The Cape Cod Canal is one of the most popular, infamous land-based striped bass fishing spots in the Northeast. In total, the stretch runs seven miles of rocky shoreline, ripping currents, and a world of possibilities. The manmade waterway connects Cape Cod Bay to Buzzards Bay.

It’s popularity is obvious for a host of reasons. Most importantly, it’s accessible to non-boaters. The Atlantic striped bass use the canal as a shortcut during their annual migration. As opposed to going around the outside of Cape Cod — a much longer route — stripers save time and energy utilizing the strong currents to move north and south. With depths of up to 50 feet, not fishing from a boat, and tons of spots to choose from, the legendary canal can be an intimidating landscape. We want to help you tackle it. Here are five things you must have to fish the Cape Cod Canal.

Studded Boots for Fishing the Rocks

Let’s start with something that may not seem like an obvious piece of fishing gear, but is paramount when fishing the Cape Cod Canal — a nice set of studded boots. Many people visiting the canal, or the Northeast in general, don’t realize how large the tidal swings are on a daily basis. We are talking about differences from 6 to 12 feet depending on moon phases, time of year, and plenty of other variables. With such large tidal swings, this means that much of the rocky terrain that anglers use to cast and fish from is exposed to water on a daily basis. This exposure makes the terrain in the canal extremely slippery and surprisingly dangerous. Much of the shoreline is littered with rocks that can be as slick as an icicle.

Studded boots, from makers such as Korkers, give you the traction you need to land those big fish and, most importantly, stay safe. The drop-offs in the canal are huge and the current rips are no joke — it’s not a place you want to take a chance. The jetties are tall and looming, so safety is paramount.

Fish Grippers to Handle Striped Bass

Fish grippers are another tool that may slip many anglers’ minds, especially people who are used to fishing from beaches or boats. With the terrain you’ll be fishing from, to be able to safely land a fish, you want a pair of reliable fish grippers. Although it may not seem important, when you go to land that trophy striped bass, you have to climb down to get it. You’re going to be super happy to have those grippers. The grippers will also help you avoid taking a treble to the hand. Many of the baits people commonly use to fish the canal have large trebles. The grippers are vital to avoiding one of those hooks ending up in your hand.

Here are three lures I always have when targeting striped bass and bluefish in the Cape Cod Canal.

A 9-Inch Topwater Spook Lure

When it comest to lures, I want options to cover all parts of the water column. We want to fish the top,
middle and bottom to be successful. To cover the top, you’re going to need to tie on a 9-inch topwater spook. The color is not as important as the length. The striped bass and blues that come into the canal are feeding on three things: green mackerel, bunker or sand eels. Bass typically focus on the larger profile baits. To properly replicate that, you’re going to want a larger spook. Not only will the larger profile help “match the hatch,” it will also allow you to cover greater casting distances.

The Magic Swimmer Swimbait Lure

The Magic Swimmer could be the most prolific canal bait. This one lure has been responsible for more stripers than arguably any other lure in the Cape Cod Canal. It’s a hard plastic swimbait that is attached together by wire, similar to a glide bait. Berkley makes slow sinking and fast sinking variants. My recommendation is to always use the heavier fast sinking option so that you can cover more water.

If you need to retrieve the lure closer to the top, you can hold your rod in a more elevated position and retrieve faster. If you need to go lower in the water column, you can retrieve it slower. The depths in the canal vary, but they average greater than 20 feet. This bait is not meant to get to the bottom. The benefit of this bait is that you can do a straight retrieve against the ripping current. The action really stands out in the current, so stripers and blues love it.

The Savage Gear Sand Eel Lure

The Savage Gear Sand Eel is another icon of the Cape Cod Canal. Use the green mackerel color. This is a swim bait that incorporates a jig. A heavy jighead paired with a sleek, soft plastic paddle tail allows this bait to get to the bottom. With the currents and depths you’ll experience, bouncing bottom can be very hard to do at times in the canal. This swimbait is 5.33 ounces in weight, but you need that weight to get down to the bottom.

What makes this lure so good? Why so specific on color and size? Let’s start with why it’s so good.

The shape of the jighead on this swimbait cuts through current and sinks faster better than other baits. When it hits bottom, it’s meant to hit with the head down and the tail up. This movement replicates what sand eels do. They dig their nose in the sand and a striper typically eats them from the back. If you’ve ever seen striped bass eating sand eels in shallow water, they use their nose to dig them out of the sand and slurp them up. The color and size are important because, although this is meant to work on the bottom and replicate a sand eel, you are replicating green mackerel — another striper favorite in the canal.

Use these three lures at the Cape Cod Canal to catch trophy striped bass and blues. The best times to go vary year to year but traditionally, my favorite time is June and September. In June, the stripers are typically migrating north. In September, you can catch the fall run as they migrate south.

The post Five Must-Haves for Fishing the Cape Cod Canal appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

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Disaster struck the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, with enormous consequences. As a result of errors caused by shortcuts, miscalculations and questionable procedures, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, located 41 miles off the Louisiana coast, exploded, tragically taking 11 lives. The rig sank the next day still gushing oil after the emergency capping device was not activated. For nearly five months the well spewed an estimated 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day into the Gulf before it was finally sealed on September 19, 2010.

A government scientific panel later estimated 4,900,000 barrels of oil were vented during the prolonged spill, creating a slick of 57,500 square miles that impacted 1,100 miles of shoreline in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Subsequent trials and court settlements from the well’s owners and operators resulted in billions of dollars in fines to mitigate the environmental damage. Now, more than a decade later, a project funded with that money has finally come to fruition.

Oil Spill Funds Pay to Restore Fish Habitat

With a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), acting as manager, initiated the project in 2016. WSP was contracted to do pre- and post-construction monitoring of the sites. Jacobs was brought on as the engineering firm for the design, permitting and construction oversight, while CrowderGulf was the actual construction contractor. Anne Birch, TNC’s Florida Oceans and Coasts Survey Director, was the point person.

“The goal of this project was to help restore healthy, functioning oyster habitat in East and Blackwater Bays in the Florida Panhandle,” Birch explains. “Critical oyster habitat has been significantly reduced from its former range not only across the world but in the Gulf’s bays and estuaries. The bays of Santa Rosa County once teemed with oysters and historic maps bear that out. But decades of water quality degradation, among other challenges, led to a sharp decline in oysters and the important seagrasses that once flourished.”

The permitted sites were just offshore of the Escribano Point Wildlife Management Area, a tract managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) that backs up to the Eglin Air Force Base. The reefs are 200 to 700 feet from the shore on mud and sand. Breaks between the combined 33 marked reefs allow navigation. The minimum depth is about three feet and the tops of the reefs are visible during low tides for most of the year. David Stejskal, vice president of the Jacobs engineering firm, was involved in the design and planning from the start.

How the Oyster Reefs Were Built

“Water depth, hydrographic characteristics such as tides, currents and wave conditions, sea level rise, littoral sediment drift and oyster behavior and preferred environmental conditions were all considered,” Steiskal says. The reef material is limestone rocks sourced from Kentucky ranging from 140 to 495 pounds for the outer boundaries, with oyster shells along the back-reef portions facing the shoreline. The shells were collected from oyster houses in Bayou La Batre and other areas in Alabama. Four different reef designs were deployed, ranging from 126 to 333 feet long, 72 to 142 feet wide and approximately four feet high.

Tug boats and large barges were used to ship the limestone rock from Kentucky down river to Pensacola. Operators on site used smaller boats to push and tug additional barges with cranes and the limestone for placement. Construction was completed totally within the water to avoid impacting the adjacent wildlife management area.

“Most of the Gulf of Mexico has diurnal tides which means only one high and one low tide each day while most of the Earth’s coastal zones have two highs and two lows daily. Because of that and the reef’s shallow depths, the contractor had to work around the one high tide availability, day or night. Low tides delayed construction since the barges couldn’t access the project site. Alternatively, higher than usual high tides sometimes reduced visibility due to both the reef being completely submerged and because the water is naturally dark due to tannins brought in from the upstream Blackwater River. Those impacts created some delays.”

Matt Deavenport managed the design project out of Jacobs’ Pensacola, Florida office. He led the planning, modeling and design coordination and is the Engineer on Record. Heather Hyde was the construction manager on-site. Additional design input came from Dr. Luce Bassetti and Olwen Rowlands.

The overall cost of the East Bay Oyster Habitat Restoration Project was $13.1 million. Design, permitting and advance monitoring was just under $1.3 million, while the reef construction and post monitoring program bill was $11.8 million. WSP, a scientific company, will monitor the sites for the next five years to evaluate oyster recruitment and any increases in fish, crabs and water birds.

Why Gulf Oysters Are So Important

“The Gulf of Mexico connects, sustains and supports our communities,” Steiskal says. “Oysters are considered a core species, the building block of a healthy marine ecosystem, and the Gulf Coast has seen a rapid decline in oyster populations over the last few decades. Every person involved in this project understands and appreciates the importance of preserving, restoring and protecting the vibrancy of the Gulf. We are anglers, eco-tourists, or simply love a good seafood dinner, and none of those things are possible without projects like this.”

Birch expects to see positive results soon.

“We hope to see spat settlement within the next year,” she says. “Since the site previously was sandy bottom, providing a structure should provide habitat for and substantially increase invertebrates and fish. I’ve personally caught a good size red drum and spotted seatrout off one of the reefs in July.”

Others believe that timeline may be accelerated. Jonathan Browne is a local shallow-water enthusiast who targets the bay in his 18 Hewes Redfisher flats boat.

“I’m already catching more redfish in East Bay around the reefs,” Browne explains. “We really need more of these types of projects to improve the fishery and habitat. I just hope they will hold up during hurricanes.”

Sam Ravenal is another local angler who fishes East and Blackwater Bays regularly in his Nauticstar 231 hybrid bay.

“My family and I have been fishing the shorelines and the reefs since they started construction,” he said. “There are growing numbers of mullet and other minnows around the reefs, using them as cover. We’re catching some nice reds and I’ve seen some good-sized sharks cruising around, too. This is a really good thing for the bays. It livens up the shoreline and will make that area much more productive. The first reefs built are already showing more signs of life.”

Mother Nature is very resilient, given the chance. But sometimes a little nudge doesn’t hurt, especially when it comes after a man-made disaster.

Healthy Oysters Help Clean Water

Healthy adult oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water daily. Multiplied by hundreds of living oysters forming a reef and the water filtration is significant. Clean water in estuaries support aquatic grasses and other plants that need light to survive. These plants, in turn, yield benefits like fish production and carbon storage, completing an invaluable cycle.

Healthy oyster reefs also serve as buffers against rising sea tides and storms by forming natural breakwaters that help protect shorelines from erosion. Reefs have an economic benefit to harvesters and create “fish-making” habitat for species such as crabs and shrimp.

“When we help to restore and conserve oyster habitat and support the oyster fishery, we’re also helping our estuaries and our coastal communities thrive,” says TNC’s Anne Birch. “I can think of few other species that combine the ecological, economic and cultural benefits than the oyster.”

The post Building Oyster Reefs in Florida’s Panhandle appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

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In the early mornings along Florida’s coasts, you can hear the distinct cavernous pop of snook feeding on silvery finger mullet near the edge of a mangrove stand. The snook, hiding along the tangled knot of roots and branches, use the mangroves as ambush cover. That deep pop is distinct from the splashing of shouldered redfish that shake the mangrove branches as they forage for crabs and shrimp. When the finger mullet come into view, those same redfish will churn the water into thunderous boils. The mullet leap frantically away from the onslaught, darting into the cover of the roots. Whether in Florida, Texas or even Hawaii, mangroves are incredibly productive habitats for targeting many kinds of fish. Anglers who understand mangrove ecologies are better able to develop strategies for fishing these highly productive habitats.   

Mangroves are trees that have adapted to high-salinity coastal environments where other trees cannot survive. They are halophytes, saltwater-tolerant plants. Their roots and leaves can filter out as much as 90 percent of the salt from salt water. Mangroves’ unique root systems spread ­widely, giving them added support on wet, unstable ground. Those masses of roots effectively draw ­nutrients from the coastal soil and sand. 

Mangrove roots also serve as natural barriers for shorelines, trapping sediment that functions like an embankment along the coast, staving off coastal erosion. They also store carbon in their leaves, which then fall into the water and trap the carbon in the coastal soil, known as blue carbon. Though they grow on only 0.1 percent of Earth’s surface, mangrove forests store nearly 10 times as much carbon per hectare as other land-based trees. 

Worldwide, there are approximately 80 varieties of mangroves that can be found along the shores of more than 100 tropical and subtropical countries. Four varieties grow in Florida: red mangroves, black mangroves, white mangroves and buttonwood mangroves. Across the Gulf Coast, black mangroves have established themselves in smatterings along the shoreline and ­continue to expand their habitats, often replacing native salt marshes. 

Black mangroves are identifiable by their long, horizontal roots called pneumatophores that extend in short sticklike projections and grow up out of the sand; they look like root spikes around the mangroves growing up from the ground. Black mangroves tend to grow farther away from the waterline than red mangroves, so their roots do not appear as exposed. Black mangroves can grow as tall as 65 feet, but only reach about 50 feet in Florida. White mangroves grow at an even higher elevation from the water; thus, their roots remain underground and unseen. 

Mangrove shorelines are dynamic ecosystems where fishing can be incredibly productive. Mollusks colonize their roots. Crustaceans tuck away under their corners. Juvenile gamefish and schools of bait swarm in their rich waters. The system feeds on a rich soup of plankton, eggs, larvae and flesh that washes in and out with the tide. There’s bigger game here too using the cover of mangroves to ambush bait, take refuge from the sun, or hide from the ospreys and dolphins that prowl more-open waters. 

For inshore anglers, mangroves offer abundant opportunities for many kinds of target species. 

How to Fish Mangroves

The first skill you need is a side-arm cast—one good enough to contend with thick tangles of roots and branches. Use single-hook lures. Weedless lures are even better. Rig up with heavier tackle and line, enough to stop a fish from swimming back into the mangroves and breaking off. 

Target the edges. Fish as close to the roots and branches as you can. Look for fish all over, but concentrate effort on points, cuts, coves, bays, gaps, or other ambush points where structure and tide push bait past predictable places. Remember to fish points opposite the flow of the tide.

Look for deeper holes and cuts to find cooler water in the hotter months (and warmer spots in cooler months). In places like Crystal River, Florida, even a shallow hole along a mangrove stand can keep snook holed up along the mangroves. 

Don’t pull your boat all the way up to the mangroves. The closer you get, the more likely you’ll spook fish out of that area. 

Look for moving branches. On calm days, feeding fish like redfish might rub against the mangrove roots while foraging for crabs and shrimp. 

Live bait can be tricky in the mangroves. Pinfish, pilchards, and even shrimp can swim into the roots and get tangled. Sometimes, though, tricky is good. A live bait fished under a popping cork can be effective if you let the current drift the cork past a point or down the edge of a mangrove stand. Just make sure the bait can’t pull the cork more than the current can. Cut bait works well when fish are tucked in tight because scent draws them out. Try chunks of ladyfish or mullet for redfish, snook and snapper.

Topwater lures are immune to submerged roots. Work topwaters like search baits, using long casts parallel to edges. The commotion they make will draw snook, seatrout and redfish out from under cover.

Learn to skip-cast. It gets you under branches with enough tension on the line for an immediate retrieve that will keep your lure out of the roots. Spinning reels skip-cast better than levelwind or baitcasting reels.

When fishing mangroves, remember that the fish are there for the cover, so it is less likely they are cruising around the mangroves than they are settled in. If you spook fish out of a spot, try that spot again later. 

Mangrove Quick Facts

• There are approximately 80 varieties of mangroves; four of these can be found in Florida. 
• Mangroves provide habitat for species such as snook, redfish, speckled trout, jacks, sheepshead, grunts, schoolmasters, gray snapper and juvenile grouper species.
• In South Florida, approximately 75 percent of recreational gamefish rely on mangrove habitats during some part of their lives.
• The rich muddy bottoms and tangle of roots in a mangrove stand make the ideal home for an array of animals, such as crabs, snails, barnacles, shrimp, oysters, muscles, clams and bristle worms. Some crabs and snails also live in the mangrove branches above the water’s surface.  
• Mangrove roots collect algae that many organisms living in that habitat feed on. 

The post Seven Ways to Fish Mangroves appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

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The advent of the remote-­controlled trolling motor might be one of the greatest fishing innovations ever. It allows anglers to do previously impossible things. But while some might have thought it would make the push pole another victim of automation, poles still have a vital role in the hunt for skittish fish in skinny water. Knowing when to go from one to the other is key.  

Don’t Cut the Grass

Seagrasses act as nurseries for aquatic animals. Turtle grass, in particular, is a hot topic ­because it’s been disappearing at an alarming rate, which has led to the collapse of fishing in certain areas. It’s ­increasingly important to reverse this trend. So, if a trolling motor is leaving chopped ­salad in its wake, go to the pole.  

Shallow-Water Stealth 

In shallow, clear water, the fish feel vulnerable. If there’s any sound, shadow or vibration, they will act like the Road Runner and vamoose in a cloud of silt. This is another scenario where poling is the best option, but only if ­done skillfully. Successful poling takes practice to minimize the scrunching sound of the pole on the bottom and avoid banging it against the boat. Those new to poling will likely do better using a trolling motor until their skills improve. Practice poling in between bites when the fish are gone.  

Wind and Tide

There are times when the wind is blowing and the tide is ripping enough that poling alone won’t cut it, especially if fishing on a larger boat. Some captains use a ­stern-mounted trolling motor to augment poling. Evidence suggests a trolling motor on its lowest power setting and running at a steady speed affects fish less than speeding up and slowing down frequently. Rookie polers would do better with a trolling motor at a low, steady speed when the wind or tide is strong, using the pole only to slightly alter course.

Depth of Water

In deeper and murkier ­water, using a trolling motor is the way to go. It allows boating anglers to cover more area, which should lead to more opportunities. Fish feel safer when they have ample water above and below for maneuvering. And a lack of clarity provides cover for fish, which adds to their comfort level.

Trolling motors are ­superior because they can be programmed to follow contours, and the angler can control the trolling motor with a remote fob, allowing everyone on board, including the captain, to fish. For those fishing solo, poling and then picking up a rod to cast involves too many moving parts. If fishing alone and poling is a must, doing it from the bow makes it easier.

Read Next: How to Pole a Skiff

Species of Fish

Although any fish in shallow water tends to spook more than a fish swimming in deep water, bonefish, tarpon and permit tend to be warier than redfish and trout. There’s also anecdotal evidence that older fish and resident populations under heavy fishing pressure have learned the sound of a trolling motor means danger.  

Trolling-Motor Pros

• Gives the ability to cover more water
• Can be programmed to ­follow a route
• Never gets tired (until the battery fails)
• Many can be controlled from anywhere on the boat with a remote control fob
• A live-sonar transducer can be attached to the shaft to provide a movable view of what’s below and forward

Trolling-Motor Cons

• Can bump the bottom or scare fish if used in really shallow water
• If used aggressively, the variable noise and resultant bow wake can spook fish
• Can hurt seagrass 
• Motors can break down

Push-Pole Pros

• In skillful hands, it’s the stealthiest method
• Those poling usually stand high on a platform, which helps in spotting fish
• Never breaks down
• Working a push pole is great exercise 
• Can be used for jousting with other bored captains when the bite is off 

Push-Pole Cons 

• Requires manual labor
• Less overall control of the boat
• Hard to fish by yourself
• Can bang on the deck when deploying or stowing
• Can be noisy against hard bottom

Learning when to pole and when to use the trolling motor is mostly a matter of experience. Personal observation of how fish react to the sound and vibration of a trolling motor will dictate when it’s better to use the push pole. One thing’s for certain: There will always be a time and a place for this form of manual ­override. 

Brushless Trolling Motors are Quiet. But…

In 2019, the Lowrance Ghost and Garmin Force were unveiled, which both use quieter, brushless motors. But they are also among the most expensive, starting at $3,499 for the Lowrance and $3,550 for the Garmin. The max shaft length for the Garmin is 57 inches, and the Lowrance has a 60-inch model, which may be too short for some boats. The real deal breaker for the Lowrance Ghost is that using it in salt water voids the warranty, though use in brackish water is OK when an owner adds a factory-­authorized sacrificial anode to the shaft.

The post Trolling Motor Vs. Poling for Shallow-Water Fishing appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

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Recently, a buddy of mine hooked a large amberjack. As he was fighting the fish, I started talking about how AJs are underrated as table fare. On a scale between tuna and mahi, I’d say they fall somewhere in between, with an added kind of buttery flavor. My friend agreed, but said the one he was hooked up with was too big to eat. “The only way I’ll eat this fish is if we smoke it and make fish dip out of it,” he said. 

Small fish eat better than big ones. I’ve heard that statement about so many fish species: Redfish, black drum, cubera snapper, mackerel, bluefish and the list goes on. Also, some species such as tuna tend to taste great no matter the size. Why is this?

Why Bigger, Older Fish Taste Different

One reason is that  larger fish have more contaminants (like mercury) in their flesh. Another is that older, bigger fish are more likely to have parasites like worms in their meat. But I’ve also watched folks carefully clean a big fish to remove worms and then eat those fish without noticing any diminishment to the quality of the meat.

My grandfather also used to swear that the meat of bigger redfish or amberjack became fibrous and unpalatable. I asked a buddy who happens to be both a renowned guide in southwest Florida and a professional chef why he thinks this is.

Eric Henson points to the differences in the diets of younger fish, explaining that with inshore fish, most smaller fish “pretty much key in on crustaceans like smaller crabs or shrimp because they are an easier target.”

According to Henson, this likely contributes to the meat of the smaller fish having a sweeter taste. He also says that the fibers in the meat of younger fish are smaller, making them flakier and more delicate. He suggests, too, that it is also more likely that younger fish are healthier fish, not having been exposed to as many ailments or injuries that might affect their meat over time. As he puts it, healthier fish equals healthier meat. 

What’s your theory? Would you rather keep a big fish with more meat, or a small fish that tastes better? Let us know in the comments or on social media. We want to hear from you.

The post Why Do Small Fish Taste Better Than Big Ones? appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

There are 78 species of mullet and each one has a unique appearance and behavior. Imitating them, some of the most common backwater baitfish, is key to fooling the wariest inshore sport fish.

Anglers who chase the annual mullet run, when huge schools of the small cigar-shaped fish migrate along the coast, learn to track the arrival and movements and recognize the many different sizes, colors and behaviors of the little fish. Mullet colors vary from region to region, matching the purple, black, browns, green, yellow, gray and silver is the first step in pulling off the deception.

Mullet also have characteristic behaviors. Sometimes mullet swim on the surface creating a small wake on calm water. Other times, the fish root around the bottom kicking up mud. Mullet also hover at mid depths, hanging in the water almost motionless. Then, an injured mullet will spasm, dart and pause until a predator finishes it off. The best mullet lures imitate the fish’s many shades and moods. Since there isn’t room in the tackle box for a hundred lures, our picks cover the bases when the mullet run arrives.

Top Mullet Hard Bait: MirrOlure 52MR

One of the most iconic inshore lures perfectly imitates mullet. The MirrOlure 52 MR sinking twitchbait can be worked several ways. To cover water and find fish, cast out the 52 MR and retrieve at a steady pace. To entice finicky fish, use a pause and twitch return: give the rod tip two sharp twitches followed by a pause to let the lure sink slowly. Crank in the slack line and repeat the twitch and pause. This tactic leaves the lure in the strike zone longer, so redfish, speckled trout and striped bass can zero in for the kill. To seal the deal, the 52MR comes in a dozen colors and patterns. Each lure uses a shiny foil insert to imitate the mullet’s flash and sparkle. Three super-sharp treble hooks snare any fish that smacks, strikes or sniffs the 52MR.

Top Mullet Topwater Bait: Heddon Saltwater Super Spook

One of the mullet’s favorite moves is swimming just under the surface creating a tiny V-wake on the water. The Heddon Zara Spook was designed to imitate this behavior. In fact, the Zara Spook pretty much invented the walk-the-dog topwater retrieve. Cast out the lure, point the rod tip at the water, slowly crank the reel while twitching the rod tip left, right to make the lure zig-zag across the top of the water. The five-inch Super Spook’s cigar shape presents a life-like profile of a mullet swimming on the surface. The saltwater version has three corrosion-resistant treble hooks to nab short-striking predators. Heddon expanded the color choices to include three-dimensional flash and dozens of mullet-imitating patterns.

Top Mullet Soft Bait: Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ with Trout Eye Jighead

A soft plastic paddle tail on a lead-head jig is a classic mullet imitation in every inshore angler’s tackle box. Z-Man took the classic to the next level with the DieZel MinnowZ. First, a slot between the dorsal fins fits a weedless or jighead hook without interfering with the hook point. Then, the soft plastic floats to keep the tail suspended when the lure is resting on the bottom. Captain Dave Lusk, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, likes the DieZel MinnowZ for durability and versatility. “The Diezel MinnowZ comes in 46 color combinations to match the conditions,” he says.

When the water is clear, he goes with a natural color like Wright Stuff or Green Pumpkin. If the water is dirty or stained, he chooses a brighter color like sexy mullet or lime pearl. The best feature of the DieZel MinnowZ is the soft, stretchy Elaztech plastic, which is 10 times tougher than comparable materials. Lusk says, “The DieZel MinnowZ will catch dozens of fish and stand up against bluefish and pinfish.”

Top Mullet Swimbait: LiveTarget Mullet Swimbait

The LiveTarget Mullet Swimbait is an exact copy of an actual mullet. But making a lure look like a baitfish and getting it to act like a baitfish are two separate challenges. LiveTarget killed two birds with one lure. The Mullet Swimbait is designed to be a 100-percent anatomically correct copy of a real mullet. At 1 ounce, the lure swims shallow, which is perfect for skinny water. The stiff dorsal fin makes the lure weedless, so it can go deep into the grass without snagging. But looks aren’t everything. The Mullet Swimbait has a unique hard-plastic tail that produces a tight wobble like a fleeing baitfish. The LiveTarget Mullet Swimbait is easy to use. The best way to entice a bite is with a steady retrieve, the realistic look and action will draw fish to the mullet imitation.

Top Mullet Surface Swimmer: Strike King Saltwater Sexy Dawg Hard Knock

Captain Mike Frenette has been a guide and tournament angler in Louisiana’s backwater for decades. Last year, he invested all of his experience into the Strike King Saltwater Sexy Dawg Hard Knock. Using a walk-the-dog, zig-zagging retrieve, the Sexy Dawg imitates a wounded mullet trying to escape. “The hard knock rattle adds the sound dimension to excite gamefish,” Frenette says.

To survive the rigors of salt water fishing, the new lure uses Mustad hooks connected with split rings. “I’m most partial of the colors,” Frenette adds. “Bait fish colors vary greatly and the color contrast will fit in anywhere around the world.”

Top Mullet Darter Bait: Tactical Anglers Hot Mullet SubDarter

“Mullet come in a million different colors, but they all share one color in common,” says pro angler Alberto Knie. After observing mullet for years, Knie noticed the baitfish turn a bright purple and green when they are being chased by a predator. “I call the color hot mullet,” he says. Knie matched the look with his Hot Mullet color for Tactical Anglers lures. His favorite model is the SubDarter, a wide-body plug with a slanted head.

“I can work the SubDarter straight, pause and crank, twitch, work it across the surface or deep dive,” he says. “Big fish eat big baits.” The SubDarter’s internal sound chamber and deep gill ridges create vibration to attract fish in dark and dirty water. The bait comes in 7 and 5.5 inches.

Top Soft Plastic Mullet: D.O.A. Bait Buster

“It isn’t pretty, but this is a fish-catching machine,” is how D.O.A. Lures describes its Bait Buster, a soft plastic swimbait and jighead hybrid. The soft plastic body has a large pocket to hold the jig head and hook shank. This allows the angler to change the hook size and weight to adjust how the lure works.

To target tarpon off coastal Georgia, Captain Greg Hildreth uses a D.O.A. Bait Buster with the ⅞-ounce trolling hook. Hildreth explains, “The trolling model has a beefier hook and it sinks fast.” To tempt Georgia tarpon, Hildreth uses a slow and steady retrieve. The 4.5-inch lure is a perfect match for a mullet and the double curly tail creates vibration and gives the lure a tight swimming action. Hildreth’s favorite colors are green back and silver body or black back and silver body.

Top Lipped Hard Bait Mullet: Bomber Saltwater Grade Long Shot

To imitate a large mullet fleeing for its life, Captain Greg Hildreth relies on the Bomber Long Shot. “I use the Long Shot more than any other lure,” he says. To match the size of a large mullet, the Long Shot comes in 5- to 7-inch models. When he’s targeting feeding tarpon, Hildreth uses a slow and steady retrieve and lets the Long Shot do the work. The lure dives down to four feet and swims with an exaggerated side-to-side wobble. To mimic regional variations of bait color and pattern, the Long Shot comes in 10 color combinations. Hildreth favorite colors are black and green mackerel.

Top Mullet Fly: Popovics Bulkhead Deceiver

The bulkhead deceiver fly, popularized by legendary fly designer Bob Popvics, uses bucktail saddle hackles to create a long and full profile. The fly is a popular mullet imitation all over the world and a favorite of Chesapeake Bay fly fishing guide Capt. Chris Newsome. “The bulkhead deceiver is a breeze to cast and it has a round mullet profile with a lot of movement,” he says. When tying the bulkhead deceiver, Newsome suggests using less material so it spins evenly and is easier to trim. He uses the deceiver for a variety of species including sight casting to cobia. “I like a bright color I can see on the surface,” he says. When he’s enticing a cobia, he uses a sharp strip followed by a long pause. “The change in speed elicits a reaction strike,” he says.

Top Scented Mullet Lure: Gulp! Alive! Swimming Mullet

No list of mullet lures would be complete without the Gulp! Alive! Swimming Mullet. Almost 20 years ago, Berkley introduced the scent infused soft plastic and it became an instant classic. Starting with a 3 ½-inch curly tail soft plastic, the Swimming Mullet has a heavy body with molded fins and scales for a natural, textured look. Berkley worked for years to develop the absorbent soft plastic material and optimized fish attractant. Use the Gulp! Alive! Swimming Mullet with an ⅛ to ½ ounce jig head to imitate a mullet bouncing along the bottom or swimming through the water. The Swimming Mullet is so effective at attracting fish, many anglers rig it on a Carolina rig or bottom rig and fish the soft plastic like a live mullet.

Bonus Bait: A Largemouth Bass Swimbait for Salt Water

The Shimano ARMAJOINT 190SF Flash Boost swimbait is a big bass catcher that’s also perfect for the mullet run. The new bait is intended for mega freshwater largemouth bass. Mullet-run anglers will like it because it casts plenty far. That means anglers fishing with their feet in the sand can reach fish beyond the breakers. With help from its ArmaBoost technology, the plug uses internal magnets to force a compact shape during the cast. In the water, the bait swims in an S-pattern because of its ArmaJoint design. With seemingly endless amounts of flash, this swimbait is definitely worth a try.

The post The Best Lures to Throw During the Mullet Run appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

Success in any worthwhile endeavor always begins with a solid foundation. The same applies to both inshore and coastal fishing, where correctly reading and understanding the bottom provides essential details that’ll guide your positioning, bait choices and timing, ultimately leading to more productive and consistent results.

Hard Facts

Serving as forage-gathering centers, current breaks, space heaters and sunning stations, solid structures and hard-bottom composition that punctuates barren or muddy expanses are definite fish magnets. In the Mississippi Delta, Capt. Anthony Randazzo notes that hard sand flats, oyster bars or shell reefs over a mud-bottom bay draw baitfish and attract more speckled trout, redfish and flounder.

Likewise, a rock pile on a muddy coastal stretch congregates fish that would typically avoid the area. The same principle applies to eroded roseau-cane points in duck ponds with mostly muddy bottoms, common in the coastal marshes of Louisiana and Mississippi.

In the largely muddy Everglades backcountry, Capt. Rick Stanczyk explains, snagging your jigs on isolated rocks, sponges and coral patches, or feeling the telling clunk or crunch when your push pole makes contact with solid bottom is a sign that your surroundings probably hold both natural forage and hungry predators looking for a meal.

Stanczyk also points to Florida Bay’s random hard-bottom patches, which draw seasonal visits from tarpon and snook while also housing gag and juvenile goliath groupers, as do similar areas farther up the Gulf Coast. Idling and graphing reveal the occasional promising spot, but Stanczyk watches for rolling tarpon and then explores the immediate area. While fishing bottom baits for tarpon, a snook, redfish or grouper bycatch often confirms he is on good, hard bottom.

Capt. William Toney of Homosassa, Florida, targets west-facing points because incoming tides scour the limestone bottom, creating habitat for crustaceans and baitfish, and depositing mud and other unproductive sediment on the east side of many small islands and keys in the area. Rising tides usher snook, trout and redfish onto these clean, rocky edges.

Productive Grounds

In addition to rock, there are several other types of hard bottom that also pay dividends for anglers.

Oysters, whether the natural oyster bars flanking mangrove shorelines in Florida, the sprawling oyster mounds extending from marsh banks in Georgia and the Carolinas, or the commercial oyster reefs along the Mississippi Delta, offer food and current breaks for prowling inshore game species, which tend to hold on the deeper side during low tide and march up the mollusk structure with rising water. Turns, points and flow-through gaps in the oysters, by the way, are often the sweet spots.

Likewise, crumbling piers, docks, or the platforms of nearshore oil or gas rigs in the Mississippi Delta indicate bottom rubble—and often oysters—that offer similar benefits to various popular angler targets. Other man-made hard-bottom sites within coastal bays, including wrecks and artificial reefs made up of construction rubble or concrete reef domes, hold snapper, grouper, sheepshead, grunts and porgy. Bottom rigs work fine, but trolling plugs also do the job, especially on grouper.

Riprap and scattered rock or shell, especially off the tips of islands, prove attractive feeding stations on high -water. And unique to Texas’ Baffin Bay, worm rock, the hardened calcium-carbonate tubes left by serpulid worms some 300 to 3,000 years ago, created reefs that attract redfish and giant speckled trout.

Grass Class

The cradle of life for southern estuaries, seagrass abounds with crustaceans, invertebrates and small finfish, providing plenty of forage for gamefish and, in turn, ample opportunity for anglers dialed in to the high-percentage zones.

On Florida’s Gulf coast, from Charlotte Harbor to Tampa Bay, Capt. C.A. Richardson looks for the flat, ribbonlike stalks of turtle grass on the bottom to find speckled trout, redfish and snook. The soft-bodied trout hunt and seek shelter in the grass, while the reds and snook stake out potholes and depressions amid the grass, where they can wait in ambush or take advantage of the greater visibility to pick off passing prey not obscured by vegetation.

Seasonal water temperatures determine depth, but locating flats with thick grass and deep water nearby is money, not just for the three game species mentioned, but other favorites as well. In South Florida waters, for instance, the same holds true for bonefish.

Redfish also graze for crabs, shrimp, worms and other morsels over salt-and-pepper bottom, a mix of sand and thin, cylindrical manatee grass. Meanwhile, limestone outcroppings, with their typical tidal furrows, offer prime holding spots for lurking snook.

Depth Perception

While drop-offs, cuts, channels and holes offer low-tide lobbies where fish stage until water rises, it’s important to note that water-temperature stability increases with depth, which becomes increasingly essential to success during the cooler times of year. However, the right approach varies with location as well as the season.

“Most smaller channels and drains in the backwaters are shallower and tapering,” Randazzo says. “We start fishing as shallow as possible and work toward deeper water. Larger channels closer to the Mississippi River offer deeper water and sharper depth changes, where we target fish feeding in eddies,” he adds.

In Florida, snook stack in deeper water off island tips, and in creek bends and troughs along mangrove shorelines. Cuts and troughs perpendicular to mangroves, seawalls or jetties are the approach routes.

Stanczyk finds that cuts and channels slicing through the grass and mudflats in Florida Bay hold a variety of bottomfish, with the mix of species and sizes increasing with proximity to the Gulf.

Creek Complexion

Tides carve twists and turns with deeper water on the outside bends of coastal creeks, creating ambush pockets for gamefish. Conversely, the bars and shallow flats on the inside edge of creek bends allow predators to pin their prey against a sideline.

Some fish move in and feed during incoming tides, while others use structure for ambush feeding during falling water.

Arteries draining marshes and other backwaters create funnels that deliver a bounty to waiting predators during falling tides, precisely why it pays to focus on fishing the mouths of such drainages.

“A creek mouth will be scoured out white, but then you’ll see a dark sediment line where the current drops the sediment,” Richardson says. “Fish sit in that sediment because the darker bottom is warmer in cooler times, and they’re more camouflaged.”

Seasonality

The availability and activity level of many target species varies with the calendar. In Homosassa, for example, Toney says coastal rocks that hold snapper, sea bass and mackerel during the warm months host pre-spawning sheepshead in winter.

As temperatures dip, inshore gamefish seek more favorable conditions in dead-end sloughs, pipeline or residential canals, and protected waters where mud or other dark bottom collects heat. But seasonal hydrology influences the fish’s bottom preferences in many areas.

Troughs, depressions and backwater holes along the Gulf Coast shine during negative winter tides, when water levels drop below mean low tide. Cold fronts often amplify the impact as strong winds push outgoing tides to lower levels and hinder rising water during incoming tides.

When spring finds a high Mississippi River spewing muddy, cold fresh water through every cut and passage, anglers flee the turbid flow and target areas with harder sand bottoms and good tidal influence, which warm up faster.

Factor bottom composition into your inshore or coastal fishing strategy, and you’ll keep the rods bent.

The post Fishing Structure and Reading the Bottom appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

Although the winter months force most inshore anglers north of the Mason-Dixon line to suspend their hobby, other parts of the country remain quite good. Aside from the periodic cold fronts, light tackle enthusiasts from the Carolinas south and across the Gulf can enjoy consistent action with redfish, seatrout, flounder, black drum, snook and other popular game fish. Wintertime negative low tides also offer excellent opportunities for scouting. The lower water levels reveal features and structure that can be added to chart plotter waypoints and targeted throughout the year. Here are some key aspects to focus on:

The post Winter Scouting appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

Perched on the bow of Capt. Jesse Bloomquist’s skiff, I dropped my jig—tipped with half a green crab—a mere 8 feet off a back-bay sod bank in Margate, New Jersey. Rolling on the submerged sod, it wavered back and forth until I felt a slight tap. I let the fish munch on the crab a little, then set the hook hard. Seconds later, a 4-pound blackfish flopped on deck.

No heavy reeling, no meat-stick ­fishing, no waiting for the lure to hit bottom some 150 feet down—the water we were fishing was so shallow that I could walk back to the dock. Big blackfish were the target, but armed only with light tackle, we were in search of bay dwellers.

Hallowed Shallows
Northeastern backwaters harbor ­myriad structure outside of the traditional wreck and reef blackfish haunts. Sod banks that naturally slide off into the channels create submarine ­hangouts and hideaways, rock piles surrounding Intracoastal Waterway markers and marina entrances provide rocky habitat, and piers and bulkheads offer forage: a mix of sea worms, crabs, crustaceans and mollusks.

Shallow-bay action with blackfish occurs from April through November, with late April to June, and September through November the prime ­periods. Optimal ­water temperatures sit between 62 to 65 degrees, but tautog will bite in water ­ranging from the mid-50s up to 70 degrees. Unlike deepwater systems, bay toggers fish depths in the 8- to 18-foot range, and sometimes go as shallow as 4 feet, focusing on clean, clear water, primarily from an hour before high tide to an hour after, when they don’t have to deal with a ripping ­current, and minimal tidal flow usually results in cleaner water.

Dig the Jig
Though virtually unheard of more than five years ago, jigging for tautog is ­definitely not a passing fad.

The peculiar way a crab bait lies horizontally on the shank of the weighted hook, how it sits on the seafloor, and the immediate transmission of the bite to the rod tip have gained the jigs vast popularity and accounted for the lion’s share of fish caught in recent years. But shallow waters present an opportunity to target tautog with lighter tackle, making for a true challenge.

The key to finding ’tog in the backwaters starts with searching the sedge banks.

“I start out by using the side-scan to ­identify prime sunken structure in bay waters,” says Bloomquist of Flat Out Fishin’ Charters. “I look for spots where sod banks have slid off and sunk into the water, kind of like submarine steps. Once I find a decent spot, I disperse bits of ­crab legs and shells to chum up fish. Then I set the spot lock on the trolling motor to hold position; this way, I can move up or back 10 feet and work all zones around the spot,” he adds. “If there’s little or no current, I just toss the anchor onto the sod banks and let out enough rode to get over the spot.”

Bloomquist fishes slack tide ­primarily, but when the tide picks up, it often creates swirling eddies off the sedge points that basically act as ­stationary waters.

“Optimal conditions to jig are ­little to no current and no wind, to enable a straight, vertical presentation. I’m looking for 62- to 65-­degree water in September through November, in depths ranging from 12 to 20 feet. Most of the fish we catch run 2 to 6 pounds, but I’ve seen 12-pounders caught in just 8 feet of water.”

Bloomquist’s ’tog jig rig consists of 30-pound-braid running line ­connected to a 24-inch section of ­20- to 30-pound fluorocarbon with a surgeon’s knot, and a ¼- to 1-ounce jig head tied to the leader with a clinch knot. Custom jigs are primo, but a regular Kalin’s leadhead will do in a pinch.

When plying sedges, Bloomquist prefers 1/0 banana-style jigs that sit flat with the hook pointing up. But he switches to a boxing-­glove-style jig head, which slides between the ­crevasses better, when fishing a wreck or rocky spot.

“I look for jigs with a chip-resistant coating in bright orange and green, to mimic a green or white legger crab. I tip the jig with half a crab and, instead of jigging with sweeping strokes, I let the lure-and-bait combination jig sit on the bottom.

“There’s no need to twitch it; the trick is discerning the bites, as tautog tend to grab the hook and latch themselves on while chewing away at the bait,” Bloomquist says. “You usually feel a few light taps and some weight. It takes some practice to dial in just when to set the hook.”

Throwing Darts
“Rushing tides flow over submerged jetties, creating a washing-machine-type atmosphere that kicks up forage,” says Capt. Dave DeGennaro of Hi-Flier. He takes full advantage of the conditions that produce feeding frenzies from July through September to pluck blackfish off the Barnegat Inlet jetties and backwater rock piles.

“I anchor about 75 feet from a jetty and chum the waters, throwing handfuls of grass shrimp back toward the jetty to start a chum slick,” DeGennaro says. “Ideally, I hit the advanced stages of the incoming tide, when it’s flowing in over submerged rocks, creating turbulence and stirring up crustaceans and sea worms.”

DeGennaro scales down to 7-foot medium-action spinning rods and 4000-class reels spooled with 12-pound monofilament line.

His shrimping rig consists of a 50-pound Spro barrel swivel, 30 inches of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader, and either a size No. 1 bronze Baitholder hook or a ¼-ounce shad dart, on which he impales a lump of five or six grass shrimp.

Most times, such ­shrimp-ball baits are free-lined sans weight, but if hits are scarce, DeGennaro sometimes pinches on a split shot, and uses a small RediRig float or slip bobber about 20 feet above the bait.

“I’ll free-line baits back into the rocks, letting the current carry them naturally,” DeGennaro says. “If using a bobber, I pull out 20 feet of line, then add the bobber by hand, keeping slack on the line delivering the shrimp ball toward the jetty for a suspended, ­natural presentation.”

However, with such light ­tackle and slack line, hits can be light and undetectable.

“Usually, the pickup is just a light bump, not the usual pounding hammer ­generally ­attributed to blackfish,” DeGennaro adds. “We set the hook on every check of the rod, as you can’t always detect a bite with the slack line, though most times you will feel the blackfish run off with the bait.”

One-Stop Droppin’
If conditions are too gnarly or the ­current too fast to implement ‘tog jig and dart presentations, it’s always a good bet to pull out the standard ­single-hook-and-weight dropper (aka Belmar Rig). Capt. Sean Reilly, who charters from Kirra out of Ocean City, New Jersey, relies on this tactic around both hardscrabble ­rubble off ­marina bulkheads and riprap around ICW markers.

“The Belmar is a standard blackfish rig, but since we are only fishing in 6 to 15 feet of water, the bites are easier to detect,” Reilly adds. “Plus the rig works when conditions won’t allow any ­other way of fishing. It saves the day when the weather deteriorates, and you can’t anchor to fish light-tackle jigs. If the ­current is running too hard, I rope off to channel markers and bulkheads to hold position over the rocky rubble that bolsters the base. Tying off gives us the opportunity to fish dropper rigs without anchoring.”

Deepwater and brawny tactics aren’t the only game in town when it comes to targeting tautog. Search in shallow back-bay waters, and you shall find hungry blackfish there too.

The post Inshore Tautog Fishing appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.

Fishing new locations can be as intimidating as it is exciting. Regardless of the area, however, there are key essentials that lead to fish. Factor in the following points prior to such a trip, and also once on location, and you’ll likely earn a spot at the fish-cleaning table at day’s end.

Structure
Be it for sanctuary, ambush cover or spawning, gamefish thrive around structure, of which there are ­various types. Therefore, study premium, ­highly detailed charts (electronic or ­paper) with tight contour lines that show troughs, ledges, shelves, rock formations, channels and crevices to help ­determine where your target gamefish might be lurking.

Soft Targets
Troughs are especially good holding spots for large striped bass, fluke, redfish, trout, snook or tarpon. Those close to ocean passages are productive for fish transitioning between inshore and nearshore waters. Within inlets and along beaches, large king mackerel come from troughs, which provide an opportunity for fish to remain out of a hard current and ambush bait. Rocks, hard bottom patches, and even small pieces of debris over mostly sand or mud bottom are usually havens for fluke, tautog, snook, trout, cobia, grouper and snapper.

For instance, the shallow Gulf rock piles off the Marquesas, some 28 miles west of Key West, are relatively small targets. Sitting in 30 to 55 feet of water, they’re often overlooked for greener pastures. However, those small targets keep the rods bending with red, gag and Goliath groupers, and lane, mangrove and mutton snappers, along with the occasional king mackerel. The same principle applies throughout the entire Gulf Coast, as well as along Atlantic-side shallows, given some variation in the available species.

Hard Targets
Bridges, inlets, ­artificial reefs, oil rigs, and the Intercoastal Waterway are obvious fish attracters. Bridges can be excellent for striped bass, snook, tarpon, redfish, fluke, and grouper and snapper. Probing their up-­current side with free-lined live baits, pitched bucktails, or trolled swimming plugs often leads to success.

Inlet jetty points, where fish stalk ­prey in back eddies, are also prime. Providing traffic isn’t heavy, trolling swimming plugs through inlets and passes and along the ICW is an excellent way to locate fish and bottom structure.

Suspended Targets
Weed lines and floating debris attract dolphin and wahoo. Yet such structure is only as productive as the bait it gathers. The longer a board, tree or crate ­remains at sea, the more growth it accumulates. In time, it supports a ­thriving ecosystem complete with ­forage species and gamefish. If a board looks fresh or a weed line is devoid of bait, don’t waste time on them; search out live weed lines and debris.

Water Flow
Good water flow is essential for ­successful fishing, as is the proper water-temperature window for desired species. Flowing water moves bait and activates the feeding stations outlined above, as well as those along the edges of flats, at creek mouths and within inlets. Also, note the whereabouts of any impoundments, which discharge after heavy rains; the backsides of eddies forming around the outflow, and the funneling of that water (and forage) out the mouth of a canal or creek become major feeding stations.

Offshore, water-circulation ­features hint where action may occur. For instance, shoreward-spinning Gulf Stream eddies bring tuna and ­billfish within range of many anglers.

The varying temperatures of the two converging water masses (warm-­water eddy versus nearshore-slope water) create thermal boundaries, which, in turn, spawn mini ecosystems that include plankton and algae blooms, small ­species foraging on these blooms, larger baitfish and, ultimately, gamefish. Furthermore, the edge of the eddy ­flowing from deep to shallow creates nutrient-rich upwellings, supercharging its potential.

The longer an eddy ­remains parked over prominent bottom structure, the more life it attracts.

Off Florida’s Atlantic coast, the Gulf Stream’s true western edge is sought after for reasons similar to mid-Atlantic and Northeast eddies. Fingers are more prominent with Gulf Stream travel here, where an elongated pull of warm water heads shoreward a bit, prior to curving south and eventually being reabsorbed within the Gulf Stream.

Knowing the whereabouts of the Gulf Stream’s true western edge and any fingers helps locate weeds and fish. Upwellings and bait-rich pockets are likely where the true edge (or finger) ­intersects deep bottom structures.

Within the Gulf of Mexico, offshoots from the Loop Current bring tropical water and fish associated with it closer to shore. Prime fishing conditions materialize where one converges over ­offshore bottom structure, like in the ­previous scenarios.

Transition Zones
Based on their respective inshore and offshore ­environments, transition zones vary widely. For instance, when seeking seatrout, sand holes interspersed among sea grasses make ­excellent targets. Here, trout ambush mullet, pilchards, pinfish and shrimp taking advantage of the camouflage provided by the surrounding grasses.

As mentioned, ICW channels are fish havens. It’s within the transition zones along their ­edges, as well as any high points, rock formations and ruts within them, where ­fish gather.

When night-fishing along bridges and docks, shadow lines provide cover for snook, striped bass, trout, tarpon and snapper. They ambush bait attracted to the bright side of the shadow line.

Inshore rips, such as where a strong tide abuts a curving sea wall or shallowing bottom, are also transition zones. Again, gamefish station on the calmer side of the flow or along back ­eddies, gorging on bait swept by.

Offshore transition zones include tide lines and rips, which are often marked by sharp color contrasts and weeds. These are bait-rich zones, with dirtier sides serving as cover for both prey and predators.

Bait
All these scenarios are predicated on their likelihood of attracting bait and, in turn, gamefish. Obviously, ­pockets of bait marked on a sonar, flying fish showering offshore, or bait schools migrating along beaches all deserve ­serious attention, especially if ­within the depth window of the targeted ­gamefish. Among the best bets here would be to troll or cast baits or lures mimicking the size and colors of this forage, or procure some of them for use when live-baiting.

The post Find Fish in New Waters appeared first on Salt Water Sportsman.