Play It as It Lies

I often find when too much time has passed since my last fishing trip, my mind will begin to drift to a picture-perfect fishing scenario. Usually occurring a day or so before the wind gods will bless us with the next window of opportunity, vivid daydreams start to occur. Having a particular honey-hole in mind based around what the half-witted weatherman predicts, I start to imagine fish of trophy-size swimming on X marks the spot. The sun at the right angle over my back, light wind, and the slightest flowing tide, all that’s left to do is place a cast anywhere near those giant elusive fish.

Unfortunately, more times than not, I arrive at these sacred grounds to find the current conditions not anywhere near how I’d imagined in my mind’s eye. In that moment, it’s easy to get frustrated, setting yourself up for failure the rest of the day. Yet with just a few adjustments you can transform a day of boat riding into a day of catching.

Be Observant. This simple aspect is what often turns a decent day into a great day. From the minute you arrive at the ramp, you should be looking for clues. A simple observation of the water level can make or break your day. Yes, the tide chart on your phone might say it’s nearing high tide, but what if the wind blew from a particular direction all night and pushed it out lower than predicted? Once on plane and headed to the grounds, instead of peering constantly at the GPS screen, observe all that you can and ask questions. What are those egrets doing on the shoreline? Why did those mullet jump suddenly, as if avoiding certain death? Or what about that small slick on the water just off the channel edge? Did the crabber just re-bait his trap or was it made by feeding trout? If something you see continues to look interesting as you approach, stop at a distance and observe for a few moments. Don’t be in such a hurry to get to “a spot.” Chances are someone is probably already there anyway.

Make the news, don’t fish yesterday's. How many times have you received a phone call from your buddy on the other side of the bay that goes something like this; “Hey man, the bite's on fire over here at XYZ.” Yet when you make the run and arrive on the scene, the bite has gone stone cold and there’s nothing to write home about. I too have been guilty of this and personally detest getting those phone calls. Sticking to your own puzzle for the day will often yield greater success. I would rather work a small group of undisturbed fish that are more likely to eat than pick through someone else’s leftovers. However, the problem is that it’s easy for this phone call to instantly get in your head. Knowing someone else is seeing fish at this very moment when you are not can be frustrating. You must remain confident in your own process and knowledge in this moment, knowing that you’re just one small move away from making your own news.

Do your homework. I feel it was beneficial for me to have grown up in the era when a GPS on your flats boat did little more than provide a route to a given waypoint. Savvy backcountry fisherman that wanted to see what was around the next bend printed out satellite images from Terra Server USA to study at home. My uncle, going one step further, kept a binder in his boat with the latest satellite shots of areas that were next on the list to be explored. If needed, you could take a quick glance at the cheat sheet before running creeks into an unknown area. It is likely much safer than people attempting to navigate with their eyes glued to a GPS the size of a computer screen. My current flats boat, which is a simplistic tiller-steer Sabine Skiff, doesn’t even have a GPS, and for fishing the shallow backwaters of the Texas coast, I prefer it that way.

While out on the flats, it’s more beneficial for your attention to be focused on studying the water and birds that may be flying above it. Dry ground is the proper place to study Google Earth. If you get in a bind while exploring, you can take a peek at the satellite mapping that comes standard on most smart phones. The only time I feel it is beneficial to have a big GPS with satellite overlay is during winter when we have thick, lingering sea fog. However, every winter I see many people using their track lines with way too much confidence. Running their boat at full throttle through the grey abyss, completely oblivious that there might be a boat parked on that track line. The point is do as much of your homework AT HOME as possible. When you’re out there hunting fish, your eyes need to be scanning the water, not a screen.

In conclusion, finding concentrations of fish in shallow water is a skill that takes hundreds of hours on the water to learn all the tricks of the trade. No amount of YouTube video can teach you the intuition and insight that’s needed. Going with seasoned guides and picking their brain can shorten your learning curve tremendously. When receiving word of a hot bite, rather than racing to that exact spot, try to get information on things such as what depth of water the fish are holding in, what the bottom structure might be, and what bait has been producing the most bites. Apply that information to the area you’re already working. Running right to the numbers someone hands you doesn't help you learn a thing.

While learning a new area, study the topography on Google Earth until you are cross-eyed. You’ll know when you’ve done your homework thoroughly because you can go into areas you’ve never actually been to with confidence as if you’ve been there dozens of times. When striking out on your own, try to leave your right brain at home and utilize your left. In other words, stick to the facts of the conditions in real-time and don’t let your imagination drift away. You must play the fish as they lie, if you don’t, you’re only lying to yourself.