Written By - - 09/2/2009
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As much as I savor the sheer thrill of getting out on the water, I also realize if your going fishing, why not catch fish? Seem's a pretty rudimentary assumption, but I'm guilty all to often of not assessing my angling goals and current availability before setting out to land fish. What I'm saying is you don't take a crappie rod and reel combination to land big water salmon and you you probably won't catch bass in a trout pond. The key is assessing the situation and make subtle adjustments to better shift the odds in your favor. Earlier this week I examined key physical characteristics to finding fish, and now I'll share a few pointers an water characteristics which can weigh as heavy on your fishing success as choosing a drop off or a peek to start. thermal variation Next to a hole the water temperature is probably the single most important factor in determining where fish will be found. Fish can often detect changes as subtle as half of a degree. That means that if the temperature is one degree warmer or cooler than the surrounding area, you could find fish or not. Again, they may be in the warmer or the cooler water depending on the season and the species. Monitor temperature constantly and check out minor fluctuations. edge Not just fish but all animals tend to track along edges. Big game like deer and elk do it routinely and you'll find fish in the same manner. If the bottom switches from mud to rock or sand to grass, concentrate on the transitional zone. Dropoffs represent a particular type of edge that can be exceptionally productive when the change in depth moves from the shallows into a different physical feature such as a channel. When you find an edge, the trick lies in determining which side the fish happen to prefer right now. To run a simple test, try one side and then the other, but stay close to the edge. inflow An inlet is a funnel that shuttles water from an estuary to an ocean or from a smaller creek into a river. Predator fish know instinctively that food will be carried by the current and they identify these are feeding zones. The key centers on figuring out where they will be on a particular stage of the tide or inlet. During the fastest flow, the fish could seek sanctuary behind structure, working more in the open as the force of the water eases. On an outgoing flow, the fish could be beyond the confines of the inlet while benefiting from its function. distinct cross This is more specific to salt water where you're looking for any type of change on the water. If the color shifts from green to blue on the offshore grounds or turbid to clear in an estuary, it's worth fishing. Stay close to the edge of the transitional zone, trying one side and then the other. You may think that the fish will be on the blue water side or the clear side, but the other corridor may hold the bonanza. confluence Investigate junctions where one body of water enters another or two currents join. These spots represent primary ambush territory for prey fish and thinking of your presentation as the prey and you mindset of a predator this is a good spot to be. A tiny, tidal tributary may flow into a river or bay. On falling water, predators may line up at the junction waiting for baitfish to be swept into the main body of water. In your mind picture a scene where the water flows past two points of land and comes together some distance away. You can almost bet that someone will be home at this spot. Wherever a river, canal, spillway, or anything else enters a larger body of water constitutes a junction. flowage Any water fresh or salt with currents flow like a river, drawing surface water as they move. Replacement water comes from the depths through a process known as upwelling. Plankton blooms along the edges, attracting forage species. You don't have to train a gamefish to prowl the edges. Currents carry food, making them worthy of investigative time. Rips describe turbulent water that tends to disorient baitfish. The heavyweights can handle the tumult easily and move in to feast on the hapless prey. Combining the physical features and making informed, intentional decisions in fishing along with the water characteristics are key variables in your fishing success. I'm not saying you won't catch a fish without weighing these, but a simple thought pattern of working these odds in your favor may turn a ho-hum fishing trip into one for the ages. Ain't isn't that part of why we fish?