Tarpon in Gin Clear Waters
When Targeting elusive saltwater fish in the clearest of aquatic habitats, you need to consider THREE KEY components;
1.) A sneaky and stealthy approach:
Before heading out on an excursion, first decide if you want to walk the shorelines and inshore marshes by foot, or if you are going to be taking a kayak or flats boat. If you decide to use a boat as your method of travel, it is essential to have a push pole. A push pole is a device used to slowly maneuver your boat across shallow waters for fish feeding on high incoming tides. This device enables the angler to sneak up on the fish without spooking the fish off of its feeding grounds. Regardless of your method of travel, when you find a fish, make sure you make a long cast. Try to land your bait about five to ten feet in front of the fish’s snout. Set up with an extremely low visibility leader material to replicate a lifelike presentation. Seagur makes a great flourocarbon, I would recommend this in 40-80lb tests if you are targeting tarpon or permit.
Ray in shallow clear waters
2.) Searching the water for visual confirmation of gamefish activity: When you are in clear water, you can oftentimes find a school of fish attacking a bait source. Once you are able to visualize the specie of game-fish that is in on that bait source, work your speed and lure retrieves at the pace the fish are attacking. If the fish are in a blitz, then reel at a rapid pace, if they are slowly sucking in bait and bait chunks then use a pause and drop method.
A school of fish breaking on the surface Photo from: Crystal Coast Adventures, Captain Dean Lamont
3.) Triggering a dormat fish to eat your presentation: Make sure to always fish with a partner. Each of you tossing different flies, live baits such as; crabs, live minnows, live shrimp, or soft plastics. In clear water conditions it is key to determine what types of baits the fish are honing in on. Once you find that connection and trigger the fish to emerge from dormancy to aggressive strikes, your line will they stay tight the rest of the day
A large school of Crevalle Jack
Love where we live and be thankful for the greatness of our remaining underwater ecosystems,
Zachary Fasking
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