July 7, 2008

INSHORE

It's hot, which means the inshore bite patterns can be a little crazy as well as frustrating. So therefore here are a few suggestions that can help you with our now hot weather conditions, which can sometime prompt some real strange bite patterns!

Fish Naked
Fishing naked is the most popular fishing tip that I talk about. This is one of those suggestions that not only has an "interesting name," but also gets the attentions of fish! It's the simplest rig design of all times to put together. All you have to do is to tie your hook directly on to your main line; place hook in live bait used, and cast out. The bait seeks what it thinks is the safe zone and the larger fish are there to eat it. It has always amazed me about "the goings on" down under!

For those of you that are using any sort of braided main line, I suggest using at least an 18" fluorocarbon or monofilament leader. The reason being is that it has been ascertained that in some cases fish will be drawn away from your bait, because they can see the braided line and follow it. They might still hit it your bait, but it won't be as direct.

The Value of Using Your Cast Net!
I am always suggesting especially at this time of the year to take along your cast net. Casting is a lot of fun and you really never know what you might catch. If you happen to hit an area that is holding lots of prefect size bait or eating shrimp it's certainly will be a bonus fishing day for sure. It's a "no brainer" about what to do with your caught shrimp. However, those other small fish caught especially if kept alive can be your "catching asset" for the day. Small fish such as yellow tail, croaker, finger mullet, peanut menhaden or others work great when using them to "fish naked!" The secret to using this style bait is that it needs to be as lively as possible. Believe me the larger fish will take it from there!

Plain old bottom fishing
I had someone ask me the other day, what's the easiest way to catch a fish inshore or offshore? My answer to this question was "plain old bottom fishing." All you need to perform this fishing act is to get yourself some frozen shrimp, squid, or cut fish, and put it on the bottom. It doesn't matter whether the rig you use is sinker first or last as long as it keeps the hooks close to the bottom. It's a known fact that all fish visit the bottom frequently in search of food.

As far as what bait to use for this type of fishing affair I suggest going with what you have. If it's live hook it up and let it do the natural thing, which is trying to get off the hook. However, live bait under these conditions might not last too long. So therefore "changing up" of your bait needs to be often. That is and only if you want direct attentions from those fish that might be swimming by!

This is where thinking about what a fish wants and what makes them eat count!

Now let get talk about the dead stuff. This is a type of bait that offers "not a thing in the way of natural movement!" However, if presented properly it can work like the live baits, for sure. Lets say, "the only thing you have for bait is cut fish!" Cut fish is great, because has the real smell factor. However, just a cut chunk of fish is isn't going to last too long when it comes to the "goings on in the smell department." So therefore you need to come up with you own dead bait design. This is where thinking about what a fish wants and what makes them want to eat!

We have already talked about live bait, which is great, but it might not last too long. When the bait is basically dead it doesn't have much to offer up in the luring department. However, if you are using whole fish as your bait and it dies you still have options: It called this "butter flying your bait!" Once doing this to your dead bait it comes alive with the help of currents down under.

Butter Flying Your Dead Fish!
Here how to you accomplish the act f "butter flying your bait!" (One day I am going to learn how to draw with a computer!) Take the fish and lay it on its side. You will need a sharp fillet knife. Place the point of the knife in the meat behind the anal hole and stick it completely through the fish from one side to the other kind of like you are going to fillet it. Make sure you are on the topside of the backbone. Once getting you knife in the right spot fillet from this point. When finished you should have a still attached fillet. Do this on both sides of the fish. After accomplishing this, hold you fish up and it plain to see that you now have three tails instead of one that doesn't really work anymore. When the current flows through the attach parts it looks once again like it's trying to escape.

Leave the Tail/Backbone Section or Not!
When I am going with the "butter flying my bait" routine I sometimes remove the middle tail section. To accomplish this goal I simply cut the backbone out from where the fillet starts and the middle section comes with it. The two cut side fillets flow great in the current. This step is not necessary, but allows a little more movement when the current is introduced.

Catching billfish in green waters
During this time of the year it's not unusual to catch billfish in green waters. In my fishing lifetime I have actually caught more sailfish in 60 to 100 feet between the months of July and August than I have in the deeper blue water. The biggest secret to hooking up a billfish is to understand their "bating practice." Before this fish eats, it uses its bill to stunt its prey. The means they actually use their bill like a bat to knock out what they are basically going to inhale next!

These home run hitters once in batting practice mode will sometimes go to great lengths to kill what they think that they want to eat. The secret is to know what to do when. For instance, if you happen to be watching your trolled lines and you happen to see something strange like a "bill up," act promptly. This means the billfish has most likely already hit at the bait that you are pulling. The best thing to do is to drop the bait back as if it has been stunt and let it fall. This is just about when the billfish normally goes into the charge mode and tries to inhale it!

Burnt Thumbs and Backlashes
This is a great tip, but there are some drawbacks such as burnt thumbs and back lash reels. When the fish hits your bait, which you are dropping back some things can go wrong.

Dropping Back Bait!
Dropping back your hit bait is simple or not! To drop back properly your reel needs to be in free spool. Just loosening up the star drag all the way won't get this job done quick enough. To drop back properly and smoothly you need to open your bail and free spool your bait. I'm not talking about just letting is scream back without control either! You are going to have to lightly put your thumb on the reel so as to control it from back lashing.

Back lashing is where the line on the reel gets so tangled that a bird could land in it and have room to be make a nest. There are "degrees of bird nesting" in the charter boat business. The first is just a "bird's nest," which is small and can be cleared up with a few pulls of the tangled loops on the reel. It's simple enough due to the fact that you don't have a large fish on the line complicating things. The next stages, which are the worst, are the "Eagles Nests," which look like the line of the reel has had an explosion! This mean line is sticking way outside of the reel. Not only that, but under all this mess is a series of knots, which only a knife can get out. Now add "fish on" to this mess and you have "fish off quick!" The end result is broken line, lost lure, as well as lost fish.

Burnt Thumb
I will admit and get this out of the way, "it has happened to me on several occasions. That is why I know how painful it really is. Once you open the bail and place that thumb on it, you are in "committed control mode." If you hold the old thumb to tight on the spoon, when the fish hits your bait, "you are going to get burnt!" There is a middle of the road, but with things happening so quick you get stupid like I have on many occasions. I try to lightly hold my thumb just enough to control the reel from over spinning, because believe me when the "billfish picks your free spooled bait back" line is going to fly off your reel. The fact of the matter is I have seen the line spin off so fast that no matter what you do the old thumb's face is going to get burnt. Lets assume this has happened to you. Here's what you do after you have hooked up your billfish, fought it, caught it, and released it. Your thumb is going to hurt badly. The best first aid is a cup of ice water. Submerge your thumb in it! The best news is that you still got the bite thrill of a lifetime as well as a small price to pay!

The bad news is that the first couple of layers of your skin on your thumb will eventually peel off leaving it most touchy. The good news is that this pain won't last as long as the story attached to it!

BLUE WATER FISHING REPORT

Although we haven't been lately due to rough sea conditions I can offer up a few suggestions for getting a solid blue water bite. Firstly, I wouldn't set my sights on trying to find the edge of the stream, because during this time it's not as easy to locate. This boils down to the fact that the waters on the west side of the stream seem to be blending due to the fact that all water temperatures are just about the same. Blue water fish such as dolphin, tuna, Wahoo, and billfish spread out looking for the prefect feeding opportunity. This means it's not unusual to see as well as catch blue water fish in green waters.

Yellow Fin Tuna
Yellow fin tuna are normally caught while fishing near or in the blue waters of the Gulf Stream. However, about five years ago during the month of July I caught a yellow fin tuna while trolling for king mackerel at the CCA Buoy. The tuna hit a 31/2 silver Drone spoon, which was being pulled behind a #3 planer. The yellow fin tuna hit the spoon with such force that it cracked the rod butt. On this day we saw numerous schools of yellow fin tuna feeding on the surface. This brings to light that blue water fish can be caught in green waters especially during the time of the year.

Schools of barracuda have taken over the blue water
When the Gulf Stream's temperature matches the waters to the west it seems that the barracudas are everywhere. Marlin AKA "The Cracker" reported that on his last stream trip that they received more attacks from barracuda than they did actual blue water fish. The crew tried to get away from the attentions of these toothy monsters, but it seemed these packs of barracuda were found thick from130 to 200 feet of water. According to the report the five dolphins that they hooked up as well as their dozens of rigged baits weren't spared from the sharp working teeth of the barracuda!

Thanks for reading! Captain Judy

Captain Judy Charters
Captain Judy Helmey
Savannah, Georgia
www.missjudycharters.com

Send your fishing questions directly to Captain Judy fishjudy2@aol.com