By: Joe Sheaffer
When we think of grass in the surf, it means fishing is going to be a challenge. Most of the time having grass in the surf is a huge inconvenience. Grass along the beach and in the surf can be a nuisance, for anglers trying to enjoy a day on the beach. Bottom rigs and lines collect grass and foul up our presentation. The fish are unable to find the bait and we are constantly trying to clean the rigs. Using artificial lures becomes futile, the grass keeps the lures from working correctly. There are times when the grass just wins out and we can’t effectively fish on the beach. As conditions along the beach calm down, the grass can pile up on the beach or just be pulled out by the tides. Less or no grass can make it easier to fish but that doesn’t necessarily mean fishing will be better. Many times, the grass that remains will clump up creating structure for predators like Snook. Fishing along the beach is no different than fishing anywhere, fish are looking for structure that creates current breaks, causes bait fish to pile up or just provide an area where they can effectively ambush prey. These grass clumps can create fish holding structures that can help us have a productive day along the surf. Recently when I was fishing along Stump Pass Beach in Englewood, I caught many snook holding around these grass clumps. There were not many clumps but those that were adjacent to a point or a deeper section along the beach held numbers of schooling snook. Matter of fact those were the only structures that held fish on that day. It took a while to key in on the pattern but once I figured it out, I was able to turn a challenging day into a very fun morning of fishing. Everyday along the beach can be different, but don’t pass up fishing these grass CLUMPS, they may be the key to a productive day of fishing. Good luck and keep casting!