OK, so I learned something this past weekend. I was fishing down in the Rockport area and on Saturday I missed several fish… Below is what I learned.
First though a little background info. I wade fish. I use artificials. The stuff below does not apply to bait fisherman, as it is for the more sophisticated, the affluent, the proud, the wade fisherman, the artificial lure man, he who scoffs at the bait fisherman!!
To be an artificial lure man, you need to get wet, you need to get in with the fish. You stalk fish. You use a jig and a plastic, maybe a top water, but the top water is situational, whereas the jig and plastic is the go to lure. Also, some plastic baits are better than others, I like Bass Assassins, Texas Salt Water Assassins, Paul Browns, anything plastic in the 4 to 5 inch size, but more on that below.
Also, the first 5 items in this list are all things I have learned in the past and already know. The very last one, that is what I learned this weekend.
1. You need to be able to cast the farthest and you will catch more fish. This is a simple numbers thing. While you also need to be accurate, it is a probability problem, a statistical fact, that if your lure is in the bite zone longer, you will get more strikes. The bite zone is really on the line (the weed line or whatever you are fishing) and short casts don’t work as well, because you are spending more time casting and less time in the water and on top of that, the closest 10 yards (to the fisherman) produce fewer strikes, because the fish get spooked when they get that close to you. So if you cast 20 yards you are 50% in the zone, if you cast 30 you are 66% in the zone, 40 and you are 75% in the zone. I think you get the picture. Even fisherman need to use math.
2. You need to watch for fish and for signs of fish in water. This is as important as being able to cast far, even more so. In this case, you look for slicks, birds, and flashes of orange/red in the water in your vicinity. Also, look for bait fish. If you see baitfish exploding and there are no birds, then there is a fish there. Fish where the bait is. If you actually see the fish, you won’t need to cast far, just beyond their nose (say 2-3 yards) and then drag it in front of their nose. This is where it takes some skill with a spinning reel, but is a bit easier with a casting reel. Another tradeoff in fishing… as it is much easier to control placement with a casting reel.
3. Walk the weedlines and edges, but don’t ignore the shallows. On a cold fall morning, the sun will warm the shallows and the reds will get right up there in 8 to 12 inches of water, where you can sightfish for them. This is very effective.
4. Use the right equipment. a) Use braid. You can cast farther and it is stronger. It costs more up front, but it lasts a lot longer. b) Use a spinning real or a casting reel depending on your skills and on the situation. The spinning reel offers superior distance. With braid and a spinning reel, even as an amateur, you will be able to cast as far as a fishing guide. If you need highly accurate casts and can sacrifice some distance, say in the shallows, then go with the casting reel. The ideal situation would be to fish with a spinning rod/reel/braid combo and have an extra casting rod/reel in your wade belt.
5. Big reds, little reds, no matter, they are both dumb and slow. They are not really great at hitting a darting lure. Put it right in front of them and you can watch them miss it. Don’t fish to fast. It is best if your lure swims a bit, if it rises and falls a bit more slowly. (Not for trout though, we are talking reds here.) Now, there is some drawback to the paddle tail or curly tail plastic, because the tail creates some extra wind resistance (drag) and you will not be able to throw it as far. When after reds though, the slow-moving bait will allow them to be more accurate in hitting your lure. It is not that you miss them, but more that they miss you. Fish the slower falling lure and hook up with more fish.
6. OK, this is what I learned. If your lure is too long, you will miss more fish, so use a shorter lure. Specifically, do not let the tail get too far from your jighead/hook. I know, I know, based on 5 above, which I already knew, you would think I would know better. I think I got caught up when the guide said that Reds like to feed on eels… Anyway, Reds are not good at feeding. They miss the lure, ALOT. I sometimes wonder how they can survive when they have to chase actual baitfish. It took me an afternoon of missing my hits as my friends hooked up, before I realized that the extra long swim bait that (our guide) gave me was the problem. In his defense, he did say to use the shorter bait when we went for reds, but I did not switch. Anyway, I missed several fish. They hit, I had my hits, maybe even more, but I felt them hit the tail and not get hooked up. The short jighead I had was way up in the front of about a 6 to 7 inch monstrosity of a paddle tail. I gather that if I had a shorter plastic, I would have hooked up on 75% of those bites. As it was, I just missed too many fish. No problem. I will it right next time!
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