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Going Deep
Ultra low tides can offer up a great opportunity to find shell and other structure that's often hidden.
"What's that guy doing?" asked one of my clients, pointing to a small boat. I throttled back and picked up my binoculars for a closer look.
As the boat came into focus I could see only one person aboard and he appeared to be working feverishly. It was apparent he was having a problem so we idled over to offer help. As we approached I learned he was working to free a net he had been dragging to catch bait. Apparently the net had tangled in a patch of heavy shell, one that I had no idea even existed. With a little help from the guys in my boat we were able to save his gear with only minor damage.
Before the guy departed he passed on a bit of knowledge, "There are plenty of spots just like this one where that shell is really thick. You gotta pay attention," he said. I soaked up every word as he pointed out several landmarks that had previously meant nothing to me, hidden gems that would change how I fished certain areas from that point on.
That chance meeting opened my eyes to the world of structure fishing in saltwater. For years I had routinely headed to popular shorelines and flats, unknowingly turning my back on some of the best water in the bay. I guess the best way to describe my mindset would be "two-dimensional" because I concentrated mostly on the location and surface of the water, not what was below. With that brief introduction to the world of deep shell I felt like Keanu Reeves in the movie The Matrix when he realizes the world he could see was only part of the picture. The light bulb came on and I was instantly armed with a new three-dimensional arsenal, one that would soon pay dividends of a whole new world of fishing opportunity.
Now to most folks who fish Sabine, the thought of structure fishing is rather foreign, especially when compared to our neighbors over in Galveston, Trinity, and Calcasieu. Fishing deep shell is a tried and true method that has been a proven producer for years on those bodies of water and it still is today. Areas of heavy shell in deeper water are also likely to be less crowded than a well known flat near the shoreline. Take those same anglers and ask them to pinpoint a patch of shell in open water, set up correctly to fish it, and you would be surprised how many folks are not up to that challenge. Without an obvious target to cast toward many anglers get uncomfortable and lose confidence, which inevitably leads to fewer fish caught. By being able to visualize what the bottom looks like and trusting your navigation (GPS, sonar, charts, etc) you can often have a fish producing area all to yourself.
I have historically done well fishing deep shell during spring and early summer. April and May have been really good to me over the years and I look forward to continuing that trend. As I have mentioned in previous columns, the south end of Sabine Lake, down by the Causeway Bridge, is what most folk think of when you say structure or deep shell but that's not the only game in town. There are plenty of smaller "structure" spots in the lake and they tend to hold fish on a regular basis. Some of the better ones that are just off of the Louisiana shoreline are deep enough that waders can't reach them so they seldom get fished. Drifting is the best way to attack them.
Normally during this time of year we have no shortage of wind and that plays right in to the drifters favor. Long casts with the wind at your back allows you to cover a ton of water and often reach those patches of shell without disturbing them. If you are fortunate to have some of these areas marked on your GPS it's a great idea to have the anchor handy so you can stop upwind and work the area thoroughly. Once you get into position and start catching you may not have to move again for a while.
I can remember several days on Calcasieu when there was just an unreal number of fish stacked on a reef in about seven feet of water. The area was relatively small and you had to be in the exact spot or you were out of luck. For a week straight I jockeyed with another guide everyday to get position on the shell, some days I got it right and just wore them out. Other days all I could do was sit and watch anglers in the other boat hooked up nearly every cast. It was so good at one point that I watched the other boat I'd been competing with tie a float to his anchor line, untie from his boat, leave the anchor line floating, back out, and let another boat come in and tie up to his anchor and immediately start catching the fish he left. It was just stupid how good that spot was.
Over a similar reef structure my clients and I stumbled onto a herd of really good trout that were holding on the backside of the shell and crushing mullet. Drift after drift through the area resulted in one good fish after another, in fact all four of my clients caught personal-best trout on that trip and that in its self was amazing. The fact that these big fish were all in such a small area was mindboggling and it got even better when they began rising from the deep shell to eat topwaters - easily one of my most memorable trips.
Perhaps the best of all happened on Calcasieu with friend Bink Grimes and his dad, Danny. We had opted to leave an armada of boats camped on Long Point and moved a few hundred yards off the main reef to where the shell was more scattered. The noise of 40 boats with people stomping decks, waves slapping hulls and all other sorts of racket, had pushed a lot of fish off the big reef to nearby shell patches. That move put us on an every-cast-bite while the anchored throng hooked up only occasionally. Danny caught a 30-inch trout that nudged 10 pounds during one of the many drifts and that fish is on his wall today.
It's basically hard to go wrong this time of the year on Sabine because there are plenty of fish and fishing options to go around. We all know the amount of fishing pressure the shallow more popular flats receive on most bays, so it makes sense to have another area in mind that you have confidence in. Take time to explore and find these places. Check satellite imagery and bay charts, it will pay off.
Another great way to find these areas is by talking with commercial fishermen, shrimpers, crabbers, or oyster fishermen because if it is out there they will know about it. I have marked some great places in the past by shadowing oyster boats. You can learn reefs and smaller shell patches you never knew existed if you are willing to put in the time and are patient enough to watch. Once you do locate one of these areas you'll see what I'm talking about, it's always nice to be able to catch fish without competing for real estate.
As the boat came into focus I could see only one person aboard and he appeared to be working feverishly. It was apparent he was having a problem so we idled over to offer help. As we approached I learned he was working to free a net he had been dragging to catch bait. Apparently the net had tangled in a patch of heavy shell, one that I had no idea even existed. With a little help from the guys in my boat we were able to save his gear with only minor damage.
Before the guy departed he passed on a bit of knowledge, "There are plenty of spots just like this one where that shell is really thick. You gotta pay attention," he said. I soaked up every word as he pointed out several landmarks that had previously meant nothing to me, hidden gems that would change how I fished certain areas from that point on.
That chance meeting opened my eyes to the world of structure fishing in saltwater. For years I had routinely headed to popular shorelines and flats, unknowingly turning my back on some of the best water in the bay. I guess the best way to describe my mindset would be "two-dimensional" because I concentrated mostly on the location and surface of the water, not what was below. With that brief introduction to the world of deep shell I felt like Keanu Reeves in the movie The Matrix when he realizes the world he could see was only part of the picture. The light bulb came on and I was instantly armed with a new three-dimensional arsenal, one that would soon pay dividends of a whole new world of fishing opportunity.
Now to most folks who fish Sabine, the thought of structure fishing is rather foreign, especially when compared to our neighbors over in Galveston, Trinity, and Calcasieu. Fishing deep shell is a tried and true method that has been a proven producer for years on those bodies of water and it still is today. Areas of heavy shell in deeper water are also likely to be less crowded than a well known flat near the shoreline. Take those same anglers and ask them to pinpoint a patch of shell in open water, set up correctly to fish it, and you would be surprised how many folks are not up to that challenge. Without an obvious target to cast toward many anglers get uncomfortable and lose confidence, which inevitably leads to fewer fish caught. By being able to visualize what the bottom looks like and trusting your navigation (GPS, sonar, charts, etc) you can often have a fish producing area all to yourself.
I have historically done well fishing deep shell during spring and early summer. April and May have been really good to me over the years and I look forward to continuing that trend. As I have mentioned in previous columns, the south end of Sabine Lake, down by the Causeway Bridge, is what most folk think of when you say structure or deep shell but that's not the only game in town. There are plenty of smaller "structure" spots in the lake and they tend to hold fish on a regular basis. Some of the better ones that are just off of the Louisiana shoreline are deep enough that waders can't reach them so they seldom get fished. Drifting is the best way to attack them.
Normally during this time of year we have no shortage of wind and that plays right in to the drifters favor. Long casts with the wind at your back allows you to cover a ton of water and often reach those patches of shell without disturbing them. If you are fortunate to have some of these areas marked on your GPS it's a great idea to have the anchor handy so you can stop upwind and work the area thoroughly. Once you get into position and start catching you may not have to move again for a while.
I can remember several days on Calcasieu when there was just an unreal number of fish stacked on a reef in about seven feet of water. The area was relatively small and you had to be in the exact spot or you were out of luck. For a week straight I jockeyed with another guide everyday to get position on the shell, some days I got it right and just wore them out. Other days all I could do was sit and watch anglers in the other boat hooked up nearly every cast. It was so good at one point that I watched the other boat I'd been competing with tie a float to his anchor line, untie from his boat, leave the anchor line floating, back out, and let another boat come in and tie up to his anchor and immediately start catching the fish he left. It was just stupid how good that spot was.
Over a similar reef structure my clients and I stumbled onto a herd of really good trout that were holding on the backside of the shell and crushing mullet. Drift after drift through the area resulted in one good fish after another, in fact all four of my clients caught personal-best trout on that trip and that in its self was amazing. The fact that these big fish were all in such a small area was mindboggling and it got even better when they began rising from the deep shell to eat topwaters - easily one of my most memorable trips.
Perhaps the best of all happened on Calcasieu with friend Bink Grimes and his dad, Danny. We had opted to leave an armada of boats camped on Long Point and moved a few hundred yards off the main reef to where the shell was more scattered. The noise of 40 boats with people stomping decks, waves slapping hulls and all other sorts of racket, had pushed a lot of fish off the big reef to nearby shell patches. That move put us on an every-cast-bite while the anchored throng hooked up only occasionally. Danny caught a 30-inch trout that nudged 10 pounds during one of the many drifts and that fish is on his wall today.
It's basically hard to go wrong this time of the year on Sabine because there are plenty of fish and fishing options to go around. We all know the amount of fishing pressure the shallow more popular flats receive on most bays, so it makes sense to have another area in mind that you have confidence in. Take time to explore and find these places. Check satellite imagery and bay charts, it will pay off.
Another great way to find these areas is by talking with commercial fishermen, shrimpers, crabbers, or oyster fishermen because if it is out there they will know about it. I have marked some great places in the past by shadowing oyster boats. You can learn reefs and smaller shell patches you never knew existed if you are willing to put in the time and are patient enough to watch. Once you do locate one of these areas you'll see what I'm talking about, it's always nice to be able to catch fish without competing for real estate.