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Pro Tips: March 2009
Jay Ray on tournament day.
What is it about extremely low tides that makes catching trophy-sized trout so difficult? My answer cites two major influences; these are the loss of preferred feeding zones and higher atmospheric pressure that normally accompanies these low water events. The combination can truly put the whammy on a well-planned trip.
We have faced this scenario for the last few weeks so I have been able to test some of the remedies that I have long believed in. No guarantee here; but this should help you if you are struggling.
I like to locate feeder guts that lead into shallow flats. Some are manmade and some have been formed by current. I search out the short, narrow guts when possible. Guts that are narrow in width increase my odds as well as the trout's odds of finding an easy meal. I also find that during periods of extremely low tide our larger trout turn to nighttime feeding over shallow grass flats.
On bitter cold nights the fish can stage in the warmer deeper water. Even if the water is only a degree or two higher along the muddy bottom of the gut; that is enough to sustain them until the sun warms the shallow water nearby. I focus on the head of the guts; this is the area where the grass flat meets the deeper gut.
I have discovered that quite often several large trout will hold up right in the head of the gut waiting for bait to exit the flat. Game fish and baitfish alike all use the guts much like deer use a trail to and from feeding and bedding areas. The bedding area is found where the gut meets the deepest water. This might be a drop-off into a larger bay system or the drop-off into some sort of intersecting channel.
Where the bait congregates in the deeper water is most often where the trout are. Right under them, just waiting for something to flutter in front of them. We need to enter these areas in stealth mode. I prefer to drift or wade in versus motoring or trolling. If you are spooking bait, your trout are already in the next county.
Avoid getting too close as normal wading noises can also spook big trout. I make my cast up into the shallow grass flat and then work my lure into the head of the gut. When a good fish or two are holding there they strike immediately.
As the sun rises the fish will typically start a slow movement down the gut to deeper, darker water. In instances of severe cold the fish may start deep and delay the trip up the gut to the shallow water until the sun has warmed the surrounding flat. Right now our water temperatures are near 60 degrees so the fish are active and more likely to feed at night and then make the move to deeper water as the sunlight starts to penetrate the clearer water.
Low water coupled with clear water is just not the ideal trophy trout catching scenario. Gosh, we have had plenty of that lately. The area of the gut that I choose to start in depends on the water temperatures. Right now I am starting in the shallow end of the guts.
I like to work each gut in its entirety. At the head, I will make lots of casts, allowing the bait to stay in the gut as long as possible. You can literally let your topwater sit at times and then slowly walk it across the gut. Early morning topwater strikes can shatter the silence and put your heart right in your throat.
Me, I prefer the smaller soft plastic approach most of the time in this situation. The 5" Bass Assassin or the MirrOlure MirrOdine can be deadly when the fish are keying on smaller, easier targets. As the day warms, I slowly ease down the edges of the gut concentrating on every cast and every twitch of the rod tip. Here lately, the bite has been short-lived, so concentrating on every cast and retrieve truly counts.
I find that I have a flurry most everyday around the mid-morning hours. As the trout ease towards the intersection where the gut meets the deeper water they always seem to want one last snack. During mid-afternoon hours the trout will often stage in the deepest section of the intersection. As always, bait needs to be present for the pattern to be effective.
Another remedy for extremely low tide periods and the funky mood that it brings to our trout is to go searching for redfish. With the numbers of redfish in mid-coast bays, they have become a day-saver for many trout enthusiasts. Redfish prefer low water, the lower the better. Redfish are content to put their heads on the bottom and cruise a drop-off searching for small crabs and shrimp. Find a drop-off adjacent to a flat with active bait, diving brown pelicans, and a water change.
Once out of the boat the rod bending should commence almost immediately. Reds are not often shy. Stealth and downsizing are not always necessary. A splashing and clacking walk-the-dog is often met with severe dislike. I had one the other day that hit so hard it sounded as if someone heaved a car battery over the side of the boat.
Reds from 18 to 30-plus inches are not uncommon and 30-fish days are more the norm now than ever. We are of course only keeping what is needed and legal. This winter has been better than most, maybe one of the best.
I hope these tips help improve your fishing the next time you arrive at your favorite flat and find most of it dry.
May Your Fishing Always Be Catching!
We have faced this scenario for the last few weeks so I have been able to test some of the remedies that I have long believed in. No guarantee here; but this should help you if you are struggling.
I like to locate feeder guts that lead into shallow flats. Some are manmade and some have been formed by current. I search out the short, narrow guts when possible. Guts that are narrow in width increase my odds as well as the trout's odds of finding an easy meal. I also find that during periods of extremely low tide our larger trout turn to nighttime feeding over shallow grass flats.
On bitter cold nights the fish can stage in the warmer deeper water. Even if the water is only a degree or two higher along the muddy bottom of the gut; that is enough to sustain them until the sun warms the shallow water nearby. I focus on the head of the guts; this is the area where the grass flat meets the deeper gut.
I have discovered that quite often several large trout will hold up right in the head of the gut waiting for bait to exit the flat. Game fish and baitfish alike all use the guts much like deer use a trail to and from feeding and bedding areas. The bedding area is found where the gut meets the deepest water. This might be a drop-off into a larger bay system or the drop-off into some sort of intersecting channel.
Where the bait congregates in the deeper water is most often where the trout are. Right under them, just waiting for something to flutter in front of them. We need to enter these areas in stealth mode. I prefer to drift or wade in versus motoring or trolling. If you are spooking bait, your trout are already in the next county.
Avoid getting too close as normal wading noises can also spook big trout. I make my cast up into the shallow grass flat and then work my lure into the head of the gut. When a good fish or two are holding there they strike immediately.
As the sun rises the fish will typically start a slow movement down the gut to deeper, darker water. In instances of severe cold the fish may start deep and delay the trip up the gut to the shallow water until the sun has warmed the surrounding flat. Right now our water temperatures are near 60 degrees so the fish are active and more likely to feed at night and then make the move to deeper water as the sunlight starts to penetrate the clearer water.
Low water coupled with clear water is just not the ideal trophy trout catching scenario. Gosh, we have had plenty of that lately. The area of the gut that I choose to start in depends on the water temperatures. Right now I am starting in the shallow end of the guts.
I like to work each gut in its entirety. At the head, I will make lots of casts, allowing the bait to stay in the gut as long as possible. You can literally let your topwater sit at times and then slowly walk it across the gut. Early morning topwater strikes can shatter the silence and put your heart right in your throat.
Me, I prefer the smaller soft plastic approach most of the time in this situation. The 5" Bass Assassin or the MirrOlure MirrOdine can be deadly when the fish are keying on smaller, easier targets. As the day warms, I slowly ease down the edges of the gut concentrating on every cast and every twitch of the rod tip. Here lately, the bite has been short-lived, so concentrating on every cast and retrieve truly counts.
I find that I have a flurry most everyday around the mid-morning hours. As the trout ease towards the intersection where the gut meets the deeper water they always seem to want one last snack. During mid-afternoon hours the trout will often stage in the deepest section of the intersection. As always, bait needs to be present for the pattern to be effective.
Another remedy for extremely low tide periods and the funky mood that it brings to our trout is to go searching for redfish. With the numbers of redfish in mid-coast bays, they have become a day-saver for many trout enthusiasts. Redfish prefer low water, the lower the better. Redfish are content to put their heads on the bottom and cruise a drop-off searching for small crabs and shrimp. Find a drop-off adjacent to a flat with active bait, diving brown pelicans, and a water change.
Once out of the boat the rod bending should commence almost immediately. Reds are not often shy. Stealth and downsizing are not always necessary. A splashing and clacking walk-the-dog is often met with severe dislike. I had one the other day that hit so hard it sounded as if someone heaved a car battery over the side of the boat.
Reds from 18 to 30-plus inches are not uncommon and 30-fish days are more the norm now than ever. We are of course only keeping what is needed and legal. This winter has been better than most, maybe one of the best.
I hope these tips help improve your fishing the next time you arrive at your favorite flat and find most of it dry.
May Your Fishing Always Be Catching!