From the time you leave the dock birds can help your fishing. Terns diving in the bay or near shore can show you where schools of pilchards, herring or glass minnows are. These baitfish can be what you were looking for or may be surrounded by gamefish you are seeking, such as trout, mackerel, jacks, snook or many others.
Pelicans may be diving on mullet, pinfish or any of the baitfish mentioned above. You can tell a lot about what a pelican is eating by how he works his bill. Water captured with a mullet or pinfish will be drained off quickly, while when catching glass minnows or other small bait, they carefully strain off the water.
Moving farther offshore, seagulls indicate trash while terns are usually over fish. Lots of terns usually means tunas, bonitos or jacks. A couple of terns, especially sooty terns frequently indicates mahi or sailfish. A couple of sooty terns hovering over a weed patch or piece of debris is a lock for mahi.
Frigate birds up high mean the fish are missing or very deep. The lower the frigate, the hotter the action from predator fish. A frigate diving fast towards the water means get there now!
Don’t chase birds up current. Quality fish feed into the current. Birds chase feeding fish. You have to get ahead of the birds to get ahead of the fish. Get way ahead of the birds and set out your spread. Then let the fish and birds catch up.
Tight lines!
CAPT. BOUNCER SMITH
Bouncer’s Dusky 33
(305) 439-2475
www.CaptBouncer.com