The Fish Coach

GENERAL FISHING TIPS: A FEW THINGS EVERY ANGLER SHOULD KNOW

BOATS ATTRACT FISH

Everyone knows that, most of the time, a boat is a necessary tool for getting to where the fish are. But did you know that your boat can also serve as a fish attractor, bringing the fish to where you are and keeping them there? A boat that’s at anchor or drifting with the current becomes a form of shelter. Of course, it may take a little bit of time for fish to find it, so don’t expect the hull to be swarming with fish the moment you drop anchor. Small fish in open water often gravitate toward any sort of cover. Natural floating structure such as weedlines and driftwood usually holds baitfish, which provide a food source for larger fish. Because larger fish know there are usually little fish around floating debris, they will be drawn to such objects whether there are baitfish there or not. Certain species are more likely to show this behavior. A couple of the best-known are cobia and barracuda, both of which can commonly be sighted cruising slowly around the hull or hovering motionlessly beneath. When you’re reef fishing, they can be a pain because they’ll dart out and grab grunts, snapper and other smaller fish you’re trying to bring aboard. Inshore, you can get ladyfish and Spanish mackerel to drift with you if you chum just a little bit. One method that can amass truly large schools of predators near your boat is to release several dozen or even a couple hundred whitebait while you’re in open, fairly deep water. The baitfish won’t stray far from the relative safety of your hull. Then toss over a handful of finely ground chum every few minutes. It usually takes an hour or so to get a bunch of fish drawn to the boat, but if you have the patience for this technique it can provide virtually non-stop action once the party gets fired up. It’s amazing how close they’ll get and how long they’ll hang around.

BRIDGE FISHING

Fishing from a high pier or bridge can be a highly productive way to put some fillets in the cooler or just have a good time wetting a line. But when you’re perched 15 to 50 feet above the water, there are some things that you better have planned ahead for. Here’s something a lot of people don’t think of until they hook a big fish: How are you going to land it? With relatively stout tackle, you can hoist fish weighing a couple pounds right up to you, but if you have something bigger on the end of your line that’s not an option. The tool you need is a bridge net — a large-diameter hoop with an attached mesh bag, connected to a long rope by three or four attachment points. With this device, you can not only bring a fish from the water to the catwalk, you can also safely lower that fish if it’s not legal to keep (yes, fisheries laws still apply even to bridge anglers) or you just want to release it. It’s not good for a fish to be dropped 30 feet into the water — that impact can cause potentially fatal damage. What’s the point of releasing a fish if you kill it at the same time? Bridge gaffs or big treble hooks also work for bringing fish up, but only a complete moron would use one for catch-and-release fishing. The net is the right choice. If you’re fishing from a bridge, you may also have to contend with traffic — both on the pavement and in the water. Keep an eye out for vehicles and pedestrians, especially when casting, and stay off the actual road. A boat running into your line is bad for everyone involved, so pay attention and reel up if a boat comes close. If you can’t reel up, a shouted warning will probably go unheard but an airhorn may get the boater’s attention. Never just assume the captain can see your line, or even realizes you’re standing above him.

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

Everyone’s heard the phrase “dress for success,” and it definitely applies when you’re fishing. While it’s true that you can go fishing in whatever clothing you happen to be wearing (or no clothing at all), if you’re properly attired you’ll have a better time on the water. The ideal outfit will protect you from the sun, keep you from getting too hot or too cold, dry quickly after getting wet, and resist staining. You hardly ever hear about fishing underwear, but the foundation of your outfit is a good base layer. Standard cotton underwear, if they get wet, stay wet all day. Form-fitting synthetic fabrics are a better choice. Under Armour makes compression shorts and legging that are fantastic for those times when you know you’ll be getting wet. Over those, a pair of quick-dry nylon pants or shorts will work well. You can get pants that zip off to shorts — a great compromise that allows you to rapidly adapt to changing conditions. Cargo pockets or zippered pockets are a plus, especially if you’ll be getting in the water (things float away sometimes). The UV-rated microfiber shirts that have become popular in the last few years are the best choice for tops. They’ll keep you comfortable in cool or warm weather and dry very fast. They have only two drawbacks: A tight fit is mandatory, and there are no pockets. For these reasons, some anglers prefer quick-dry nylon button-down shirts. A hat both keeps sun of your face and glare out of your eyes. Look for a model with a dark underbill, which will cut glare even further. Quality polarized sunglasses are mandatory. Don’t forget your feet. Nonmarking sneakers will work, but shoes or sandals made to get wet are better —they aren’t damaged by water and they are made to be grippy, not slippy, when wet.

EXPERIMENT & LEARN

Willingness to experiment is a characteristic of top-level anglers. Some fishermen will just blow your mind with their abilities. How do you think they’ve achieved that kind of success? Through failure. They’ve tried lots of things and kept the ones that worked. Here’s a good example: What kind of fishing line do you use and why? If you fish braid because “it’s better than mono” but can’t cite any reasons why, you’re doing it wrong. If you do know why you’re using braid, great. What brand do you use and why? Have you actually tried some of the other options that are on the market today? Experimentation applies to more than just gear — you need to include it in every aspect of your angling. A lot of fishermen are willing to try something different when what they usually do isn’t working. But if you really want to get good, you’ve got to be willing to try something else when you’re being successful. Say you’re throwing your favorite lure and nailing redfish one after another. Your instinct is to stick with what’s working, but this is a great time to try something different. If you know the fish are there, that’s an opportunity to put something new in front of them and figure out how to make them eat it.

Top-notch anglers have one thing in common: They never stop learning. Teaching yourself new things or new ways to do familiar things is a perpetual challenge that never ends. One way to learn how to succeed in something new is to limit yourself to doing only that. Want to get better with artificial lures? Don’t bring bait or a castnet. Want to get better at fly fishing? Leave your spinning tackle at home. Want to learn how fish a particular area really well? Put just enough fuel in your tank to get there and back (plus enough for an emergency, of course). You’ll experience some frustration this way, but you’re leaving yourself with just two options: Learn or give up.

At birth, you know nothing about fishing. Every piece of knowledge must be learned somehow. So why do we act like we know everything? There’s no shame in ignorance, but being unwilling to learn makes you a knucklehead. For Southwest Florida fishermen, the education process never ends. You can never know everything, but you can learn a lot. Step one is reading, which obviously you’re doing now. Read as much as you can — magazines, books, blogs, Facebook posts, charter captains’ websites. Sure, a lot of it is bull, but the more you learn the better you’ll be able to winnow out the good stuff. Then find a good tackle shop and interrogate the staff. If they can’t answer your questions, find a different tackle shop. If you can afford it, hire several different guides and see what each one does and how they do it. This alone can save you months of frustration. Learn from friends, acquaintances, enemies — anybody. And then, experiment. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Share what you know, and try to figure out what you don’t. Hey, it’s fun! And no matter what, never be shy about asking questions. All knowledge begins with admitting you don’t know.

FISH ID

How good are you at identifying fish? Do you know the differences between a permit, a pompano and a jack? How about black and gag grouper? Kingfish and Spanish mackerel? These fish are remarkably similar, yet the regulations that govern them are different. That means if you’re going to keep them, you have to be able to tell them apart. Let’s look at grouper first. Any grouper with a rounded tail is a Goliath grouper and must be released. Black grouper have a dusky or black edge on the tail fin, and the pattern on the body is blocky. Gags have no such margin and the body pattern is irregular blotches. To tell a permit from a pompano, draw an imaginary line straight down from the beginning of the dorsal fin. In a permit, the line will end right about at the start of the anal fin (the single fin on the belly). If the fish is a pompano, the line will end well forward of the anal fin. If the fish is a jack (don’t laugh; I’ve seen it) there will be a hard bony ridge on each side just in front of the tail fin. A small king mackerel looks a lot like a big Spanish mackerel. Take a close look at the first (spiny) dorsal fin. A Spanish mack will have a black or very dark dorsal; a king’s will be gray or silvery.

HOW TO FIGHT FISH

We all know that fish love structure, and fishing around structure is a great way to hook fish. We also know that if you let the fish dive into said structure after you hook it, it’s probably going to break you off. But maybe not. If your fish gets into structure, give it some slack line. It seems counterintuitive, but just let it loose. Open your bait or put the reel in freespool. Fish don’t fight against the sting of the hook — that’s inconsequential to them. After all, they eat stabby things all the time: Shrimp, crabs, spiny fish, etc. They fight against the tension of the line. No tension, no fight. So give it slack, and before too long it will probably go back to doing whatever fishy things it was doing before you showed up. This trick works equally well for snook under docks and grouper on the reefs. Once it’s forgotten you, you’ll see the line begin to move. Now it’s time for round two. Get it right this time: Don’t jerk, just get the fish’s head pointed away from that structure and reel. Once the fish is safely in open water, you can reel it in more or less at your leisure. This technique takes a bit of patience, but the results have to be seen to be believed.

KNOTS

Learning how to tie a line-to-line knot intimidates a lot of folks. Most of our fish have teeth or sharp parts that can easily cut or wear through light fishing line, so a heavier leader is usually necessary. It may seem easier to just use a swivel, but there are good reasons to not: First, extra hardware may turn off a spooky fish. Second, it’s just one more piece of tackle that may fail. Third, a Spanish mackerel or baby barracuda may mistake the swivel for something edible and snip right through your line (happens more often than you would think). There are a whole bunch of knot options out there, but the best is probably the double uni knot. It’s not overly complicated and it is very strong. To learn to tie this knot, drop in at your favorite tackle shop and just ask the staff. If you want to learn on your own, go to NetKnots.com/fishing_knots/double-uni-knot. Some quick tips: When you pull the knot semi-tight, be sure you’ve lubed up the line with saliva. When you pull the knots together in the last step, don’t be afraid to really pull. Trim the tag ends close so the knot will pass through your guides more easily. This simple thing will really help your fishing success.

NEW ANGLERS

Around the holidays, we see a lot of family fishing going on. That means that many young and inexperienced anglers will be taking to the water, so the name of the game is “let’s have fun.” Instead of trying to catch a massive snook, look for some fast-paced action. Ladyfish are a great target. If you spot some birds dive-bombing bait, chances are good there are ladyfish (or jacks) under them. Shrimp are easy to use, but newbies can cast bucktail jigs or spoons farther. If there are no birds evident, soaking a shrimp under a popping cork is a great way to bring fish to you, plus there’s a very good chance of hooking trout. The best places to look will be just outside the bars in 3 to 5 feet of water. If you’re boatless, no problem. You can have huge piles of fun with a variety of smaller fish (snapper, pinfish, pigfish, etc.) under almost any dock. Use a tiny hook baited with a bit of shrimp or squid. Throw out a handful or two of finely chopped bait to get the fish in a feeding mood.

If you love fishing now, chances are good you’ve been doing it since you were a kid. Most lifelong anglers were introduced to the sport when they were young by a family member. Have you passed a love for fishing along to the next generation? If you haven’t, you should. We protect what we love. If younger people don’t learn to love the water, who will be there to protect it when the older generation is gone? It’s important to instill kids with the idea that fishing is fun, but also with the knowledge that conservation and good stewardship are the responsibilities of every angler. But in today’s world of video games, smartphones and ever-shrinking attention spans, it can be tough to interest young people in fishing. If you force them to go on what they perceive as long, boring trips, you may actually turn them away from outdoor recreation. The key, especially with kids who are totally new to the sport, is to keep the trip short and action-filled. For younger children (say, 3 to 8 years old), a visit to one of the piers close to the Gulf is perfect. Use tiny hooks, a splitshot sinker and little bits of cut shrimp. It’s a lot like bluegill fishing in fresh water, but you’ll catch all sorts of interesting things: Pinfish, of course, but also snapper, puffers, filefish, toadfish, pigfish and a dozen other types. For children who are a bit older, a trip to one of the nearshore reefs can produce similar action, only with bigger fish. Or get them into a school of ladyfish, where they can use shrimp or learn how to cast and retrieve a spoon or jig. Once they get into their teen years, a school of bait-slashing Spanish mackerel can still provide an adrenaline rush. Even if the bite is hot, don’t stay out too long — you’ve got to leave them wanting more, so they’ll have to go out again.

OBSERVATION

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in going out and trying to catch fish that we forget the fish we pursue live in a beautiful and immensely cool habitat filled with amazing creatures of many kinds. Sometimes it’s nice to stop casting for a few minutes and just watch what’s going on around you — the crabs scuttling in the sand, the needlefish swimming across the surface, the starfish crawling around the seagrass, the conchs gliding across the mud. Not only is this relaxing and interesting in its own right, but it also teaches you to observe what’s happening in the water while you’re fishing. This is a really good thing to do, because if you can learn to do it efficiently, it will become second nature to you. You’ll become much better tuned in to what’s going on out there, which really good anglers generally are. When you observe, you’ll start to get feel for how the mullet move, where the baitfish school and when, what the crabs are doing — and those things will inform your angling. Basically the more you know, the better you’ll be.

OFFSHORE

The Loop Current is a warm eddy in the deep Gulf of Mexico. It shifts back and forth over time, and when it comes closer to shore, that's a great time to head off into deeper water than you usually fish. While bottom fish are usually the main objective, it always pays to keep an eye out for other opportunities when you’re going 50 to 75 miles offshore. The farther out you go, the greater your chances of coming across true open-water species such as wahoo, mako sharks and billfish. Signs to look for include birds diving (of course), rapid color changes, grasslines or clumps of seaweed, and any floating object larger than a breadbox. Although some of these things may seem insignificant, think about how even a small area of hard bottom or little ledge can hold absurd numbers of fish. Something as small as a 2x4 floating in the vast open Gulf becomes an oasis for small fish seeking cover, and they draw bigger fish that draw bigger fish that draw bigger fish. At least stop and check it out. Trolling a color change or weedline can also be massively productive, and well worth your time.

What rig do you use for bottom fishing offshore? Many anglers prefer to use a simple knocker rig, in which a sliding egg sinker butts up against the hook. It’s easy to tie, but it’s not so easy to feel the bite. That’s why I prefer a chicken rig, also called a porgy rig. There are two ways to tie it. Version one: Tie a three-way swivel to the end of your line. To one of the loops, tie a two-foot piece of 20-pound monofilament and then tie a bank or pyramid sinker to the end. On the other loop, tie a two-foot piece of fluorocarbon leader and your favorite circle hook. Version two: Use a double uni knot to tie a six-foot fluorocarbon leader to your main line. Tie a bank or pyramid sinker to the end. Tie a dropper loop two feet above the sinker, making the dropper about a foot long. Push the loop through your hook’s eye and bring the hook though the loop. I prefer the second version because I'm not a fan of excess hardware. But either way, you can fish in constant contact with the bottom, keeping the line taut. Drop it to the bottom and then reel up just enough to feel the weight of the sinker — no higher! You’ll feel every little peck and nibble at your bait, and when the big one grabs it, you’ll know immediately. For a version called a hi-lo rig, add a second hook 18 inches above the first. What’s more fun than reeling in fish? Reeling them in two at a time!

ONE FISH, TWO FISH

What’s better than catching a fish? How about catching two? Many species of fish that travel in groups actively compete with one another for food. Often, if you take a careful look at a hooked fish, you will see one or more of the same species traveling close alongside it. This is especially true of redfish, jacks, mackerel and mahi-mahi. If you watch those free-swimming fish, you’ll often see them try to grab the bait or lure right out of the hooked fish’s mouth. Toss out another bait, pronto! It won’t happen every time, but you’ll often be rewarded with a second hookup. With some fish (mahi are very well known for this), as long as you keep one fish hooked and in the water you can hold the school nearby and continue to catch fish. Don’t expect reds to be quite so accommodating, but a triple-header isn’t out of the question. Another fun trick is to cast a tandem rig and catch fish two at a time. Many anglers think of tandem rigs as trout lures, but the truth is they work well for many species. To mix it up, try rigging a larger lure behind a smaller one. This looks like a little predator chasing a meal, and it can be a great way to fire up the instincts of a bigger predator in a hurry.

RED TIDE

One of the biggest problems with having patchy red tide around is how quickly a well full of live bait can become a well full of dead bait. All it takes is a few seconds of running through a nasty area and bam! Every single bait lying on the bottom. You can switch the well to recirculating mode to avoid this, but then you have a bunch of baits swimming in their own urine, which can also kill them. The other option is to fish artificial lures. For anglers who are used to live bait, fake ones can be a challenge to use. If you find yourself in this group, I suggest trying spoons. These lures are dead simple to use. All you really need to do is cast it out and reel it back in. Try reeling it slower at first. If that gets no action, gradually increase the speed until fish take notice. Spoons are also effective trolling lures, and that can be done in water as shallow as 3 feet. A couple tips: If you’re fishing over seagrass, use the AquaDream spoons. The weedguards actually work. Spoons will twist your line to some degree. It’s more of a problem with monofilament than with braid, but if you want to avoid issues altogether, use a ball bearing swivel. Yes, it has to be a ball bearing swivel. I know they cost more. That’s because they actually spin under tension.

Fish like to breathe, so they’ll avoid areas of red tide if they can. So should you. But how can you tell? Don’t assume dead fish are a sure sign of red tide in your immediate area. Dead fish drift with the current. If there are live fish swimming among the dead ones, that usually indicates the water is OK and the fish came in from elsewhere. Fish that are dying, on the other hand, are a solid indicator. Take a deep breath. Do you feel minor but sharp pains in your lungs? That’s aerosolized brevetoxin, and it means you’re either in a red tide patch or downwind of one. If you have bait in the well, how are they doing? If they seem to be struggling or are actively dying, that is about the most definite sign you can have. Shut off the well pump immediately. This is why you should have a heavy-duty aerator in your baitwell, by the way. Remember, red tide kills fish by paralyzing their gills and suffocating them. It doesn’t affect the meat. If a fish is healthy enough to eat your bait, it’s fine for the table — even if there’s red tide around. But harvesting dead or dying fish is always risky, since you can’t be 100 percent sure what’s killing them.

SOUND

Conventional wisdom says it’s important to be quiet while fishing. Yet we sometimes use noise to attract fish: Popping corks, chugger lures, rattling jigheads, buzzbaits, etc. So some sounds are good and others are bad. Really, it’s all about what the fish associate a particular sound with. A roaring outboard engine may remind a tarpon of being chased by boats, but it might make a kingfish think of the small baitfish sometimes left stunned in a boat’s wake. The buzz of a trolling motor could panic schooling redfish that have been pursued all over the flats, while a snook in the same place may ignore it completely. Think about the sounds you make and how they carry underwater. Noises that originate underwater carry much farther than those that originate in the air. A slammed hatch, which sends a vibration through your hull, is very loud underwater. But you shouting to the next boat over is not — even though it sounds much louder to you in the air. To get a good sense for which sounds carry, the best thing to do is stick your head underwater, tip the bubbles out of your ears and simply listen.

There are lots of ways to spook fish, and most of them involve noise. Never underestimate a fish’s ability to detect sounds. Notice I didn’t say “hear.” That’s because a fish’s sound-detection system is so far beyond what we think of as hearing. In addition to inner ears, fish are equipped with lateral lines that detect minute differences in pressure. Most anglers know that if you make too much noise, you can scare fish away or cause them to stop feeding. But you may not realize just how little noise it takes. The sound of you walking barefoot in your skiff can be enough to make already-spooky redfish shut down. When you’re stalking fish, stake or anchor the boat and be still and silent for a few minutes before you make a cast. Better yet, break out the wading boots and slip over the side. In the water, you are still more noisy than almost anything else, but fish don’t usually associate those sounds with a predator. That’s why you can wade to within a few yards of fish that you can’t approach at all in a boat. Kayaks are stealthier than powerboats, but kayaks are still prone to hull slap, which is one of the sounds that seems to scare fish the most, and a paddle moving through the water is a lot louder than an angler on foot.

Sound is a highly effective means of attracting fish. Some methods imitate the sound of a fish feeding at the surface. Popping corks, popping bugs and popping plugs are made for this purpose. Lures may also utilize rattles to create high-pitched or low-pitched vibrations. These seem to attract fish more by curiosity rather than direct imitation of some natural sound. Many crankbaits and topwater plugs have rattle built in. For lures that don’t, such as soft plastic baits, you can add a small rattle or use a rattling jighead (Rockport Rattlers have become quite popular here over the last couple years). Music is sometimes used to draw fish in, especially by those seeking sharks. Fish have no ears but are very good at detecting vibrations in the water, thanks to their extraordinarily sensitive lateral lines. Although sound can bring them in, it can also drive them away. Many fish are now educated and fear the sound of an outboard motor or water slapping against fiberglass. Slamming hatches, loud footsteps and even voices can be heard surprisingly well underwater because the hull of your boat protrudes below the water’s surface. Try to maximize the good sounds and minimize the bad ones.

As anyone who’s ever trolled can tell you, fish aren’t necessarily scared by the presence of a boat. If they were, Charlotte Harbor would be pretty empty. Try sticking your head underwater sometime when a boat is nearby (preferably not when it’s headed right for you). Loud, huh? Fish live with that all the time. That’s not to say that you can make all the noise you want and it won’t affect the fishing. When fish are in shallow water, they’re always on high alert — they know instinctively that if they can’t swim deeper, they are in a risky position. The sound of a passing boat is something they hear frequently, though, so it bothers them less than other noises: A loud anchor chain, slamming hatches, waves slapping against your hull. That’s why many successful flats fishermen like to park the boat and fish on foot. They know they’re less likely to spook their quarry that way. Boats can actually serve as fish attractors. Many times, anglers anchored over a reef have been surprised by cobia swimming right up to the transom, and it’s not at all uncommon for a boat that stays more or less in one spot for a while to accumulate a school of tiny baitfish under the hull. Inshore, fish sometimes use passing boats as feeding stations. Small fish are often cut up or knocked senseless by a boat’s propeller or wake. Fish are opportunistic predators, and are quite aware of any time there’s an easy meal. Shore-bound fishermen can take advantage of this: As a boat passes a bit of structure like a piling, toss a bait right behind it into the prop wash. Chances are good that any nearby gamefish will be watching for just such an opportunity. On the flats, passing boats will often spook fish, which can be easily observed by those on the boat watching fish wake off. But how far do they go? In many cases, not far at all. Again, the wake provides a feeding opportunity, disturbing crabs, shrimp, worms and other bottom creatures. A boat zipping across the flats leaves a temporary smorgasbord behind it, and that can be a boon for the angler smart enough to utilize it.

SUNSCREEN

Sunscreen is great for keeping ultraviolet light from damaging your skin, but it can do bad things too. Live bait can quickly become dead bait if you get too much sunscreen in your livewell or bait bucket. If you have sunscreen on your hands, use a long-handled dip net to retrieve baits instead of grabbing them by hand. Spray-on sunscreens can be damaging to many kinds of plastics, including those used in sunglasses frames and, for less expensive glasses, the lenses. They can also partially dissolve reel handles, so you’re probably better off avoiding sprays altogether. Sunscreen doesn’t make good fish attractant, so try to avoid getting it on your lures or line. After applying sunscreen, put on a pair of sun gloves. That will keep most of the sunscreen off your gear. Of course, the ultimate solution is to get someone else to apply your sunscreen for you. If you have a non-fishing spouse or significant other, see if you can convince them to do the job. You may need to offer to do something nice for them, but it’s worth it because you’ll probably have a more successful day on the water.

TACKLE SHOPS

One of the very best resources available to anglers is local tackle shops. When you want to know what’s biting and where, a call or visit to your favorite store can net you just that information. And unlike the big box stores, where the gear on the shelves is generally chosen by a purchasing department buyer in a faraway city, your local tackle shop specializes in the right equipment to catch fish here. Local tackle shops are in trouble, though, and it’s because of our buying habits. Have you ever gone to the local store to try out a rod or reel or other equipment, then gone home and bought it online? If you have, you’re guilty of showrooming, and it’s one of the things that’s driving independent stores to extinction. When the local shop that you rely on for great fishing advice closes, who are you going to ask? Your fishing buddies? They don’t know any more than you. A charter captain? Not unless you want to hire him. So what are you really saving when you showroom at the tackle shop or spend money at the big box stores? You’re not saving anything — just contributing to the demise of the local economy and shooting yourself right in the foot.

THINK LIKE A FISH

Never stop thinking like a fish. The way you catch a fish is by getting it to eat your bait. The way to get it to eat your bait is to first make the bait easy to find and then hard to resist. Fish hunt using multiple methods: Sight, scent and detection of sound or other vibrations. Sight hunters like mackerel and tuna are drawn to flashy baits that reflect light a long way. Scent hunters like redfish and sharks will come a long way to investigate the smell of blood or oil. All bony fish feel vibration using their lateral line system, which can pick up on very subtle changes in water pressure to locate prey or avoid predators. Once you get the fish close, you’ve got to trigger a strike. This can be done by either closely imitating something edible so the fish thinks it’s attacking a smaller fish or other prey item, or it can be done by appealing to a fish’s predatory instinct. This is called a reaction strike, and the way to get it is to make your quarry believe the bait is about to get away. Some very successful anglers like to work a bait fast for just this reason. You can cover a lot of water, and it’s hard for a self-respecting predator to let a panicked baitfish swim past without taking a swipe at it.

WADING

Wading is a fantastic way to go after fish in very shallow water or fish that are spooky, but there’s more to it than just hopping over the gunwale. The most important piece of equipment is a pair of wading shoes. These will protect your feet from sharp shells and keep small creatures out. They also fit snugly so they won’t get pulled off your feet. Some sort of a wading caddy is also very nice to have. You can make your own using pool noodles or styrofoam floats, or you can buy a professionally built one. Either way, you need a place to stash some extra tackle and at least one rod holder. I like the ones with a built-in net for carrying bait or a tasty redfish. You can use your standard rod and reel, but if you plan on doing a lot of wade fishing there are some advantages to a special outfit. Since you’ll be carrying it pretty much all the time, light weight is a factor. This actually works out pretty well, since a lot of wade fishing can be accomplished using ultralight gear. If you’re wading a mangrove shoreline, of course, you’ll need a rig with backbone. A 2000 size reel should be plenty. I’d pair it with a long rod — 7 to 8 feet — because it’s good for extending your casting range, which is helpful in shallow water or around spooky fish (key reasons to wade, remember?) Paring your gear down to the essentials is just part of wade fishing, but don’t forget a pair of pliers and a fish grabber — trust me, they’re essential. You’ll also need to find a way to carry some drinking water. Make sure your cellphone is in a waterproof case if you carry it with you. Wade fishermen have a way of ending up in the water. Always do the stingray shuffle, because the most productive flats usually have lots of rays. And if you have to put fish on a stringer, bring a knife to cut the line in case a shark wants your fish. It’s one of the rules: When you’re in the water, the shark wins.

WHAT FISH EAT

What does a fish eat? Too many anglers fail to ask this question. Sometimes the answer obvious. If you see snook chasing down schooling mullet, or mackerel slashing through a pod of glass minnows, that’s probably what they’re eating. But a predator’s menu is much more varied than that. When you clean a fish, always take a moment to check its stomach contents. In a redfish, you might find hundreds of inch-long grass shrimp, or a crushed crab the size of your palm, or even a dozen starfish. In a trout, there are often small fish of many species, but you might be surprised by a ladyfish more than half the trout’s length. Snook aren’t as single-minded as some fishermen think. Sure, they eat whitebait. They also eat gobies, small catfish, water snakes and even ducklings. All of this information leads the thinking angler to suspect fish might be willing to eat things that aren’t shrimp and greenbacks. Congratulations. Now you can embark on a journey of experimentation that should lead to more consistent angling action. This is just one example of how basic observation leads to real-world successes.

WHERE TO FISH

You can use the Internet to find some great places to fish. No, not by begging for spots on forums or Facebook — by using satellite images to see things you can’t from water level. Google Earth is the best friend a fisherman ever had. Ever wonder what’s behind those islands? Google Earth. Trying to figure out where the seagrass is healthiest? Google Earth. Looking for deeper cuts in shallow water? Google Earth. Wanna know how far that creek goes up into the mangroves? Google Earth. Hunting for a dropoff you can cast to from the pier? Google Earth! There are a million uses that a clever angler can find for this incredible piece of software, and it won’t cost you a dime to download and use it on your desktop or mobile. Use it to find good wade-fishing spots. Identify docks that are close to deeper water. Heck, you can even see which boat ramps or waterfront restaurants are busiest. Of course, the images you see aren’t in real time. They’re usually a few months (sometimes years) old, so don’t use them as navigation guides or for anything mission-critical. But you can certainly get a good rough idea of some things you otherwise wouldn’t be able to see at all.

Current is a big deal for predatory fish. Few of them are fast enough to actually chase down a meal, so they rely on ambush tactics to waylay passing baitfish and other forage items. For that reason, a hungry predator almost always faces into the current, waiting for something to get swept by so they can grab it. And since most of the things they want to eat have eyes, gamefish try to stay out of sight until the last possible second. That’s why fishing structure is so productive — but if you ignore the role current plays, you may be fishing on the wrong side of the structure. That can be the difference between a day of catching and a day of casting practice.

I have a favorite fishing spot that just about everybody drives right past. Sometimes I’ll run across someone else in there, but they’re usually either netting bait or have run aground and are waiting for the tide to come in. This particular spot is pretty reliable and produces fish year-round. That’s nothing too uncommon — lots of areas are the same way. However, it is pretty close to a boat ramp. A lot of anglers have it in their heads that the fish are biting somewhere far away. They would rather run 30 miles to find that mythical hot bite than fish practically within sight of where they launched. That’s fine, as far as I’m concerned — less competition. But if you want to become a better and smarter angler, fish closer to home. When you’re driving down the middle of the Harbor or Lemon Bay, look over toward the shorelines on either side of you. You’re literally running past tens of thousands of fish you could be catching. There’s nothing wrong with long runs; I like some spots that are many miles from the put-in. But when you’re out to clear your head and play with some fish, why add stress and expense to your day by burning fuel and putting hours on your engine? As soon as you get out on the water, start scouting out some fishy-looking locations. Some of the most overlooked spots are near busy channels or ramps. Obviously, don’t anchor or drift where you’ll be in the way of traffic, but I strongly recommend sampling the action at these close-in spots. Save the fuel for going offshore.

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