Take What the Water Gives You

Surviving Tough Days

Finally. The water has warmed up, the wind has laid down, and it’s Saturday morning. Your significant other is out with the girls and the kids are over at a friend’s house. After a long work week, it’s time to fish. This is what you have been waiting for! The pieces to the puzzle have come together. The boat was gassed up and prepped last night and all your gear is ready to go. Waking up early in the morning, it’s time to hitch up the boat and get to the launch. You race to the ramp, as a half hour will make the difference between chaos and a quick drop in; heck it’s snook season. All has gone well, and you head off on the water for what you think will be an excellent day.

The water is like glass. Bait is everywhere. The sun is rising. Birds and mullet are all over the place, splashing on top of the water. It seems as though you own the bay. A picturesque day on Tampa’s waters, to say the least. Bait is gathered up and after cleaning the deck you see boats starting to pile up. One, two, three… now too many to count. Next thing you know, the relaxing time you were having turns into a competition for a spot at your favorite honey hole. Today was an early start; you should make it without a problem right?

First stop, the kayakers and artificial enthusiasts are drifting through the area you want to fish. No worries, they are quiet and are not disturbing anything. For you, fishing has begun. Some bait is tossed out and a fish or two is caught. This has the makings to be a great day! The bite slows. Let’s try the next stop. Only forty five minutes has gone by. The oyster bar where you caught that monster redfish is calling your name. It would have been easy to get to, but the pass that leads out of the spot you just fished is covered up by two boats. Why are people fishing the only way in OR out of the area? Should you try to make your way past them after politely asking? Unless you want to stay here all day there is no choice. You ask to pass and get dirty looks along with mumbling about ruining the spot. Instead of saying something logical like "why are you fishing this area, it’s the only way people can get in here?" you simply go about your way.

There is still a lot of time left in your day. On to the oyster bar. The pass in is blocked here too, but being considerate you make the long idle through the no wake zone to the other side of the mangroves, as to not disturb the fisherman who are anchored wrong for the tide, and fishing fifteen feet from where the fish should be. On your way while idling along, a flats boat comes screaming past you, a no wake sign being twenty yards away. You know that boat is heading for that oyster bar that was holding those reds two weeks ago. Yep, it was. Discouraged, it’s time to turn around and idle back out to the main drag. Now it’s time to regroup. Pulling out to the open water, the boats are stacked up on top of each other like you haven’t seen in months.

What to do, what to do. Well, there are spots all over. You again idle your way to the edge of the no wake zone, and then hop on plane. Now today’s fishing has turned into a mission, a competition to see what spot you can fish without disturbing others, or being disturbed. The flats are like a war zone, and you need to claim your territory. As you run along the shoreline, you survey which areas are covered up and which aren’t. Wow, there is that backcountry creek you wanted to fish and no one is there. Great! You make the long idle in and see a familiar tower boat in the distance, but you should be able to make it to the spot, he is not coming in here, is he? The boat gets closer and closer and blows through the sacred fishing grounds, using it as a shortcut to another location. Those fish won’t be eating anytime soon. Time for a new plan.

How can there be so many boats out already? It’s only nine. You know everyone out here is looking for a relaxing day on the water like you are, but this is crazy! Discouragement sets in. The day is looking to be filled with frustration and it may have been better to stay in bed.

Hold on a minute, all is not lost. The time has come to hit that spoil island near the port. It’s time to go. Pushing the boat to the limit you get there in five minutes, only to see ten signs stating you must be permitted to fish in this area. You forgot all about that. Let’s not have a high caliber weapon pointed at us today. Maybe you should have paid the state and taken that course so you could fish there. Oh well, now what?

Your buddy calls and the word is the grouper are tearing up pinfish at the shipping channel. Not being too far of a run you meet up with your friend, set anchor and fish. The day is saved, thanks to a fellow fisherman. After seeing the nice gags in the cooler on your friend’s boat, you drop a bait down and fish on! Man, you should have started the day this way instead of wasting all that time on the flats. Off in the distance a very large boat comes cruising along. Getting within twenty yards, the vessel buzzes right by you not slowing a bit, causing one heck of a wake. Waves hello from the passengers commence, but you only give a look, throw up your arms and turn your back. Are you kidding me? At least these fish are on the bottom and this won’t ruin your fishing. On with the catching. Now what? Who are those guys out there in the boat coming this way? Never mind that, they are circling around and going somewhere else. Wait, hold on, back they come, going around in circles? Is that a GPS they are reading? What the heck are they doing? Getting very close to our boats they toss an anchor down right where we were fishing, let out tons of line, then proceed to fish inside the shipping channel. Huh? Not on the edge? The bite shuts down from the commotion. Your buddy already has his limit of gags so he leaves, and it’s time for you to do the same.

You know where to go next, not too many people are fishing the skinny water, and this should be a good location. Again, after pulling off plane you idle into the shallows as the law dictates, and begin to fish the foot deep water. Redfish on! Alright! There is a huge mullet school in front of you and it looks to be holding reds, as some tails have been spotted. Are you kidding me? Another boat comes rolling in, this one being much too big for the flats. They should be in deeper water. What is this boat doing out here? That vessel can handle some offshore action. Why waste a blue water boat on the flats? After pulling up close to where you are fishing and tearing up sea grass along the way, the operator realized that these waters were too shallow and the boat turns away, but those tailing reds are done eating.

Contemplating your next move will involve eating a sandwich, and calling some more friends to see where you might be able to squeeze in for some decent fishing. None of your friends have good news. I guess the time to leave has come, and the realization of what you are dealing with sets in. The shipping channel was a mess, the passes are covered up, and the shallows have boats buzzing through left and right. Even the deeper water trout holes are packed, and a good drift will be impossible to pull off. Driving back to the ramp, you get yelled at while in the marked channel by fisherman throwing baits IN the channel. Isn’t that where you were supposed to be running? Back at the ramp, chaos ensues. A fifteen minute wait is what it looks like today. To top it off, as you wait, a family loads their boat with a cooler, towels, radio, beach toys and Fido, all while on the ramp itself. Talk about a bad day. Maybe it’s time to take up golf.

A lot of talk has taken place recently about overcrowding on the water, inconsiderate boaters and fisherman, damage to our flats from people not following the "rules of the road", and fish being pounded like a hammer to a nail. Guides, as well as recreational anglers alike, can all relate to these annoying issues we have to deal with when fishing. Issues that can be frustrating to say the least. So what is one to do when conditions (and I’m not talking about the weather) are less than perfect?

We as good fisherman must adapt to our surroundings and constantly think about a new way of doing things. The above mentioned problems have probably frustrated everyone at one time or another. The bay can be a huge hassle to fish on the weekend, sometimes during the week as well. Even when an early start is had, fisherman will be out there looking to catch fish just like you. It’s tough to blame them. That’s why we are all out there right?

What can you do differently to get away from the madness and have a good time? Being a weekend fisherman, I won’t just pack up and leave, but I do change up my tactics. The changes I make don’t always work but hey, that’s fishing.

The biggest change I have made most recently, has been scouting for fish in areas most don’t, or at least I don’t see many people fishing in these locations. Lately, I have been going way off the beaten path. When scouting and spooking fish, I don’t fish them right away, I will come back. In the meantime other spots are searched out. It’s not even an option for me to fish the known good spots on the weekend; I know they have been pounded all day, and the fish are spooked or have left. At times, I fish with friends that have much more experience than I, and they insist on going to the same spots, usually catching few if any fish. It’s not my place to tell them where to go out of respect for them, but some times they are just too set in their ways and will not adapt. Fish are smart and they move. I have been going to areas I specifically think aren’t holding fish or have never fished and try them out. This sounds stupid, but I do this just to give it a shot. What is the worst that can happen? All the usual spots aren’t yielding great catches either and I have been surprised by nice fish in these out of the way areas, or "bad spots".

These days, I really pay attention to how I anchor. The wind and tide changes play an important part in catching fish, and at these new locations you want to make sure you have tried your best in looking for a catch. Boat positioning is very important. Sometimes all it takes is a better position on a spot to reach the fish, or to be able to cast properly. Don’t be lazy. Maximize your ability to catch fish at these new areas that may be holding fish. Positioning may be all it will take to catch fish where you think there are none. If it is too tough in a certain location to properly fish a hole at the moment, don’t waste your time. Find somewhere else. Keep moving around.

Just because a boat may be leaving a certain area does not mean you will not catch fish there. I don’t know how many times I have caught fish right behind someone else. They may have been using different bait or have been fishing the area improperly. It may take time for the fish to settle down but sometimes can be very rewarding.

Don’t make a big scene when catching fish. Not all people as are considerate as you and I, and will come right up on your boat to try to sneak in where you are doing some catching. I don’t know how many times I have been crowded out of a spot by inconsiderate fishermen who think they own the bay. I always make sure to stir up the water before I leave, but come on, just ask!

For me, being considerate on the water and at the boat ramp is very important. Don’t buzz by people on the flats while they are fishing. Pay attention to the speed limits and no wake zones. Keep your distance from your fellow fisherman; there is enough room for everyone. You never know, you may even get waived in to fish a good spot just by being courteous. Don’t block up passes that lead to other large backcountry areas to fish; that keeps others from fishing numerous and possibly productive spots and you are just asking for people to pass through the area you are fishing. Also, if you yourself need to get to a spot and have to pass someone, ask. A little courtesy goes a long way. Lastly, at the ramp, have your boat ready to drop in before you launch. Others are waiting.