By: Dan Carns
As a kayak fishing instructor and guide for Gulf Coast Kayak, I focus a lot on the little details that can make or break a trip. After all these years of observation there are so many little things you can do to become more successful or perhaps you are doing these but need to really focus hard on each piece.
Tides are very important when you consider when to go fishing. But let me be clear about this one idea that gets thrown around a lot, do not stay home if your “fish App” says it is a terrible time to fish. I have discounted this suggestion too many times to count and have had some of the greatest fishing trips of my life on those “stay home’ days! The reason fish feeding can be better than other times is that when the tide is rising or dropping rapidly and the bait is being flushed into or out of an area, the fish use this opportunity to ambush it. Fish are opportunistic and if they can conserve energy by just waiting for the bait to come to them then all the better. Tides are referred to as top or bottom of the tide and which side you choose, incoming or outgoing really depends on the location and the fish species. Some anglers say they only fish on an outgoing tide while others claim that an incoming tide is the only time to go. Spend time in one location that you suspect fish are present at slack tide (high or low) and pay attention to the increase in activity as the tide is either starting to come in or go out. I promise you that there will be a difference, perhaps small but perceptible. Tides are a little wonky for kayakers as we can get in very skinny water way off the main channels where tides are predicted to arrive so while the tide should be moving in or out it may be delayed by a couple of hours due to location or wind delay. Make sure to have a tide app that shows tides in a graph form. Notice if the graph is sharply rising or dropping and not a long, slow, all day event.
Make sure to use a reliable wind indicator like Wind Finder (Pro) as the wind can completely ruin your day. Standard weather apps can say it is light and variable but in reality it could be blowing 15 to 20 knots! The wind is never friendly for kayakers so plan accordingly and fortunately for us, we can usually find a sheltered shoreline to combat the wind direction.
Change your line or strip off a dozen yards periodically so your using fresh line without frayed edges. Use fluorocarbon leaders and change your hooks out if they are rusty and dull!
It’s A wild World-Get Out there!
@paddlinandfishin
Dan Carns