The Bite of Aggression

Have you ever witnessed up close, I mean real close, a redfish or trout zoom in on your topwater? Were you so close you could see all their predator behavior, that strong flip of the tail, gills flaring as the gamefish is about to inhale your plastic imitation, its eyes so focused on the prey that it doesn't even notice you? Just for a moment, nothing else matters to that fish. This is what I call the bite of aggression. May is a good time to experience the adrenaline rush that being this close to a fish can bring.

Why does May bring such opportunity? One, the winds of March and April begin to dissipate in May. The winds for the most part will remain calm throughout the night leaving most of our bay waters crystal clear. Clear water is a must for stalking fish. Also, our back bays will have plenty of water along with flourishing schools of bait. We will be working shorelines that were nearly dry a few weeks ago. Spring shrimp movement usually peaks during late April and May, drawing fish from other locales to the shallow back bays.

The banks of spoil islands are also good places to find fish with their backs exposed or perhaps catch a glimpse of fish sticking their tails high above the surface. If you want to experience getting up close to a fish, remember wading gently without pushing a wake is very important. As you draw closer to the fish, crouching down may be required. Being aware of the direction it is moving is also important, as well as moving closer only the fish is looking away.

Placement of your lure is critical so that the fish does not spook. When I know the fish are real spooky, I tend to throw about ten to fifteen feet in front and in the same direction the fish is heading. Always make sure your line does not come anywhere near the fish, if you touch them they will spook. Work the bait back toward him very carefully.

The speed of retrieve depends on how they appear to be feeding. If they are pouncing and really feeding actively on natural bait, I can get away with working my lure a little faster. However, if they are real hard to approach, a slow retrieve works better. Remember, on sunny days the fish will tend to be spookier than a cloudy day. So your retrieve and how you work your bait can change from morning, afternoon to evening. Don't be afraid to experiment. Experimenting is what invented the wheel. It's alright if you spook a few before you find the right action. If chasing fish in this manner draws you and wading is on your agenda this summer, I highly recommend the comforts and durability the Simms Flats Sneakers bring. They are comfortable to wear and work great on any kind of bottom.

Our shallow pristine flats have given me many opportunities to wade and stalk fish up close. Two experiences will remain in my mind forever. The first one was many years ago; I was fishing a tournament and an upper-slot redfish was my target. I was wading along a small island that was infested with redfish; I spotted a rather large red that never suspected my presence. I approached in a crouched position. I made my cast, never taking my eyes off this fish.

As I twitched my topwater a few times, another redfish came out of nowhere. He was so close I saw his yellow and black eyes almost in a trance. The fish was so focused that even if he was alarmed to my presence, there was no way he was going to stop. He grabbed my lure and took off in all twelve inches of water.

All this commotion spooked the fish I was after. The fish at the end of my line was only about twenty two inches, so I horsed him in and this is where I made my mistake. He still had a lot of fight in him, and when he decided to run right between my legs he stuck me with the treble hooks on my right calf. You have never heard someone yell out in the open water as loud as I did.

He was shaking his head profusely and with every tug the hook imbedded deeper. After many moments and painfully taking out the hook, I had some time to reflect on this experience. To this day I will never forget that fish. It's was the way his eyes went on a trance as he focused on my topwater. That was pretty cool; the hook embedded in my calf wasn't.

The second experience occurred more recently. The morning was slick calm; the conditions made it perfect to chase tailing reds. I decided that I wanted to try something different, something that I had never done before. My desire was to target a specific redfish, photograph it, and then attempt to catch it. Doing this meant I had to get in real close. The conditions were perfect, and the reds were plentiful. On my first cast I threw my topwater in the direction of a single tailing redfish and then made an attempt to get my camera ready. As I was turning on the camera with the lens facing down, this redfish made it a point to not wait on me. He slammed my motionless Super Spook Jr so hard that he startled me causing me to lose my balance and accidentally take a picture of the summer blue sky. Needless to say, I captured an after photo of that aggressive redfish and continued to have a blast photographing redfish before catching them.

This spring has certainly brought some great experiences and awesome catches, but none better than a four day outing with Kevin Clark and his two kids. Kevin was asked to transfer to Arizona, but before he was to leave, his desire was to put his two sons on some snook action. His wishes came true; all three of the Clark's experienced personal best days. Kevin and Kevin Jr were at the end of an aggressive snook bite and caught some world class linesiders. Kraig did not stay behind for long, landing his biggest trout ever at 6- lbs and twenty-six-plus inches. What a way to leave the Lone Star State!

The month of May will offer many opportunities. With the water level being high, be sure to checkout your accessible back bay shorelines, look for signs of baitfish. Try fishing in areas that you have never fished before. Who knows you too might experience the bite of aggression and actually see a fish's behavior right before it crushes your bait. If you have never been a part of stalking fish on shallow flats, this type angling adventure should go on your list of things to do. Are you up for it? I know from past experiences the month of May can bring you plenty of opportunities. But beware- this type of fishing is not for everyone, especially the weak hearted.