Writer's Monthly Tips!
Subscribe!
Wintertime Kayaking
So, it is officially winter. It is cold, wet and windy outside my house this morning. This is not generally thought of as the greatest time of the year for kayaking. Most of the kayakers I know have hung up their paddles and stowed their kayaks to wait out the arrival of warmer weather. But it doesn't have to be that way. I've had some of my best trips in the dead of winter. And also some very rewarding days where I was completely skunked. As with most fishing, it is all about the attitude you take to the water and sometimes you need to look a little harder for the silver lining.
I'm sure that between the covers of this month's magazine you'll read all about the techniques these guys and gals use to catch those big fat February trout. McBride, Watkins, Cochran and company will talk about grinding out the tough bite through a muddy wade looking for that one good bite. And I get that. I do it too, but not on every trip. Kayaks can be the perfect tool for implementing the strategies used for chasing trophy trout without the grueling wade.
But some days I'm just tired of being cooped up in the house and I want to go breathe some fresh air. My mind isn't always up for the full-on concentration it takes to chase a trophy. Those are the days I might grab one of my touring kayaks and simply go for a long paddle. It's good to get out and stretch those paddling muscles from time to time. It is also an excellent time to work on your paddling stroke and get some much needed exercise. On days like this I tend to head for someplace without much boat traffic where I can get away from everything and simply enjoy the day. Armand Bayou is perfect for this kind of trip. You can pretty much count on having the entire waterway to yourself this time of year. It is protected from high winds and as a bonus it offers an excellent chance to see some wildlife along the way. I can't think of a single trip to this haven within the city when I didn't see at least a few deer on the banks and a couple of osprey patrolling the sky looking for a mullet meal. I've also heard rumors that a bald eagle has taken up winter residency there, but I haven't had the good fortune to run across it yet. Wherever you live chances are good that you've got nearby access to a similar situation. Take a sunny afternoon and try it out sometime. I know this might sound like sacrilege, but it's doesn't always have to be about fishing.
Then there are other days I get in the mood to store up some knowledge for future trips. Anyone who has read my ramblings on these pages knows that I prefer to fish the flats. Mud flats, sand flats, grass flats; it really doesn't matter as long as it's shallow and I get to chase redfish. Generally speaking that sort of fishing just doesn't happen much this time of year along the upper coast. Yes, there are occasions where tide and weather combine to make it work, but more often than not the water is simply too cold for a serious shallow water bite to get going.
An even more common scenario is a total lack of water. Winter is notorious for blowing all the water out of my preferred stomping grounds. So what's a hardcore flats junkie to do? Make the most of the hand your dealt. How often have you watched a group of tailing reds simply disappear as you get within casting range? It happens all the time. And it happens in places where you think that there's no way they could exit the area without at least giving you a hint as to where they went. You know what I'm talking about; I can almost see some of you guys nodding in agreement. My good buddy Dean calls them subterranean redfish. Well the truth of the matter is flats aren't really all that flat. There are always slight depressions and barely perceptible drains crisscrossing every kind of flat or back lake along the coast. Tidal movement, wind currents, and small pieces of hard structure will all cause slight contour changes and redfish that live in these places know and use every one of them.
You probably already know many of the prominent guts and drains of your favorite flat, but it is sometimes difficult or even impossible to detect the more subtle differences. Many of the guys I fish with will simply turn their backs on these shallow areas when the water isn't there. I guess it makes sense if you want to catch fish right now because obviously there aren't going to be any fish where there isn't any water. However, the lowest tides of winter are your golden opportunity to take a crash course in the geography of the bay floor. It is not unusual for the water levels behind a strong front to drop two or more feet, thus draining entire flats and exposing things you might never notice otherwise. If you will take the time to go to these areas and study them it will make you a better flats fisherman when the water and redfish return to their haunts in the spring.
So if there isn't any water, how are you going to get there to study them? Well, most of the marsh ponds and flats I fish throughout the year are bordered by some manner of deep water access. That is what usually makes an area productive to begin with. In the marshes it is often a highway of interconnected bayous. On shoreline flats there is almost always a deeper drop off at some point along the edge. Even the more expansive flats along the middle and lower coast will have a navigable gut running through them that serves to drain or fill them on the changing tides. The bottom line is that you can generally get close enough to survey the situation. A good pair of binoculars can be a real asset, as can a digital camera. Not that my memory is getting rough around the edges or anything, but a good low water photo of my favorite flats is money in the bank after two or three flips of the calendar page.
So now that I've talked you into paddling to a place that you can't fish on a cold day following a norther, what are you looking for? Anything that is different. That sounds too simple, but it really is just that. You are looking for and making note of any slight depressions or pieces of structure that are not normally visible. Take a good look at the north shoreline of your favorite marsh pond. It will often have a slight gut running along the bank where the waves from the south wind have carved away the softer mud. Redfish will cruise in that gut looking for baitfish or shrimp to get pushed against the bank during a blow. Some flats will have a barely perceptible change in depth from one side to the other or maybe a large saucer-like depression out away from the bank. Take note and remember that the next time you are there on a slightly lower than normal tide. One of my favorite things to find is a deeper gut around the point of an island. When the wind blows onto a long stretch of land or shallow reef the water piles up and funnels around the point gouging out a channel. Depending on the situation, the gut around the end of the point can be six inches or several feet deep. Fish will stack up in these guts waiting for the buffet to come to them when the wind currents are moving. I've seen the same thing with something as simple as an old half-buried tire or any other misguided piece of junk that finds its way to the bay floor. Studying your chosen areas can also have an added benefit. Once you get a better understanding of the cause and effect different situations can have on the structure of the bottom, you can take that knowledge with you to unfamiliar waters and apply it to the clues you have above the water line.
Reefs are another important piece of the puzzle that can be better utilized if you get the chance to see exactly how they are laid out. That might sound funny to you guys fishing the clear waters down south, but along the upper coast it can be difficult to get a good look at them through our greenish, okay, sometimes brownish water. Any cut, low spot or irregularity can be the key to successfully mining fish off of an oyster bar. Take a picture of the reef and commit it to memory so that the next time you fish it you'll know where the high percentage spots are and you aren't just blindly casting and hoping it works out.
Last but not least, probably one of the most useful things you'll discover during this expedition is the location of the drains. With the water gone, it becomes very easy to spot these often winding depressions that fan out onto the flats. Smaller areas will often have only one main drain that may branch a couple of times. And as you would suspect, the larger the pond or flat, the more numerous and pronounced the drainage system. These play an important part in the everyday life of the gamefish you are after and it pays to know where they are located. It is where the predators wait to ambush bait as it gets sucked out during the falling tide. In addition, they are the fish highways of the flats. It is how they traverse the area on the changing tides. And rather than tunneling subterranean style, it is where those sneaky tailing reds disappear when they sense your presence.
So turn off the television, put down the Doritos and get out there to boost your knowledge of the bottom. Come springtime you'll be glad you did.
I'm sure that between the covers of this month's magazine you'll read all about the techniques these guys and gals use to catch those big fat February trout. McBride, Watkins, Cochran and company will talk about grinding out the tough bite through a muddy wade looking for that one good bite. And I get that. I do it too, but not on every trip. Kayaks can be the perfect tool for implementing the strategies used for chasing trophy trout without the grueling wade.
But some days I'm just tired of being cooped up in the house and I want to go breathe some fresh air. My mind isn't always up for the full-on concentration it takes to chase a trophy. Those are the days I might grab one of my touring kayaks and simply go for a long paddle. It's good to get out and stretch those paddling muscles from time to time. It is also an excellent time to work on your paddling stroke and get some much needed exercise. On days like this I tend to head for someplace without much boat traffic where I can get away from everything and simply enjoy the day. Armand Bayou is perfect for this kind of trip. You can pretty much count on having the entire waterway to yourself this time of year. It is protected from high winds and as a bonus it offers an excellent chance to see some wildlife along the way. I can't think of a single trip to this haven within the city when I didn't see at least a few deer on the banks and a couple of osprey patrolling the sky looking for a mullet meal. I've also heard rumors that a bald eagle has taken up winter residency there, but I haven't had the good fortune to run across it yet. Wherever you live chances are good that you've got nearby access to a similar situation. Take a sunny afternoon and try it out sometime. I know this might sound like sacrilege, but it's doesn't always have to be about fishing.
Then there are other days I get in the mood to store up some knowledge for future trips. Anyone who has read my ramblings on these pages knows that I prefer to fish the flats. Mud flats, sand flats, grass flats; it really doesn't matter as long as it's shallow and I get to chase redfish. Generally speaking that sort of fishing just doesn't happen much this time of year along the upper coast. Yes, there are occasions where tide and weather combine to make it work, but more often than not the water is simply too cold for a serious shallow water bite to get going.
An even more common scenario is a total lack of water. Winter is notorious for blowing all the water out of my preferred stomping grounds. So what's a hardcore flats junkie to do? Make the most of the hand your dealt. How often have you watched a group of tailing reds simply disappear as you get within casting range? It happens all the time. And it happens in places where you think that there's no way they could exit the area without at least giving you a hint as to where they went. You know what I'm talking about; I can almost see some of you guys nodding in agreement. My good buddy Dean calls them subterranean redfish. Well the truth of the matter is flats aren't really all that flat. There are always slight depressions and barely perceptible drains crisscrossing every kind of flat or back lake along the coast. Tidal movement, wind currents, and small pieces of hard structure will all cause slight contour changes and redfish that live in these places know and use every one of them.
You probably already know many of the prominent guts and drains of your favorite flat, but it is sometimes difficult or even impossible to detect the more subtle differences. Many of the guys I fish with will simply turn their backs on these shallow areas when the water isn't there. I guess it makes sense if you want to catch fish right now because obviously there aren't going to be any fish where there isn't any water. However, the lowest tides of winter are your golden opportunity to take a crash course in the geography of the bay floor. It is not unusual for the water levels behind a strong front to drop two or more feet, thus draining entire flats and exposing things you might never notice otherwise. If you will take the time to go to these areas and study them it will make you a better flats fisherman when the water and redfish return to their haunts in the spring.
So if there isn't any water, how are you going to get there to study them? Well, most of the marsh ponds and flats I fish throughout the year are bordered by some manner of deep water access. That is what usually makes an area productive to begin with. In the marshes it is often a highway of interconnected bayous. On shoreline flats there is almost always a deeper drop off at some point along the edge. Even the more expansive flats along the middle and lower coast will have a navigable gut running through them that serves to drain or fill them on the changing tides. The bottom line is that you can generally get close enough to survey the situation. A good pair of binoculars can be a real asset, as can a digital camera. Not that my memory is getting rough around the edges or anything, but a good low water photo of my favorite flats is money in the bank after two or three flips of the calendar page.
So now that I've talked you into paddling to a place that you can't fish on a cold day following a norther, what are you looking for? Anything that is different. That sounds too simple, but it really is just that. You are looking for and making note of any slight depressions or pieces of structure that are not normally visible. Take a good look at the north shoreline of your favorite marsh pond. It will often have a slight gut running along the bank where the waves from the south wind have carved away the softer mud. Redfish will cruise in that gut looking for baitfish or shrimp to get pushed against the bank during a blow. Some flats will have a barely perceptible change in depth from one side to the other or maybe a large saucer-like depression out away from the bank. Take note and remember that the next time you are there on a slightly lower than normal tide. One of my favorite things to find is a deeper gut around the point of an island. When the wind blows onto a long stretch of land or shallow reef the water piles up and funnels around the point gouging out a channel. Depending on the situation, the gut around the end of the point can be six inches or several feet deep. Fish will stack up in these guts waiting for the buffet to come to them when the wind currents are moving. I've seen the same thing with something as simple as an old half-buried tire or any other misguided piece of junk that finds its way to the bay floor. Studying your chosen areas can also have an added benefit. Once you get a better understanding of the cause and effect different situations can have on the structure of the bottom, you can take that knowledge with you to unfamiliar waters and apply it to the clues you have above the water line.
Reefs are another important piece of the puzzle that can be better utilized if you get the chance to see exactly how they are laid out. That might sound funny to you guys fishing the clear waters down south, but along the upper coast it can be difficult to get a good look at them through our greenish, okay, sometimes brownish water. Any cut, low spot or irregularity can be the key to successfully mining fish off of an oyster bar. Take a picture of the reef and commit it to memory so that the next time you fish it you'll know where the high percentage spots are and you aren't just blindly casting and hoping it works out.
Last but not least, probably one of the most useful things you'll discover during this expedition is the location of the drains. With the water gone, it becomes very easy to spot these often winding depressions that fan out onto the flats. Smaller areas will often have only one main drain that may branch a couple of times. And as you would suspect, the larger the pond or flat, the more numerous and pronounced the drainage system. These play an important part in the everyday life of the gamefish you are after and it pays to know where they are located. It is where the predators wait to ambush bait as it gets sucked out during the falling tide. In addition, they are the fish highways of the flats. It is how they traverse the area on the changing tides. And rather than tunneling subterranean style, it is where those sneaky tailing reds disappear when they sense your presence.
So turn off the television, put down the Doritos and get out there to boost your knowledge of the bottom. Come springtime you'll be glad you did.