By Capt. Chester Reese:
We sometimes think fish are just mindless members of the environment with little tiny brains. Though it is true that brain size in fish is diminutive, they’ve had 450 million years to work out their game plan.
In the wild, fish need to be both aggressive and wary to survive. The eye of a fish is well adapted to light conditions and motion; this gives them a unique ability to feed and fight. I’ve been a diver for many years and witnessed some wild antics of fish of all sizes. Once, there was a 3-inch damselfish in the Keys that attacked my dive glove and fought like a bulldog because it thought I was intruding on its territory.
Here in Franklin County, Florida, we have some of the best gag grouper grounds in the state. During the warmer months, gags are somewhat dispersed, and the tried and true method of fishing for them is to troll large-lipped lures. This allows the fisherman to cover a lot of ground, plus it’s a nice way to cruise and fish at the same time. Some of the lures that are the most effective do not look like any fish in the sea but catch fish on a regular basis. What does a grouper think a big plastic bright green shaking lure racing along the reef is? For a long time, whenever I bought a lure it had to look fishy, but maybe that’s not what is the most effective.
Many times when we get a hookup on these lures, the fish is caught on the side of the head or in some other part away from the mouth. I have talked to a lot of grouper fisherman, and we have come up with a crazy idea; maybe these lone groupers are simply defending their spot on the reef. One old captain told me he wasn’t catching feeding fish, they were just mad. This makes sense to me because I’ve seen largemouth bass defend their breeding beds in freshwater and they can be very aggressive. And don’t forget about the damselfish incident.
Color, size, and movement are very important to successful lure action. Many colors appear different at depth than at the surface. Red is the first to go and looks black at 30 feet, while chartreuse green holds its color the best in low-light conditions, and you can’t go wrong with white.
So, when considering what lure or fly you want to fish with, think like a fish. What is going to stimulate a bite under certain conditions and in certain areas? It is important to realize that fish may not only be feeding; they might just be “Mad Fish.”
Be safe out there and good luck!
Capt. Chester Reese Natural World Charters out of Carabelle, Franklin County, Florida. Check out his website at www.naturalworldcharters.com.