NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WIND HISTORY BEFORE YOU GO
In Louisiana, tides and dirty water are almost always driven by wind. A check of tomorrow’s forecast of 5-10 knots is not enough to ensure you have a decent shot at fishably clear water. Paying attention to what the wind has been doing for the 3 days leading up to your trip will pay dividends – big time. Pick spots that are protected from the direction the wind has been blowing over the last few days. For example: If you’ve had a consistent east wind at 15- 20 for 3 days – don’t fish the west side of Big Lake. Pick a spot on the east side for your best chance at clean water.
STAYING IN EACH SPOT FOR TOO LONG
I’ve seen many fishermen park their yaks for 30 minutes to an hour at a time, catching no fish. This is not usually a productive way to catch fish, especially when throwing artificials. My rule of thumb is to keep moving. Spend extra time (5-10 casts) at trenasses, points, pockets and other likely features. No bites? Move on. With long straight shorelines, just keep moving and scouting for bait and other signs of fish.
MAKING TOO MUCH NOISE
Things such as tackle boxes, rods, paddles and anchors bumping into your boat send sound waves throughout the
water column. This can quickly shut down the bite. I suggest purchasing some stick-on stealthing foam and putting it everywhere that your gear regularly bumps into the boat. You need to keep yourself quiet as well by limiting your paddle strokes, when possible, and with your movements and talking in the boat. This is especially important in shallow water.
NOT ANCHORING ENOUGH WHEN IT’S WINDY
Ever notice that you catch less fish on windy days? This can be due to a number of reasons, some of which you can’t control (like dirty water). Some reasons, however, you can control. The biggest reason is controlling the drift speed of your boat. Fast drifting complicates your casting, causing you to continually not hit the targets you should be hitting to increase your catch rate. Slowing down and anchoring, working a spot, then moving on to anchor at the next spot will give you better results when fishing on windy days.
INACCURATE CASTING
One of the biggest things I see anglers do is wasting casts due to inaccuracy. When fishing the marshes, it’s absolutely essential to always place the lure within 6 inches of the grassline. Preferably, RIGHT ON the grassline. This takes focus, concentration and practice. Without this accuracy, I have seen days where some anglers catch double limits of Reds, while other anglers on the same trip get skunked. Same day. Same area. The biggest difference being casting.
Shallow water season is right around the corner. The reds are working their way up on the flats – so get out there and have a blast!
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