Fishing \edge\ucation

First, it should be said that tips and tricks like these that I have put together can only take you so far. It is important to hone your skills and practice observing the conditions while you are out fishing. These tips are a few that I have put together over many years of guiding but are by no means the only way to catch fish. Make sure that you are familiar with the places that you are fishing so that you can key in on certain conditions and look for your \"target\".nnOne of my favorite marks to key on are the grass lines, especially those found in the southern portion of Baffin Bay. What you are looking for here is where the grass goes from being very dense to not growing in very shallow water. The transition is usually quite visible as it becomes a sandy white bottom, something to look for on clear and sunny days.nnAnother type of grass line that is a little more subtle often occurs on a depth change. As an old Bass fisherman, it took me a while to realize that a depth change in the Laguna Madre was not necessarily a three to four foot drop into a channel. In fact, many of the ones I see that will change fish behavior are as little as two or three inches. The grass line I refer to here is a transition from the longer dense grass to a sparse short grass in the shallower water. This is redfish heaven as it seems to give small crabs and shrimp a false sense of security while leaving them virtually exposed to any predators swimming nearby.nnThere are all sorts of techniques you can use once you have picked out a target. I typically like to start with a steady and fast retrieve and try to get a quick strike from a predator fish. Sometimes incorporating a \"waving\" motion with this speed works for me as well. There usually isn\'t one right way of doing this, and what works well in one situation may not work in another. This is why you should experiment and try out different motions, retrieval speeds and other variations until you discover what works.nnIn addition to the grass lines, be on the lookout for potholes that range from a few feet to yards across. The edges all around the sides of the potholes are very important as small fish will hang around looking for food here. Larger predator fish are usually nearby. Baffin Bay is home to many of these potholes, especially rocky ones with steep drop offs that plunge down 8-9 feet. I like bring out the old Bass fishing tactics here when working these structures and edges.nnOne of the techniques that I have brought over from Bass fishing is to use short and quick hops, with various speeds of retrieve. When using this method I prefer to use a Devil Eye (made by Brown Lures) Texas rigged on a 1/4 oz bullet sinker weight. This saltwater fishing lure has been effective on Bass as well, and works great when slowly bouncing along those potholes and rocky drop-offs. I think that the large eye on the lure also gives a strong target for fish, which is why it gets so many aggressive strikes when fishing with this method.nnThe weather has been very cooperative and the winter fishing looks to be very good this year. We have already seen a few small flocks of teal, while mourning and white wing dove are everywhere. Give us a shout and we\'ll \"hook\" you up for your next Outdoor Adventure.