Learn To Read The Water To Catch More Fish

Just like a book, fishing can depend a lot on your ability to read. Instead of reading through pages, you are observing everything around you. Pay attention to the weather conditions like wind, tidal movement, surface and water temparature. All of these factors can help make a decision on how to fish, whether that is by boat, kayak, wading or using light tackle.

Now that the basic decision-making is done, you can head for the water to do some more heavy reading. As you paddle out you see all the early morning activity on the water. There are schools of mullet of all sizes and baby shrimp jumping for their very lives up close to shore. If the bait source is running away, they are being chased by something, so that would be a good place to cast. As you look down, there are crabs scurrying across the bottom. What are they fleeing from? Notice their speed and direction, and use that information to figure out where to cast your lure.

Birds are another great fishing indicator, especially when they are feeding. My favorites to follow are the blue heron, pelicans and gulls. All of this wildlife activity is useful if you know how to read it. Not only can it help to find fish but also give clues as to what they are feeding on.

In addition to wildlife activity, what is beneath the surface matters a lot as well. Look for different structure where you are fishing, like drains. In between islands and sand bars there will be gaps where water flows through. These are high-traffic areas for baitfish, so there are usually predators nearby. I like to sit near the sides of these areas and cast into them, even more so when there is a lot of tidal movement.

I use a bone topwater lure to recon the area. Once fish are located by a strike or a blow-up, I switch to a soft plastic either weightless or not, but always weedless. Then I start working the area probing for that big bite. I section the drain area and work each one with maybe 3 or 4 casts before moving on.

Whether I am fishing for fun, with clients or in a tournament, I generally go with the Sea Devil by Brown Lures. Pink Hologram seems to work best for me, but they make many different colors that can work great for clear or muddy water.

Learning to read this "living book" can give you a real advantage the next time that you go fishing. As always, pay attention to the weather, wildlife and structure to get the most out of your day. Time and practice will teach you what all of these clues mean, so go out and test it for yourself. Good Luck Fishing!