Robert and Christy Bryant from Seadrift spent Memorial Day fishing with friends Angie and husband, Captain TJ Christensen in Shoalwater Bay with finger mullet. -Bay Flats Lodge photo

The clock is showing 4:30am as I sit down to begin writing this edition of Guide Lines, and if this morning pre-dawn conditions are meant to be a precursor to that which will follow once the day’s sun rises then I don’t know that the obstacles that I’ll be facing on today’s fishing trip will be much different than those which I’ve faced over the past week, or so. What does this mean? Well, I’d almost be willing to bet that today I’ll see definite tide differences, and I can just about guarantee that there will be categorical fluctuation and variation in the speed and the direction of the wind, and let’s not forget, too, that the temperature of the water is now changing (rising) on an almost daily basis. Such diversity in the weather conditions has recently made it more challenging for me to determine what the fish will be doing, and when they will be doing it. And while it’s true that the diminishment of the stronger winds of springtime have yielded me opportunities, of late, at some truly spectacular wading successes in some of those otherwise blown-out locations, I’m sometimes recognizing failure at reproducing “previous- day” results.

In other words, I’m finding that a good bite at any one place during any one time of the day does not necessarily constitute a repeat performance the very next day in the exact same location during the exact same time of the day. I’ll need to confront these daily fishing pattern differences and deal with them accordingly if I hope to be successful on a regular basis over the course of the next few weeks.

At this stage, the most valuable tool I have available to me that will help avoid a bad day of fishing for me and my guests is my ability to rely upon myself to do today all the things I’ve found to have worked for me in the past.

If you’re like most of us, you simply don’t get to spend quite as much time out on the water fishing as you would like. And, when you do finally get a chance to fish, you prefer to see some action. In as such, when infrequent anglers spend the first couple hours of that one day they have to fish wading their favorite shoreline with minimal results, one of the first thoughts to cross their mind is that they will need to completely relocate their efforts if they stand any chance, whatsoever, at catching fish that day. It’s an understandable thought, and is probably one of the more common reactions for anglers sporting an empty stringer while facing a restricted window of opportunity. However, traveling and searching for a new location doesn’t have to be the only course of action in this situation, as doing so tends to inevitably waste valuable time. If I’m confident in believing there are fish in the area where I’m wading – due to strong fish signs, bait activity, or recent productivity – here are some things you’ll find me doing routinely in place of leaving the area altogether. If, while approaching a known “good” shoreline that I’ve fished recently, I notice that today there is a distinct difference in the water level, I’ll pause for a minute to recall what I’ve done previously to allow me success under similar conditions in this same area. In doing so, I’ll remember that as the tide falls away from the shore, the bait will fall with it, so I’ll position my wading effort a significant distance away from the shoreline towards the most outward tapered shelf. If, on the other hand, I notice that the tide is much higher today than it was on my last visit to this area, I’ll initially place myself a lot closer to the bank than I did previously, as experience tells me that the bait will have been carried toward shore with the incoming tide and consequently will have begun to bunch-up in the shallows. If after entering the water I find I’ve spent an unfortunate measurable amount of time delivering unanswered casts, I’ll relocate my efforts. But not by a far distance – like I said earlier, leaving an area altogether takes time, and should be considered a “last-resort” action, especially in an area showing great signs of fish activity. Instead, you’ll find me simply shuffling parallel to the shoreline a mere ten steps in any one direction, as in doing so (I recall) has sometimes made a considerable difference. I’ve happened upon a strong, steady bite on many occasions using this slight relocation method, and it’s a practice I’ve found that undoubtedly still works for me. There is, however, a second aspect to this particular lesson, and that is the importance of disciplining yourself to stop moving once you’ve located the bite. Continuing to walk into the fish is an easy trap for even the most experienced angler to fall in to, and for a long time I was as guilty of doing it as the next guy. It’s not hard to get caught-up in the excitement of catching a fish on almost every cast, thinking all the while that you may be able to get in on even more of the action if you were to just move a little bit closer. But to this day, I still recall a banner experience in my career as being the day in which I firmly planted my feet into the bay floor (didn’t take another step) immediately following me landing a four-pound trout – an action which supported a catch-and-release extravaganza of solid trout in excess of seven pounds for the next few hours by me and my guests. So, the next time you’re wading on a slow day along what you know to be a productive shoreline, you may just find that the best approach is for you to stop for a moment in order to recall exactly what it is you have done in the past under similar circumstances that enabled you to recognize your desired results. Good luck…and, keep grinding!

With the summer heat rapidly encroaching upon us, remember it to be of utmost importance that you apply plenty of sunscreen first thing in the morning, and to wear a long-sleeved shirt along with long pants. And I also highly recommend you drink plenty of fluids throughout the entire course of the day, particularly those of the non-alcohol variety, so as to keep yourself thoroughly hydrated. Remember to practice CPR, “Catch, Photo, and Release”, whenever possible on trophy Trout and Reds…Guide Chris Martin, Port O’Connor/Seadrift region…

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Captain Chris Martin-Owner
Bay Flats Lodge
www.BayFlatsLodge.com