Coastal Fishing Concepts
by Capt. Charlie Thomason
Understanding Conditions
When it comes to fishing anywhere in the
continental United States during the month of
February, most anglers would agree that conditions normally make for a challenging trip. But
if you understand what conditions will make fish
more active during the colder times of the year,
you will undoubtedly become a more successful angler. As an angler, you have to understand that fish are cold-blooded, which means
your target species will have a metabolism directly affected by their surroundings. As water
temperatures drop in early February, fish tend
to fall into somewhat of a lethargic state that
makes catching fish seem almost impossible;
however, understanding that certain weather
conditions changing daily or hourly can increase your catch is key.
I feel there are two main areas that anglers
can fish when water temperatures drop due to
increasing cold fronts during this month. First deeper water areas that consistently have moving water will hold not only predatory fish but
bait fish that also tend to congregate in these
areas which, in turn, hold the species we normally search. Deeper water will always hold
higher temperatures due to Earth’s internal
warmth radiating from the bottom. That is why
anglers often find fish in larger rivers or bayous
because those bottoms are hard surfaced and
tend to hold the heat which increases the temperature of the surrounding water. Deeper locations which have moving water will also have
warmer water due to water molecules rubbing
together causing friction which, in turn, creates
heat. Working baits closer to the bottom in average depths of 12-15 feet of water where tide
and current normally move the water in and out
are going to be your best bet! “Why?” you
might ask. Well, as water temperatures increase, the fish’s metabolism will directly relate
to that increase, and they will become more active in that area when water movement is at its
peak. I’ve found many times when water temperatures drop due to a major cold front passing, fish in deeper water areas are easily tricked
by slow moving baits that move naturally with
the tide. A 3/8oz jighead with your favorite artificial will produce just fine. I’ve always liked
baits that have some type of scent that
predatory fish can hone in on and induce a
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natural strike. Even placing a small piece of
dead shrimp or FishBites on the end of the
hook can increase your catch ratio.
The second area I like to fish during colder
conditions is shallow flats ranging from 2-5 feet
with oyster shells or riprap scattered along the
bottom. These areas hold scattered fish but
they are always more apt to strike larger baits,
and the fish themselves are normally larger in
size. Drifting with the winds or tide seem to be
the best approach due to the least amount of
disturbance that could spook the fish from
these shallow grounds. Shallow waters will heat
up substantially when ambient temperatures increase or when overcast skies disappear revealing the warmth of the sun’s rays. Bait fish will
gather to feed as their metabolism increases
which will attract predator fish to the same
areas. I normally look for brown pelicans diving
along the banks or mullet jumping on the flats.
When I witness these natural signals, this tells
me the water temperatures are increasing
which, in turn, has fish moving. Predatory fish
will scatter along the bottom next to the oyster
shells, cultch, or riprap because rocks retain
heat throughout the day. Just think of an oyster shell like a small fireplace, the fish are going
to sit next to the shell because it gives off heat
which allows the fish warmth, increases their
metabolism, and makes them more apt to have
the energy to feed when the time comes. I
love to start up current or up-wind and drift
across the flat where I can fancast, reaching
about 20 feet off the bank retrieving my bait
slow and steady just off the bottom. Now I
know you want the inside scoop of what baits I
like to use in this situation. Well, hard-style
baits that are subsurface, slow sinking, or sus-
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pending are your weapons of choice. I love to
use the Brown’s Corky “Fat Boy,” MirrOlure
Catch 5, or the MirrOlure MirrOdine XL. Each
of these baits are larger profiles that will attract
fish because they are slow moving, natural
looking, and have the ability to coax larger fish.
The key to fishing these baits is to mimic the
movement of the natural forage. Remember,
the water is cold so the bait will be swimming
very slowly, and they will tend to sit idle for
small amounts of time while bathing near the
surface. I normally will not twitch baits this time
of year; I will only retrieve for five feet, stop, let
the bait sit for a few seconds, then repeat. Remember that your boat will be moving during
all of this presentation so the bait will actually
be moving more slowly than you think it is, this
keeps you from over working the bait.
These techniques will undoubtedly help
you catch more fish during this cold weather
month; but if you’re not a cold weather angler,
you can always get your topwaters cleaned and
ready for spring!! It’s closer than you think!
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