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Pinpointing Inshore Hotspots

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Written by Capt. Ron Bielefeld   

inshore_fishing1.jpg  

10% of the area will hold 90% of the fish, fine tune your efforts and focus on these hotspots.

Two fish, 1 o’clock, 40 yards, on the edge facing north!” Where? “1 o’clock, right there, 35 yards, on the edge of that trough. Do you see the slightly deeper water up there in front of us?” Yeah. “See the two dark logs?” I got ‘em! A good cast soon followed this scenario and a 32” redfish quickly connected. Luckily for us, our main target was redfish.

Had this been a bonefish outing, the odds of hooking up would’ve been dramatically less. Pinpointing inshore hotspots is something most experienced anglers are very good at. Being able to quickly identify feeding and holding locations on a flat or in the backcountry is paramount to becoming a successful fisherman.

In this article we will cover the basics of identifying inshore hotspots. Prior to getting started, you need to understand that pinpointing productive areas is impossible without a thorough and complete understanding of your targeted species behavior. Where, what and why they eat are only the beginning. You need to know why the fish are their in the first place and how long will they be calling this particular place home. Having a solid grasp of inshore fish behavior will make understanding and identifying productive inshore areas a much easier task. While electronics will help you identify key fishing areas offshore, the most important tool you have on the shallows is your eyes. It is imperative you use high quality polarized glasses on every outing. An amber tint seems to be the best overall choice for inshore fisherman. For the hard core guys, two pairs are called for, a set for low light conditions (daybreak and dusk) and another for bright light conditions. Regardless of which combination you prefer, spend the extra money on a quality pair of polarized glasses. They afford you a much better perspective of the surroundings and aid greatly in identifying productive areas. Creeks: Have you noticed that not all creeks or creek mouths are productive? It’s probable that in your area there are a handful of creeks that everyone fishes and there are certainly others no one seems to pay any attention to. This is a misconception as all creeks certainly hold fish; some however, attract a greater number of species for one simple reason, bait. To hold large concentrations of bait, creeks need to have several important elements.

They must unite two large bodies of water, have strong tidal flow and the mouth of the creek must have plenty of bottom structure. Baitfish use creeks as a means to travel in and out of sounds, bays and lagoons. Incoming tides push the bait in and outgoing tides pull the bait out. This is why so many creeks and river mouths produce better on the outgoing tide. The structure littering the bottom creates shields from the current which predators use as ambush points. A snook for example, will hold behind a log and wait for a mullet or pilchard to be swept by. Attacking this helpless bait requires little energy as he simply slips out into the current, does his duty and swims back behind the log. All the while, he used minimal energy for a tasty meal. Inside the creek, indentations in the shoreline, fallen branches and submerged logs can create the same scenario for predators in wait. As the water rushes by, the sudden change in bottom contour forces water to rise, creating a bulge on the surface. Casting your bait or lure well in front of this bulge will place it in the strike zone every time. Undercut banks are as equally productive and are home to a variety of species. The most common being the mangrove snapper and the largest the goliath grouper. Tarpon, redfish, snook, sharks and jacks are just some of the predators that will pass through creeks in search of food and are usually more than willing to take your offering. Rivers: Rivers can and should be fished the same way as creeks except on a larger scale. Large tarpon, snook, and sharks are common catches in our river mouths.

On the west side of the State, the undercut portions of river mouths tend to yield extremely large goliath grouper. In the Everglades National Park, 300 lb. fish are possible in as little as ten feet of water. Oceanside river mouths tend to create troughs on the northern and southern shorelines. The most productive ones are located in areas that have sandy bottoms rather than mud. These troughs are created by the powerful flow of the exiting water and become major feeding stations during different tidal stages. There are quite a few trophy fish hooked each year in these troughs. Some are more defined than others and create sandbars with very steep drop-offs which are also natural feeding stations for inshore fish. Shorelines: Shorelines represent one of the most fished areas on the inshore scene. All of the estuaries in the State offer anglers shorelines which are littered with mangroves and underwater obstructions. As with creeks, certain shorelines produce more fish than others and again, the reason is bait concentrations. A mangrove riddled shoreline represents two distinct advantages for baitfish. First, they offer a sanctuary from large predators and secondly, they provide cover for the fish to rest and hide from the rushing water. When the wind is blowing strong, you can expect to find the windward side of a shoreline holding large concentrations of bait. The reason is twofold. The wind drives and holds bait against the shore and secondly, creates extremely oxygenated water from the constant agitation. By studying the shorelines you can make a good educated guess as to what is happening below the surface. Mangrove shorelines equal mangrove roots below, undercut banks continue underwater and sheer cliffs indicate deeper water. A nice sandy area usually means a slow smooth transition to deep water, unless a trough has formed over the years.

Shoreline fishing is a read and react art. By studying the shoreline as a whole and then identifying key spots, one can increase their odds of catching more fish. All too often you see people working a barren shoreline when in reality they should be concentrating their efforts on a small stretch of fallen trees. Experience establishes basic rules among shoreline fishermen. Inshore fish tend to congregate around edges! If the bottom terrain changes from rock to sand, grass to mud, or any other separate and distinct area, look for your target to hold in this “transitional zone.” For those long barren stretches, look for fish to be constantly cruising the shoreline unless there are potholes which they can use as ambush points. Those same potholes will hold fish when the tide drops. In their summer pre-spawn mode, you can see schools of snook working the same flooded shoreline for weeks. As the tide falls, the fish move into these deeper holes making them extremely vulnerable to well placed baits. If there is one disadvantage to shorelines, it would be the high water level which the new and full moon periods bring with them. Extreme high water levels push fish up into the mangrove roots, often so far up into the brush they are virtually unreachable. One of the methods developed for these fish on the Pro Redfish Tour is to throw a weedless spoon with a grub well into the roots. As you work the lure out, the fish follow suit. The secret to this approach is to ensure you match the hatch with your jerk bait.

Points, pockets, indentations, bends and fallen trees form the heart of any shoreline. The ultimate key to this fishing location is presenting bait so it sweeps past ambush points in the most natural way possible. The Flats: As mentioned in the opening of this article, polarized glasses are the greatest single tool you have when sight fishing a flat. To consistently identify fish in skinny water, one must train themselves to look “at” the water rather than “in” the water. Most inexperienced anglers have a tendency to look “through” the water when fishing. Trust me when I tell you that it is not productive to look for fish underwater. What you should be doing is scanning the water, looking for anything that appears out of place. A dark spot on a white bottom, an odd looking obstruction, a color change on a grass edge, and/or a silhouette against a dark bottom merit further investigation. Avoid staring into the glare, as won’t see anything. Always try to keep the sun behind you. Your discovery may not always be fish, however, the more you practice this technique, the more you train your eye for unmistakable fish identification. A good starting point for all anglers is to use the water depth to determine which method to use on the flats. If the water is less than 18 inches, look at the surface for disturbances. Reds and bones produce a very pronounced wake as they move across a shallow flat in search of food. They also tail or expose their backs if working an extremely shallow spot.

Preferred temperature
and depth:
Bonefish – Between 72° and
84° and 1 to 3 feet of water
Permit – Between 75° and
85° and 1 to 3 feet of water
Tarpon – Between 75° and
90° and 2 to 5 feet of water
Redfish – Between 70° and
90° and 6” to 3 feet of water

If the water is deeper than 18 inches look for abnormalities on the bottom terrain as described above. A productive inshore fisherman adheres to certain rules when on the flats. First and foremost is stealth. Rest assured, a tailing bonefish is not going to stick around while he figures out what the 17’ monster approaching him is. If the fish sees you, he’s gone! If he hears you, he’s gone! If he senses you, he’s gone! This is especially true in areas that receive high fishing pressure, such as the Mosquito Lagoon and upper Keys. Slamming hatches and stowing equipment while on a flat is a no-no. As a matter of fact, most experienced sight fisherman will have the hooks baited and anglers in position even before they shut down and begin the final approach. Anything out of the ordinary will alert your quarry of your presence. This includes electric trolling motors. Although an angler’s best friend when working a shoreline, a trolling motor should be left at home when “on the flats.” Nowhere is this more important than in the Keys region. Electric motors make noise in the water that is foreign to bonefish, permit and tarpon and will spook fish every time. The last topic to discuss is the pressure ring around your boat. This is caused by the water being displaced by your hull. The larger and heavier the boat, the greater the pressure ring. Think of taking a bath. You fill the tub to the level of your liking and when you step in, the water level significantly rises. Apply the same thought process on the flats and you’ll understand. Fish notice these subtle changes and even though they might not be able to determine the cause, they are most certainly “on guard.” One would think that a top professional inshore guide would run a boat that is comfortable, has a great ride, and offers his customers plenty of room in the cockpit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most top guides run small and light inshore skiffs designed exclusively for working in shallow water.

Minimal weight, draft and a very quiet hull are all traits inshore guides look for in their “work” boats. There are so many factors to consider when working your favorite shallow spot that it would take an entire magazine to review them thoroughly. Listed below are just a few factors which are paramount to determining productive areas: Water Temperature: The water temperature on a vast flat can differ from the temperature in the surrounding channel which you used to approach the area. This is especially important in the summer and winter months. In the summer, the longer the water has to travel on a flat before it empties, the warmer it will become. If it started on one end at 89°, then traveled over a mile before it dumped into a channel, it would undoubtedly be warmer. In the winter the reverse is true. As the water flows onto the flat it will not be anywhere near as warm as water that has traveled the entire shallow area. One of the best times to fish for bonefish in the Keys is on sunny winter days after a cold front moved through the area. Tidal Flow: Tidal flow is paramount to life on a flat. If a flat does not have water moving on and off of it, then the chances are it will not hold your intended quarry.

Not only does water flow keep a grass bed healthy and a sand flat clean, it brings in the needed nutrients for the flat to flourish. If the area has moving water and a nice clean bottom, then you can count on bait taking up residence. Mollusks, worms and glass minnows all live on flats and are the single most important reason predators visit the spot. Just as the nutrient rich water moves on and off a flat, you can count on game fish doing the same; moving on with the incoming tide and off with the outgoing. Cover: All predators need some sort of cover. What you and I may take for granted, a bonefish will call home. Grass beds, underwater structure, mangroves and potholes offer all game fish a place to lye in ambush or relax and enjoy the sun. Barracuda and trout are famous for hanging around the edges of sand pockets and patrolling the area while their prey is totally unaware of their presence.
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Terrain: There are certain under water characteristics that attract fish or direct their movements. These features may be as obvious as jetties, oyster bars and channels or as subtle as a slightly raised or lowered bottom contour. Many species hold near edges of structure such as shoals, shorelines, potholes, underwater ridges or drop offs to deeper water. Fish use cuts and channels to cross a flat as well as other paths determined by underwater structure. On the west coast of Florida, prop scars on grass beds are used by redfish to hold or travel in during extreme low water phases. Sharks are also a great indicator as to whether a flat holds fish or not. If you see a shark, chances are most other inshore species will inhabit the area as well.

Sharks also help determine when it is time to move off of a flat and begin working the drop-offs. If the water is too shallow for small sharks then you can rest assured it is to shallow for other predators. It is not uncommon to see a shark with his back totally exposed crossing a flat. Flats are not featureless by any means. They are a series of slight bumps, valleys, ridges and seams which in turn attract game fish. Develop a system for hunting the shallow water and stick to it. It takes a lifetime to master the shallows and to this day, even the most experienced professional guides are humbled by a school of fish that blew out on them. Remember, be quiet, be aware and be patient and soon you too will be a master of the flats!

About the Author:

Capt. Ron Bielefeld began his fishing career when he was only 4 years old. Nearly a decade ago, Ron moved to Sebastian, Florida and started applying his fishing skills to catching what the Indian and Sebastian Rivers had to offer. Ron has dedicated his life to enjoying, sharing, teaching, and preserving the natural resources of Florida and the U.S. Capt. Ron currently owns & operates Tight- Lines Inshore Guide Service. A seasoned fishing guide with years of experience on the Indian River Lagoon, Ron says, “The Lagoon offers a wide variety of fishing adventures, from tackling the mighty tarpon to wading it’s shallow waters for sea trout, redfish, and snook. So, Regardless if you would like to tempt your scaly adversaries with a perfectly placed fly or if top-water explosions are more your game, the Lagoon offers opportunities to all who ply it’s waters.” In addition to guiding, Capt. Ron holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in wildlife biology and is active in the conservation and wildlife management fields. For the inshore trip of a lifetime, contact Capt. Ron Bielefeld at 772-388-9880 or visit TightLinefishing.com





 
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