Finding Fish part I
August 26 2009
| Written By - - 08/26/2009 | |
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Link to Original Article here |
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To catch fish you first need to find them. A pretty elementary analysis, but accurate and often overlooked. Anglers will research, test and try literally everything made and sold, but cast a $10 lure in your bath tub and catching a fish is all luck. It's a crude analogy, but needed get your attention and set your mind to intentional and intelligent decisions when searching for your spot to fish.
Thinking back to successful excursions you'll see a pattern develop as fish tend to frequent particular types of habitat on a regular basis. If you can isolate and identify these important trigger spots, it may speed up the elimination process. Anglers now talk about pattern when referring to the specific behavior of certain fish at a given time. All you have to do is uncover a single pattern to catch fish.
Start by using your experience to rank the various options. A simple aide is a diary, if you've never kept a fishing diary today is the time to begin, as entry's accumulate you'll have even better information. Even without a diary drawing on your own knowledge of fish behavior you may be surprised what strikes a chord. Here's a quick rundown of four physical keys to finding fish.
Start by using your experience to rank the various options. A simple aide is a diary, if you've never kept a fishing diary today is the time to begin, as entry's accumulate you'll have even better information. Even without a diary drawing on your own knowledge of fish behavior you may be surprised what strikes a chord. Here's a quick rundown of four physical keys to finding fish.
holes
Fish lie or cruise well back in shoreline pockets, following the contour of the land. They know forage or bait fish tend to move into the very shallow water to escape the predators. Pockets that have a thin lip with a drop off are optimal. Forage species stay on the rim, while the predators wait for a stray to venture over the edge.
Putting this to use in saltwater realize the tide will make a difference. If the shore is coated with vegetation, the fish may work beyond casting range on high water. As the tide falls, look for the perfect situation to form. Place your casts as close to the bank as possible. Even a foot or two closer could make a difference.
Fish lie or cruise well back in shoreline pockets, following the contour of the land. They know forage or bait fish tend to move into the very shallow water to escape the predators. Pockets that have a thin lip with a drop off are optimal. Forage species stay on the rim, while the predators wait for a stray to venture over the edge.
Putting this to use in saltwater realize the tide will make a difference. If the shore is coated with vegetation, the fish may work beyond casting range on high water. As the tide falls, look for the perfect situation to form. Place your casts as close to the bank as possible. Even a foot or two closer could make a difference.
vertical drops
Put this factor high on your list. Fish love dropoffs. If the fresh water lake or ocean floor slopes downward, they'll position themselves along the slope. It's even better when you can combine a point with a dropoff. Bait tends to remain higher and the lunkers wait beneath, ready to pick off a straggler.
The key here lies in finding the right depth so a tip is to walk a leadhead down the slope and then reverse the back up, working it from deep to shallow. If a current is running, remember that the fish will head into it.
Put this factor high on your list. Fish love dropoffs. If the fresh water lake or ocean floor slopes downward, they'll position themselves along the slope. It's even better when you can combine a point with a dropoff. Bait tends to remain higher and the lunkers wait beneath, ready to pick off a straggler.
The key here lies in finding the right depth so a tip is to walk a leadhead down the slope and then reverse the back up, working it from deep to shallow. If a current is running, remember that the fish will head into it.
structure
Any physical structure or points offer predators the perfect place to ambush their prey. A jutting land mass provides concealment, clear visibility, and a refuge out of the current. Usually, water flows past one side of a point, creating a lag around the back. The key lies in presenting a bait or lure so that it carries through in a natural manner.
Any visible point of land suggests you can be reasonably certain that the same configuration continues underwater. In some places, points may be shallow, but if the visible land drops, expect the fall to continue beneath the surface. Points with access to deep water frequently rank as more productive.
Any physical structure or points offer predators the perfect place to ambush their prey. A jutting land mass provides concealment, clear visibility, and a refuge out of the current. Usually, water flows past one side of a point, creating a lag around the back. The key lies in presenting a bait or lure so that it carries through in a natural manner.
Any visible point of land suggests you can be reasonably certain that the same configuration continues underwater. In some places, points may be shallow, but if the visible land drops, expect the fall to continue beneath the surface. Points with access to deep water frequently rank as more productive.
peaks
Any rise in the lake or water floor is worth investigating. Fish hang around humps, lumps, mounds, rocks, reefs, and anything else that sticks up from the bottom. In some areas, it doesn't take a very significant rise to hold quantities of fish. Anglers sometimes ignore smaller rises, searching for a major change in the real estate. Check out anything that sticks up. And, keep in mind that wrecks and artificial reefs fall in the category of rises.
Any rise in the lake or water floor is worth investigating. Fish hang around humps, lumps, mounds, rocks, reefs, and anything else that sticks up from the bottom. In some areas, it doesn't take a very significant rise to hold quantities of fish. Anglers sometimes ignore smaller rises, searching for a major change in the real estate. Check out anything that sticks up. And, keep in mind that wrecks and artificial reefs fall in the category of rises.
