Fish move. That may be the shortest correct answer as to why an angler didn’t catch anything on his trip. Yes, it does have a certain air of “Mr. Smarty Pants,” but there is a lot of truth in it that once learned will dramatically improve an angler’s chances on the water. Let’s look at the general big concept moves.
Fish make hourly shifts in depth, movements with the tide, and they follow forage into small tertiary locations far away from the main bay. Daily, fish move their position according to temperature changes, light intensity, wind direction and velocity, as well as their need to feed. Fish also move seasonally with the seasonal pattern of forage movements. Within the larger season, fish will make moves monthly to shift as meteorological changes occur.
One of the biggest challenges a new angler has is identifying where the fish should be. Targeting high-percentage areas is key, but those moves must also be in the right part of the estuary. I also see many anglers falling into the advice of learning only one bay within an estuary and focusing their time there. While there is certainly nothing wrong with that sort of intensity, I’d recommend applying that intensity to the part of the estuary where the fish actually are for that season or month, and then finding those fish somewhere within their daily movements.
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