Not the Same Old

Practice makes perfect. Getting the reps in. Routine. All things that lead to getting stuck in a rut or doing the same thing to a point where you can’t see anything else around you. For as long as I have been writing I have done my best to stay away from the predictable stuff. You know what I’m talking about, the seasonal articles full of clichés and buzzwords we’ve all heard a zillion times. Well, this is not one of those articles. In an effort to bring some new things to light and stay away from worn out topics like “the year in review” or “a look ahead to 2025” style of articles, let’s look instead at a few things that can make an impact on how successful you can be as an angler.

I have no reservations or hesitations saying that I probably utilize more spinning gear than any other contributor to TSFMag, period. An inventory of my tackle not too long ago revealed at least a 60/40 slant toward spinning tackle versus baitcasters, maybe even 70/30 by now, and that trend looks like it will continue for me going forward. I am always amazed at how few Texas fishermen utilize spinning gear and how so many paint the picture that those who do use it are somehow inferior to those who don’t. Spinning gear tends to be looked at as the gear you give a rookie or a kid because they can’t handle the big boy baitcaster equipment. Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, the spinning reel is an invaluable tool that makes anglers not only more well-rounded but also more successful in more than a few situations. Perhaps the best example of this would be how Dickie Colburn single-handedly revolutionized the way we approach flounder fishing. Dickie was a huge proponent of spinning gear and the piles of flounder and crappie he amassed over his lifetime are proof positive that it works.

As long as we are talking about spinning gear, it seems almost criminal to not mention using lighter line. It’s always been a given that an angler gains an advantage in sensitivity when they downsize their line. The thought of giving up line strength seems like a losing proposition to most anglers, and if we were talking about straight monofilament I would 100% agree, but I’m talking about braided line. When braid first entered the fishing world most anglers went to the side of the spectrum that allowed them more strength on the same sized diameter mono that they had been using forever. For instance, if you had been a 15-lb mono fan and you went to 15-lb diameter braid, you all of a sudden were basically using line with strength equivalent to 50-lb mono. That school of thought works, I won’t disagree, but let’s go to the other end of that spectrum and see what happens. Let’s just say you had the same 15-lb mono on your reel and wanted to downsize; you could put 8-lb diameter braid on your reel and be able to increase your line capacity and effectively be using the strength equivalent of 30-lb mono, so you gained a significant advantage all the way around. I really like doing this with my spinning gear because it allows me to chase bigger fish, knowing I have both the line capacity and line strength to go after oversized opponents with otherwise undersized gear.

Another piece of underutilized gear that many saltwater fishermen tend to discount or not take full advantage of is basic electronics on their boats. The average saltwater fishermen looks at depth, speed, temperature, and some sort of mapping feature or GPS capability. All of these functions improve your odds and increase your safety but there is still more to gain from your fish finder. For the most part, saltwater anglers are looking for a spot and not looking for fish, especially inshore anglers. Offshore folks have long been aficionados of electronics as they dig around in deep water for structure holding fish or bait. New technology such as Forward Facing Sonar units and more powerful transducers are changing the way many anglers attack their water. Once you get comfortable with the technology an entire new world opens up, especially for the folks probing around in deep water. I am a firm believer that if you can master the art of fishing deeper water, you will always have a place to go, a solid pattern to fish, and very little competition because the average fisherman gets lost when the water gets deeper than say six feet. Spend some time learning your electronics or even upgrading them so you can see what you’ve been missing down below.

One last thing to add to our list of overlooked and underutilized tools and techniques would be forcing yourself to learn a new technique or try a method you don’t normally employ. So many anglers get locked into fishing a particular way with the same baits in the same spots over and over, hoping to achieve success on a consistent basis and that’s just a pipe dream. As an angler you must evolve and be able to adjust to the factors you are confronted with each day on the water. If the conditions dictate you should use Method A in certain water and you decide to use Method C instead, don’t be disappointed if you go home empty-handed at the end of the day. By forcing yourself to learn a new technique or fish water that you may often overlook you can expect to learn some valuable information, both good and bad. I have on several occasions just wandered into areas that I never dreamed of fishing for whatever reason and stumbled onto some quality fish, only to find some sort of hidden structure that I never would have thought was in that area. Even in those times where I went into an area and didn’t immediately find fish, I used the knowledge that was gained at a later time to go back there and actually find fish. The point is that from time to time you must be willing to do some different things if you want to continue to evolve as an angler.

As we head into the coldest months of the year we will certainly see extreme low tides that will uncover areas and structures that never see the light of day under normal conditions. Winter is a fantastic month to explore and mark new areas that may pay big dividends later on when conditions are more favorable. When you get out in a new area to wade, pay attention to the bottom composition and contour. When you drift an area with ultra-clear water that comes during the winter months, make mental notes when you see anything out of the ordinary, good or bad. I know for me personally I love to see that gin-clear water because we don’t get that type of visibility very often here on the Upper Coast. I have found small patches of shell while making those long winter drifts that I marked on my GPS and found to be holding fish during the spring and summer months. Discovering these hidden gems is often a highlight of both those tough winter days on the water and successful days in the spring when using the information you gained.

As always, with the colder temps we experience during the winter months, please remember to be extra cautious while on the water. It goes without saying that a PFD is a must and it may make the difference between life and death in extreme situations. A bag with an extra set of dry clothes, a thermal blanket, and towels is also a good idea to bring along in case someone does go overboard. Communicating with someone to let them know you are on the water and a general area where you plan to be in case of bad weather or other incidents is another good idea as well. The winter can be a great time to fish and also a bad time, so plan accordingly and don’t take chances.

I hope each and every one of you have a blessed and prosperous New Year. Enjoy your time on the water and please take a kid fishing whenever possible.