with the above mentioned moon phase
will elicit kind a false winter move for them. Try
drifting a lead headed jig or a live shrimp on a
slip cork or Carolina rig. The fish will be bunched
up so when if you find them, you can expect some
serious action.
|
| For the week of
October 18, 2007 |
Over
the years I have been asked about the types of fishing
knots that I use. Although there are probably hundreds
of knots, I use five to cover almost everything that I
do. Here they are as well as how they are applied and
variations of each:
-
Line/leader to terminal tackle-
The knot that I use the most is the
Palomar knot. It is easy to tie and very
strong. It also works with both braid and mono. The
only negative is sometimes the eye of the hook/lure
is too small to allow the doubled line to pass
through. In this case, I run the tag end through and
then back through from the opposite direction to
create the initial loop.
-
Line/leader to terminal tackle-
Probably used more often by the fisherman that I
have been with that any other is the
Trilene knot. Here again it is easy to tie
and very strong. The downside is that it will slip
when used with braid. I like to use this
knot when tying terminal tackle to a short leader as
it doesn’t use as much line as the Palomar. If the
leader is very short, I use only four wraps and tie
a small square knot in the tag to prevent it from
pulling through.
-
Line to lure-
When using lures with no split ring on the eye, such
as top water and jerk baits a
Non-slip Loop knot is a must. The loop will
allow for more lure action resulting in more
strikes. Try to end up with 1/8 to ¼ inch of loop.
Any more and the knot will become visible; moreover,
you’ll change water flow over the lure and disrupt
the action.
-
Line to leader-
When tying line to leader I like the
Double Surgeon’s knot. It is easy and holds
very well. Although the illustration shows two
wraps, I use three. I guess that my knot is a
Triple surgeon’s knot. This knot can only be
tied when joining a pre-cut piece of leader as the
end of leader has to pass through the loop- in the
case of my knot, three times.
-
Line to line/leader-
Although a little awkward to tie, the
Albright knot is great for tying line to
line, line to backing and line to leader. It is used
either when there is spool or lure on one end or as
in the case of the Surgeon’s knot, only a section of
leader.
Knot
tying illustrations are provided by
Netknots.com. For more information on tying knots of
any kind or to purchase waterproof plastic knot cards,
click here.
|
| For the week of
October 11, 2007 |
We’ll feel another change in the air over the next
few days- the question is “Will the fish feel it?”
Water temps are still lingering around the 80
degree mark, but the next few nights of 50ish degree
weather should drop it in to the mid 70 degree
range. With that will come the true fall pattern. As
long as the warm temperatures seem to have hung
around this year, we are actually pretty close to
being right on track for a classic year. Especially
next week, start looking for the fish to be active
shallow longer and be more aggressive to artificial
baits. The best action will be top water baits early
and on low light, with a move to sub-surface lures
if the sun gets up. Live shrimp imitations (i.e.
GULP! shrimp) fished on a flutter hook or under a
cork will get them too. Lastly, don’t waste time or
money chasing down finish for bait. If you like to
use live bait, live shrimp will get you all of the
quantity and quality that you’ll need during the
fall.
|
| For the week of
October 4, 2007 |
If you
made it through last weekend, you’re doing fine. Those
post full moon weak tides were brutal, but we’ll get
into some fine tides this weekend. A good full tide at
daylight will go into a nice change by mid-morning.
That’s two good shots at the fish. Our trips last week
could have been called both summer and fall pattern
trips. We caught nice fish deep on one day and went back
the next day and found them shallow. This is typical of
a transition and we’ll be in that for a few more days.
I’d try shallow early this weekend with top waters and
sub-surface baits and maybe move to some deep water with
meat a little later. The bull red bite should also be
awesome late in the day. A Carolina rigged finfish or
jigged GULP! will be the best, and be sure to practice
CPR on them –Catch, Photograph and Release.
|
| For the week of
September 27, 2007 |
There
are fishing periods that are good and there are periods
that are tough- but after all isn’t that what makes it
the enjoyable challenge that fishing is? This is going
to be one of those challenging weekends. First of all,
we are in a transitional period and we’ll go post-full
moon on Thursday then we’ll have a front move through.
Couple that with some sporty east wind by Saturday
afternoon and – well, you get the picture. The good news
is that we have some decent tides especially late in the
weekend. The best fishing will be at both daylight and
at the tide change which will be around mid-morning for
the weekend. That means we’ll get two shots at the fish.
This week’s tip involves being mobile. The fish have
really started moving so we have to move to stay up with
them. Don’t spend a lot of time fishing one spot if it
is not productive. Give it a good 15 minute try- maybe
trying one or two different tactics and then move on.
Live shrimp is still going to be the best bait, but
artificial baits this time of the year allow for more
mobility. You can always switch once you’ve found some
active fish and one or two bits will be the indication
of that.
|
| For the week of
September 20, 2007 |
Wind, wind
and more wind. That has been the story of this week and it
doesn’t appear that it is going to let up for the weekend.
Long range weather shows a low pressure system moving
through the Gulf by Saturday. Of course, with low pressure
comes wind and clouds. The good news is that those three can
sometimes combine to trigger some awesome fishing. Granted,
you’ll need to be safe, but if you get a chance to get out,
I am betting that the fish will bite. The cooler weather
that we have had over the last week or so coupled with the
aforementioned conditions, will keep the shallows cooler
longer into the day. That means that the inshore fish should
stay active as the water will remain oxygenated. Shallow
also means protection from the wind. Try to find some lee
bank with bait, shell and/or grass and you may find that all
that so called bad
weather is just in the mind of the non-fisherman.
There may be a pot of gold in the form of a great fishing
trip under that rainbow that a little rain creates.
|
| For the week of
September 12, 2007 |
This week's tip involves a technique that has
been dynamite for me over the past month. A new version of
GULP! is now available in the tackle stores, the
GULP! ALIVE!. The lure itself is pretty much the
same, but it now comes in a tub that contains GULP! juice.
This allows the bait to be reused. The reusability feature
has not been an issue for me of late though. I have been
rigging the 3" shrimp on a flutter hook and this allows for
a very natural fall. It looks strikingly similar to how a
shrimp swims and the trout have been eating it up. This past
week, I was helping a friend find some redfish and was
throwing one under a popping cork. We finally had to leave
because the trout were eating it up - on three different
occasions!
GULP!
ALIVE! 3"shrimp on a flutter hook
|
| For the week of
September 6, 2007 |
The page
of the calendar has been changed this week, but believe it
or not, the fish don’t have calendars. As much as the month
of September signals the first of fall for us, the trout
will be in the same summertime pattern for at least 4 more
weeks. That is until the water temperature begins to dip
below 75 degrees. So until then, stay on the deep structure
because that’s where the fish will be. Again, live shrimp
will work best to locate them but they’ll still eat croakers
until the water begins to cool.
|
| For the week of
August 30, 2007 |
 We'll
go into that ugly post-full moon period for a few days. The good
news is that the fish should start to come
out of their trance by mid-weekend. In the
meantime, the best bet to catch trout is to go early. It starts
to sound repetitive, but always remember
that speckled trout, especially spawning sized fish are most
active at daylight. That is no matter what time of the year,
tide, moon, etc. That is why it is especially important to be
out there after them just as the sun rises during tougher
periods like we have coming up. During the weaker tides, in
early the part of the weekend, try surface plugs for a few big
fish. Later in the day, you'll probably need to go to some sort
of meat (i.e. croakers or shrimp). |
| For the week of
August 16, 2007 |
|
We set a record for high temperatures this week
with a 105 degrees reading at the Mobile Airport. Of course the
water temperatures are at their highest too and don't think that
the fish aren't reacting to it. We have talked about fishing
early and deep for trout and this will be the pattern for at
least another 6 weeks. The other thing that you can do is to
slightly change your tactics. Fish like flounder and redfish
don't react to water temperature the way that trout do. They
actually are triggered to begin a move toward their spawning
grounds. They usually eat their way there too. Don't be afraid
to drag a bull minnow or GULP! near some structure while you are
trout fishing time of the year. The flatties will eat you up if
their around. You may even get lucky and catch some nice redfish
as they make their way to the gulf as well. |
A nice hot weather trout. |
Capt. Chip put his crew on some flatties while
trout fishing in the heat. |
| For the week of
August 9, 2007 |
After a
string of several very goods trips over the past week and
weekend, I had a slower than usual trip on Tuesday. It
wasn’t the crew’s or the fish’s fault- I am ashamed to say
that it was mine. The first thing that you have to do to
catch fish is to be around them, but you still have to be
able to present the bait to them so they can- and will eat
it. That trip is the inspiration for this week’s tip. I had
been catching some fine trout on some structure in the bay.
Over the previous several days, we had been getting a
persistent westerly wind. That, coupled with the strong
tides and the shrimpers in the lower part of the bay had
muddied the water. Rather than try to finds some clear
water, I tried fishing where I had been catching fish
despite the poor water clarity. The result was less than
spectacular- that was until I made a drastic move of about
15 miles to some clear war and guess what- we started
catching fish. I burned up 75% of the trip catching 10 or so
trout, and when I moved to the deep, green and clear water,
we caught twice that many in an hour and a half. The tip of
the week is that if you’re catching fish on deep structure
you need some clear water. Trout being primarily sight
feeders need good light penetration through the water column
to feed. If you can’t find clear water, try fishing shallow
with popping corks or noisy top waters to appeal to some of
their other senses. Just don’t be hard-headed like I was!
|
| For the week of
August 2, 2007 |
|
Post full moon, very weak tides, the hottest water temps of the
year, and maybe even the potential for some wind- that just
sounds like a recipe to leave it on the trailer. Most of us
won't though. You can still catch plenty of fish this time of
the year and tide cycle. The key is to be out early. The most
active period for speckled trout- no matter what time of year,
tide, etc,. is at first light. This weekend will emphasize that.
The tip this week is to be at your "A" spot, with the best bait
and fishing as the sun rises. You may be done early, but if
you play it right, you should be done early with some nice fish. |
Nice fish early |
This is when you need to be fishing- especially this weekend. |
The A-Team Angels! |
| For the week of
July 26, 2007 |
|
My trip on
Monday was an artificial only trip. I cringed when the fellow
told me that he didn’t want to use bait, but we went anyway. We
had a very good trip with about 25 trout all on top water baits
by 7:30 A.M. I found some smoking mullet and with the aid of
some cloud cover we went to work on the trout. This week’s tip
was inspired by that trip. Summer usually means bait fishing,
but with the right conditions- like we had, there are still
plenty of opportunities to catch trout on lures. As we did, find
fish on the surface and top water baits will work very well. The
water in the Bay and Sound are exceptionally clear, so even if
you have to fish deep, you can still be effective. Try the new
GULP! Alive or some sort of scented plastic on a jig head.
Concentrate on structure in 6 feet of water or deeper and again
you can be very effective with artificial bait- even during the
summer! |
| For the week of
July 12, 2007 |
The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo kicks off this
weekend with the Roy Martin Young Anglers
Tournament. In that theme the tip of the week is helping young
people catch fish. More importantly, helping them enjoy fishing
so that they will want to learn about it. First and most
important, remember that young people don't have the experience
that we do so apply the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Simple
Stupid). Make sure that the cast they have make is easy and the
bait that they are using will work. On the subject of bait,
remember that everything in the bay and Gulf and a bunch of
things on land eat shrimp. You'll never go wrong using live or
FRESH dead shrimp- both for action and quality. Lastly, young
people generally have a shorter attention span that most of us.
Action keeps them interested, so don't sweat a bunch of small
specks or white trout in lieu of that 6#'r. If the youngsters
are smiling - and a buried cork and bent rod will bring a smile
- let them enjoy it. After all it is their tournament! |
| For the week of
June 29, 2007 |
|
From time to time we all have to take people
fishing that are not as experienced as we are at fishing. You
don't have to be a professional guide to be able to show someone
a good time on the water though. First, remember the K.I.S.S.
principle- "Keep It Simple Stupid". Be basic and get set up on
some target that is very easy to cast to. Also, if you have
tide, be sure to be in a position to be able to let the bait
drift to the strike zone as opposed to having them cast to it.
Next, Remember that all saltwater fish eat
shrimp- you can't go wrong with them. A novice trying to catch a
fish on a topwater bait or big croaker just isn't going to work-
for you or them. Lastly, keep in mind that a poor trip for you
may the trip of a lifetime for a beginner. Let them enjoy the
experience and form their own ideas about what was was good and
not so good about the trip. You'll probably have a fishing
partner for life that way! |
| For the week of
June 14, 2007 |
Big tides and light winds is the recipe for this
weeks fishing. Strong tides move a lot of water in a
finite period of time. That is a very good thing
when the water temp is up to where it is now- the
mid 80 degree range. The reason that it is good is
that the flow of the water tends to keep it
oxygenated. That helps to keep fish active. The only
down side to big tides is that it makes it difficult
to present bait in a natural fashion. All that means
that the fish bite, but they are harder to catch- if
that makes sense. I like to try to focus on my prime
areas around the tide changes when we are in a big
tide swing. During that period of the cycle, the
water is moving the least and I can present the bait
naturally, so that is the tip of the week. One last
thing, some pompano have sown up in the Bay this
week. Capt. Joey and I both caught some while
fishing for trout on our charters this week. These
are really cool fish that fight hard and eat great.
A reminder, though, that the “pomps” are now
regulated. The have a minimum size of 12” total
length and a creel of 3 per person.
|
Here is a nice "pomp" I caught this
week on a grub |
| For the week of
June 7, 2007 |
|
We’ll go into
a neap tide cycle this weekend. Neaps tides aren’t a bad thing
especially around here. We have two passes at the mouth of the
bay -Pass Aux Herons and Mobile Point. These are the only exits
and entrances for all of the water in Mobile Bay. What that
means is that the current is exaggerated. These areas are
perfect for fishing weak tidal currents. See, fish still feed on
neap tides; they are just relying on water movement to bring
food to them. During spring tides, the water actually moves too
hard in these areas to properly present the bait. Smaller
versions of these features are cuts between islands and marsh
drains. Here again water movement is amplified and your bait
will move to the fish in a natural fashion. Another effective
technique to overcome weak currents is to use artificial bait.
This is another method of moving the bait to the fish. |
| For the week of
May 31, 2007 |
As
the water warms into the mid 70 and 80 degree range,
speckled trout begin to acquire a taste for
croakers. As a matter of fact, on my last rip we
caught some beautiful trout on croakers. This was
the first trip this year that I caught any number of
trout on croakers, so I think that it may be on for
the bullfrog of the briny. One question I get asked
a lot is “How do you hook a croaker?” I hook them
through the top lip only on a tight line using a #4
Kahle or suicide hook. If I fish them under a cork
or free line them, I hook them just in front of the
dorsal.
|
Tight line
using a #4 Kahle or suicide hook |
Under a cork
or free lined |
| For the week of
May 24, 2007 |
This weekend kicks off a series of fun local
fishing tournaments with the Salt Water
Sportsmen’s Annual Memorial Day Fishing
tournament. I really enjoy competitive fishing
mostly because of the intensity of it; every
fish could mean something. It also is a good
barometer of how you stack up against other
fishermen. This week’s tip involves tournament
fishing. The most important thing to keep in
mind during a tournament is just what I
mentioned- every fish could mean something. If
you catch a fish that is above average sized and
there is a category, keep it. Also, keep in mind
that the conditions will affect the sizes of
fish caught in a tournament. I have won way more
tournaments with small limits that I have with
big ones. If the weather is bad, above average
fish may just win. Secondly, and no less
important- have a game plan before you hit the
water. Check the latest weather forecast and
plan accordingly. One other important aspect of
planning is rigging. Be sure that all of your
line is fresh and retie all terminal tackle. One
broken line can means the difference between
winning and an expensive boat ride.
|
| For the week of
May 17, 2007 |
Big tides and a little
wind are the forecast for this weekend. We get a lot
of calls for "good tides" with the common thinking
that a big tide swing is good. That is not always
the case.For
example, if you are fishing an area where a lot of
water has to move through a small pass, too much
tide will make it unfishable. The fish probably
won't be there anyway as they are not going to
expend tremendous amounts of energy fighting a hard
tide. I like to find areas there the current is not
exaggerated on tide swings like these. Big open bays
usually work very well on big tide days. Also, the
fish seem to stay more active in shallow water
during a big tide swing. I like that because to me
shallow water fish are more aggressive and can be
caught more effectively with artificial baits. The
tip of the week is to maybe find a nice shoreline
with some bait on it and try a wade trip. The fish
are spawning and this cold front, combined with the
big tide will probably allow you to catch them well
into the day in shallow water.
|
| For the week of
May 9, 2007 |
Some trout have started
showing up on some of the deep water structure in
the Bay and Sound. This is typical for this time of
the year and the fish will stay there until the
water cools in the fall. A couple of general things
to keep in mind when fishing deep as opposed to
shallow. First, there is not as much light
penetration in 12 feet of water as there is in 2
feet.That
means that you are always going to be more
successful finding clear water when fishing deep
than you will be trying to fish muddy water. You can
get away with it during the spring because the fish
are shallow and they can see the bait even in muddy
water. You will need to be deep- be sure that you
are fishing the lower third of the water column and
vary your depth a couple of times before giving up
on a spot.
|
| For the week of
May 3, 2007 |
Following the best action of the year, we go
post-full moon this weekend. Another
interesting thing is how clear the water is at the
lower end of the bay. Both of these factors
will work to make the fish finicky this weekend.
The tip of the week is go early and light. The fish
will feed at first light and around the tide change
so that is why you'll need to be there early.
Also, due to the extremely clear water, I have been
using light (10#) fluorocarbon leader that is tinted
to match the water color. When I have had clouds I
use a smoke tint and on clear day I have used a
coral mist color. Also, be sure to use as
small a hook as you can. I like #10 black pearl
trebles and #4 or #6 (depending on the shrimp size)
bronze kahle single hooks.
|
Capt. Chip Deupree and I slipped out for a successful scout trip
between charters. Capt. Chip with a good fish. |
Why do I always end up in a picture with a small one? |
| For the week of April 26, 2007 |
Do whatever you have to in order to go
fishing in the next few days. We are going
into that magical pre-full moon period, but
this one is extra special. This is the May
full moon. Any research on speckled trout
show that they are most active before and
around the full moon and that their spawning
ritual requires water temps in the 68-72
degree range with a minimum of 15 PPT
salinity. Check your readings- that is right
where we are right now! Top waters are
always good- they’ll be great right now. If
you like shallow water fishing, that’s where
you’ll catch them. Shrimp imitations will be
fine as will sub-surface plugs- Heck! They
will be eating. So, schedule a sick day,
take a vacation, or just quit your job, but
be sure to be fishing before next Wednesday!
|
| For the week of April 19, 2007 |
Continuing on the theme of last week’s tip about
being quiet in shallow water, I was reminded on
my trip Tuesday of how much noise we make even
when we are trying to be quiet. Just the sound
of hull slap, you moving around in a boat,
unhooking fish, as well as all of the other
stuff that has to be done makes too much noise.
This was evidenced by a novice fisherman that I
had. She couldn’t cast very far and I noticed
that everyone was catching far more fish than
she was- even though she was using the exact
same bait and rigs as they were. I started
working with her to improve her casting distance
and she started catching more fish. By the end
of the day, she was keeping up with the others.
So the tip of the week is to be sure that you
are getting your bait as far away from the boat
as you can. I like to use spinning tackle for
even seasoned anglers. Spooled with Spiderwire
Ultracast, I set them up so they can cast
downwind and this two allow them to really get
the baits out there. take advantage of current
when you can by setting the boat up well away
from where the fish are and drift the baits to
the fish.
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| For the week of April 12, 2007 |
Cloudy skies, big incoming tides and spring
water temperatures. All are ingredients for a
killer day of top water bait fishing. Remember a
couple of things and you’ll be more successful
with your top water lure fishing. First, always
work a pause into your presentation. You’ll
notice many bites occur right after the pause.
Second, learn how to tie a loop knot- there are
several types- as by freeing up the lure, you’ll
get more strikes. Third, be sure to sharpen your
hooks- even on new baits. You’ll not get any
more strikes, but you’ll catch more of the fish
that do bite. Here are a few of my favorite top
water lures:
From left to right-
He Dog from Mirro Lure, Rapala Skitter Walk,
Heddon Zara Spook, Mirro Lure 7 series twitch
bait, Gag's Grabber popper.
Also, I have written a how-to top water article
that will be published in The Weekly
Fisherman this week. It is available for free at
Southern Bama.
|
| For the week of April 5, 2007 |
We spend a lot of time talking about what to use
for bait and where to find fish, but very rarely
is it mentioned some other things that have to
happen to catch spring trout. On my trip Monday,
we were catching trout in about 3 feet of water
over an oyster reef when a fellow in a large bay
boat roared up behind us, shut down and tossed
his anchor over. He watched us from about 50
yards continue to catch fish, while his crew
eventually went to sleep from boredom. Just
before they dozed off, I heard one of them ask
him “Why aren’t we catching them like that?” He
was probably using the right bait, and he was
definitely in the right area, but he ruined his
chances by making so much noise in the shallow
water. That fellow’s case was an extreme one,
but we all make too much noise. Next time you
are fishing in shallow water, concentrate on
having your rods rigged so you don’t have to
move tackle boxes around, ease live well lids
shut rather than slam them and if you use the
anchor remember that the anchor toss is a winter
Olympic sport and has no place in fishing. Tip
of the Week
be quiet!
|
| For the week of March 29, 2007 |
Learn to recognize a sheepshead bite from a trout
bite and you'll save yourself a lot of time- and
bait. A trout will either maul a shrimp or
completely take it. The old timers used to say that
is you came back after a bite with a whole shrimp or
no shrimp it was a trout. If you have a head or half
shrimp, it was a sheepshead. Here are pictures
of each type and results of catching one:
|
|
This is a classic bite from a sheepshead.
 |
This sheepshead got a little careless.
 |
This is what a bite from a trout that you miss will look like.
 |
This is result of a trout bite that you don't miss
 |
| For the week of March 15, 2007 |
We’ll be post-front by Friday afternoon and we’ll
also start to go into the new moon neap tide- sound
bad? Not really. The north winds will blow the water
out and the new moon neap means low water- guess
what, the Bay may be dry by Sunday morning. The good
news in all of that is that low water concentrates
the fish. Look for trout that have been on the warm,
shallow flats over the last week to be in the
nearest deep water. The water will not cool enough
to slow the bite, so if you find fish, you should
really be able to run up some numbers. Because we
will be in a weak tide cycle, you’ll be able to
effectively fish river channels and guts where the
water would be running too hard on a normal to
strong cycle. Live shrimp are always a good bet this
time of the year, but sometimes artificial bait will
out produce them in this situation because you are
able to be more mobile.
|
| For the week of March 8, 2007 |
Mother Nature teased us a little last week by
letting water temperatures scare that magic 62
degree mark. Then she sent us a little cool weather
to confirm that it was just a tease. We are getting
close though- according to my journal we are about
right on schedule and a few trips that I had last
week substantiated that. I caught some nice trout in
shallow water, even though they were still relating
to some nearby deep water. While we are waiting, it
looks like a good weekend to get out on the outside.
A drift on Dixey Bar should produce bull redfish.
Try casting a GULP! on a 3/8 or ½ oz. jig head. If
you can get your hands on some FRESH never frozen
shrimp- or even better live shrimp, drop one of them
down near any structure in 25 to 50 feet of water.
You’d better hold on though. The sheeps should be in
spawn and when they are like that, the bite is not
the usual tap-tap-tap. If feels more like a freight
train rolled by and grabbed your bait.
Lastly, look for a new publication in the stores
this week. It is called the Weekly Fisherman
and contains timely fishing reports and tips for our
area. It is very popular in south Florida and I am
looking forward to reading it.
|
| For the week of March 1, 2007 |
Well,
it looks as though we are going to get another dose of
that dreaded weekend windy weather. While we are the
subject of scouting though, I thought that we’d look at
using saltwater crank baits not only to scout, but to
catch some quality fish. The cool thing about these
baits is that they are in their infancy in inshore
saltwater applications. That means that most of the fish
haven’t seen one of them- you can also tell that by the
way that they hit them. These baits come in a variety of
sizes and depth ranges. During the spring, I like the
ones which only go about 2 feet deep. You can burn them
to cover ground, and still catch a bunch of fish. A
couple of tips for using them are:
-
The lighter the line, the further you can cast them
(remember we are covering ground during the spring)
and the better the action that you can get. The
lower diameter of the light line allows for more
action, which triggers more bites.
-
They are “idiot” baits (that is why I like them so
much) - all you have to do is cast them out and reel
them back in. The lure takes care of all of the
action that you have to worry about.
-
DO
NOT throw them in deep water during the summer- the
baits only go about 2 feet deep- the flash and
vibration
will drive the bluefish and Spanish mackerel crazy-
goodbye $5.00 lure!
Here
are a few of my favorites- it is not hard to see which
ones I use the most.
|
| For the week of February 22, 2007 |
The key to
the next few weeks will be the water temperature and how
much rain we get. Long range forecasts indicate that there
is no extreme cold in the near future. With that in mind,
and the immediate forecast of 70+ degree highs, we may start
to see some transition to a spring pattern soon. After
several months of fishing in the river systems, this means
we will need to do some scouting for moving fish. Scouting
is probably the toughest thing for most of us to do, because
quite often, it means a lot of fishing and not much catching
while you look. The rewards however are worth it. Being the
first kid on the block with “new” fish means very little or
no competition from other anglers- and that means some
awesome fishing! A few things to keep in mind when scouting
anytime of the year are:
-
Do
what works. Looking for fish is not a great time to try
out that new lure or new technique that is all the rage.
Start with the basics until you pattern the fish—then
you can get fancy.
-
Shrimp
always work. If you can find them, live shrimp will
entice any active saltwater species of fish to eat. Here
again, pattern them with shrimp and then get fancy
-
Take
advantage of good conditions when you are scouting. The
morning after a wicked cold front or a big, bright full
moon is not the best time to look for fish. Go ahead and
invest a little time on those “good” condition days to
find out what is really there.
-
Shrimp
always work. Oops, I already said that.
|
| For the week of February 15, 2007 |
Well here we
go again. It’s not bad enough that the water temperatures are at
their coldest, but it looks like another front is going to blast
through. Sometimes, you just have to back up, take at look at
what needs to be done for the upcoming spring fishing- and it
can’t get here soon enough- and try to get some of that taken
care of. My tackle is usually in shambles by this tine of the
year, so I like to go through it and make what I can, usable
again. A couple of easy things to do are to clean and change the
hooks on your hard baits. These baits are expensive, but last
along time. I like to remove the old rusty hooks, clean them
with some acetone, and put new, sharp hooks on them. Be sure to
use the same size hooks that the manufacturer used, so you don’t
change the action of the lure. The D.O.A. shrimp is a favorite
of mine in the spring and fall. Many times the lure will get
beaten up to the point that the original hook won’t stay in it
when you cast. If the lure still has its shape and eyes you can
replace the existing hook with a flutter hook. I use a 1/16
oz.-2/0 hook with the ¼ oz. shrimp, and remove the original
weight. The weight on the flutter hook will keep the sink rate
correct and keep the lure from sliding down. Usually some of the
color fades too. Some lure dye will bring it back close to the
original color.
|
Before and after shot of a hard bait. |
Before and after shot of a D.O.A. |
| For the week of February 8, 2007 |
|
We will move
out from under the post-full moon hex on the fish this week-
post-full moon also means big incoming tides. If you haven’t
been outside this week, you may not have noticed that we have
actually had some nice- even warm weather, too. It is showing up
in the water temperatures. Over the last few weeks, we have been
dealing with temps in the low 50’s, but as the sun beats on the
water, it actually is coming up into the mid-50 degree range-
not exactly balmy, but the fish will react to it. That should
only continue as the daylight hours increase. So what does all
of that mean? Couple it with some decent weather and you have a
pretty good chance of catching some inshore fish. The big flood
tides may make the fish move from the deep river and bayou
channels and try to feed on the adjacent flats. Of course, I
love to throw top water, but suspending baits will work too.
Chip had a 100 trout day this week using some fine shrimp that
he got at Southern Bama fishing this pattern. So if you can get
your hands on some of the real thing, you’ll really increase
your chances of catching them- if not, a plastic shrimp or GULP!
will do fine if the fish are biting. Fowl River is always good
if it’s windy, but Dog has produced some nice fish this week as
well as Pinto Pass. It should be about the same on the eastern
shore. If the wind lays, and you really want a pull, the redfish
are on Dixie Bar and at the Lighthouse. Again GULP! or some good
FRESH- never frozen- bait will work for them.
Also, here is the stock assessment study that I mentioned
www.gsmfc.org/pubs/IJF/SeaTroutPlanWeb.pdf |
| For the week of February 5, 2007 |
|
I attended the
dealer show for Pure Fishing this past weekend and saw some cool new
items I want to tell you about.
 The
new Cardinal, 800 series from Abu-Garcia. Has all aluminum
frame, 9 ball bearings including two on the rod under the spool.
This unique feature adds support to the spool to dramatically
improve smoothness of the drag by preventing the spool from
side-loading the drag washers. I could only find one other reel
in the entire show that had it and it cost three times as much.
www.purefishing.com
Frenzy “Flicker
Shad”, has tight wobble and new saltwater hooks. Available in 14
colors and two different diving depths. Should be killer on deep
water summer trout.
www.purefishing.com
Rattle Trap
“Tail Chaser” is an enhancement of the old standby. They have
added the red, set-lock hooks. Most importantly, the added a
feather duster to back hook this will soup-up the already
remarkable action, and trigger more bites. Alright, so I am a
crank bait nut! Comes in three sizes and a variety of colors.
www.rat-l-trap.com
Bagley’s
“Switchblade” on “Redfish Spin’n Jig”. The blades can be changed
without taking the lure off via a neat harness. Also, the
feather jig has plenty of action itself. This type of lure is
rarely used around here for inshore species of fish, but is
dynamite in other areas of the county. Makes you wonder why we
don’t use them more.
www.bagleybait.com
The “Reel Grip”
is a small ribbed rubber grip addition to your reel handle. I
thought that it would be especially useful if the handles were a
little worn. They claim to help reduce reel fatigue and come in
a bunch of different colors. It looks like they will fit almost
any bait caster reel handle.
www.reelgrip.com
 Hard
wood top water baits form High Roller Fishing Lure Company. The
unique shape of these lures will make them easy to cast a long
way and much easier to “walk the dog”. They are made of hard
wood, have a 2 part epoxy paint finish, rattles, stainless
hardware and 2X strong saltwater hooks. Lures are very popular
in Florida.
http://www.highrollerlures.com |
| For the week of January 29, 2007 |
|
This week is one of
those “good news/bad news” deals. The water temperatures around
the Mobile Bay area are at their coldest. With that inshore
saltwater species become the most lethargic of the year. This
requires them to feed the least as their metabolism is so low.
That is the bad news. The good news is that we will go pre-full
moon. During this magic period- from five days up to the full
moon on February 2/3 trout become the most aggressive of the
lunar cycle. Some feel that this has to do with their spawning
cycle, but trust me, whatever the cause- it does happen! The
bait on the other hand still is lethargic, so your presentation
will have to mimic it. Fast moving baits like crank baits won’t
be nearly as effective as jerk baits. Try fishing them slow with
numerous pauses, and when think you are fishing it slow, slow
down some more. If we happen to get a front, try fishing slow
moving top water baits in shallow water, near deep holes, a day
or two before the front. |
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