When the water gets hot, the
fish move deeper
Have you noticed that all of those big schools of
redfish that were on the shallow flats at low tide have mysteriously
disappeared?
It seems when they leave it is almost an
overnight thing. Well, it has nothing to do with night but everything to do
with water temperature. But you say, heck there is bait of all kinds all
over those flats but the existence of Mr. Redfish seems to be lacking. I am
by no means a biologist but I do have a few tools on my boat that tell me
different properties of the water I am in. One of those things is an oxygen
sensor and I can tell you, that when the water temperature hits around 88
degrees the oxygen level in this water is about half of what it is in 70
degree water. When the water temperature hits the 92 degree mark, you can
just about kiss all of the dissolved oxygen goodbye.
This might have something to do with the larger
fish moving from these flats to deeper, cooler water on the low end of the
tides.
So, where should we be looking for reds on the
low end of the tides during very hot days? I like to try them just off of
the flats in deeper water. If you look, you should be able to find some
water in the 5 to 12 foot range off of the flats that we normally fish. I
look for deeper water that has some sort of current break, as a submerged
oyster mound. Here are two ways to find these current breaks.
If you are as fortunate as I and have a real good
color Humminbird recorder, turn your recorder to manual, then turn the gain
up until you start getting false echoes (fuzzy stuff from top to bottom)
then back off the gain until the false echoes have just barley gone away.
Now that you recorder is set to show a shrimp on the bottom, cruise slowly
off of the flats until you find deeper water. If you have a color unit, the
hard bottom will usually show up as deep red or black. You do not need a
five foot incline to hold fish. Just a few inches to a foot will do just
fine. See these fish still need to feed and hard bottom such as oyster
mounds attack bait and up the food chain it goes until it gets to you and I.
The chances of fish holding on these spots after
you have driven over the top of them is not very good but if you find
several of these spots now, you will be able to fish them next time or maybe
later on that day. I know all of you that catch fish regularly know that
fishing is not only about catching fish every time you go. Fishing is just
like all other things in life, sometimes to have to pay your dues to be good
at this.
Once you find one of these spots circle all
around it to be sure, you know exactly what is down there. If you have a
recorder with a GPS, save this as a waypoint. I like to circle all around
the spot so I can see where the structure is and what the bottom is like on
the edges. Sometimes the bottom on the edges is where I like to fish as most
of the time there will be a little six or seven inch deep trough around the
edge. If you can find a mound with a trough up next to it, this will be one
place to remember. All of you that know some spots like this, know exactly
what I am talking about and for those of you that have not, I am opening a
door to some killer fishing at times.
If you are like me and just have to try these
flats in the heat of the summer, work them on the first two hours of the
outgoing tide with top water lures like the MirrOlure She Dog, Top Pup or He
Dog. These are top water hard plastic baits that will generate explosive top
water strikes if the lures are worked properly. Here is what MirrOlure has
to say about HOW TO work these lures.
How to Walk
the Dog
Surface walkers are retrieved
with a twitching action called “walking-the-dog.” Make as long a cast as
possible, then retrieve the lure back to you in a straight line while
twitching your rod. This will make the lure dance quickly from
side-to-side. Each time you pop your rod tip, you will hear a sonic
click coming from your lure. This “fish calling” rattle inside the echo
chamber of the Dog produces explosive strikes.
Here is what Jim Hammond says about working a
top water lure.
To walk the dog you DO NOT move your rod tip
from side to side. Make your cast, get the slack out of your line, hold
the rod tip towards the water. Using your wrist only, briskly drag
(snap) your rod tip towards the boat about a foot, the lure should dart
to one side or the other and move towards you about 3 to 6 inches, turn
the reel handle to take up your line slack. REPEAT until you catch a
fish. DO NOT go home until you catch a fish. I will know if you leave
early. So keep at it. You are NOT trolling for MARLIN. You are trying to
draw a strike from a fish that is usually in an area that has more food
than it could eat in a lifetime, so work the lure slow. Between each
twitch of your wrist, give it a second or two before the next twitch.
UNDER NO circumstances yank back and set the hook when you have
a strike. These strikes are usually so violent the fish sets the hook
and your rod will be doubled over. I have see HUNDREDS of
strikes where the angler yanked back on the strike and MISSED the fish.
Sometimes these fish will strike your lure several times before they get
hooked up. If you yank the bait away from them, FORGET catching this one
and remember, you cant go home until you have caught one using this
method.
Here are my favorite colors for this style of
fishing.
Working top water lures is easiest when using
a bait caster style reel. For those of you that have never used a bait
caster very much, get yourself a Pflueger President (if you are right
handed, get a left handed model. This is the correct way if you are just
starting), an Ugly Stik rod (one with a short butt) and get out there
and catch some of this top water action.
Keep in mind if the oxygen content is low in
the water, you might want to get yourself a KeepAlive Oxygen Infuser
bait well pump.
Now for those of you that like to soak your
baits with your anchor down, there is no place like the jetties or rocky
inlets this time of the year. Slip around the outside of the inlet and
cast your net for a few dozen poggies and head toward the rocks. The
closer the better to the edge. Slip your anchor over and get ready for
some rod bending action. If you are right up against the rocks, you will
see there is very little current, so you can get away with about 1 to 2
ounces of lead to hold bottom. Set up your rigs using a Carolina rig
(Cajun Red line on your reel spool, then slide a bank or egg sinker on
the line, then a barrel swivel, then three feet of 30 to 50 pound test
Cajun Red leader then OF COURSE a Daiichi 5/0 Circle Wide hook and a
poggy hooked through the head. Send as many of these out behind the boat
as you can fish and get ready. With this rig, when the fish eats your
poggy, it is almost always hooked up and most of the time in the corner
of the mouth.
REMEMBER we have a new redfish rule. Lay the
fish on the ruler with mouth closed and pinch the tail to get the
maximum length. Size rule is still 18 to 27 inches overall length and
one per person.
The ocean is on fire with king
mackerel. Try live bait or fast trolling, either way should
produce many strikes. Remember, once hooked up, turn that handle
fast as you are not the one that wants the kings. Lots of toothy
critters would like to have a bite of your fish.
Here is something else that can be a
great time now that the fishing is a little slow. Slip on over
to Jacksonville Skeet and Trap Club and bust some clay pigeons.
They don't eat very good but are a blast to shoot. Give me a
call and I might go with you.
Remember Moms and Dads, spend some time
with your kids taking them fishing and you WILL NOT be looking for
them Friday and Saturday night. They will be home waiting to go the
next day. I PROMISE.
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