COOL WEATHER PROMOTES "HOT" TOP WATER ACTION
By: Capt. Mike Frenette
Spoiled, you bet we are! We are the envy of sportsman throughout the country. All
you have to do is read almost any publication referencing saltwater fishing and
there is bound to be an article focusing somewhere in south Louisiana. Surf the
Net and there are countless of sites that relay information to the sportsman
on where and how to make your next trip successful. On most of these sites it is
quite common to read where one has caught or shot his or hers limit, and
understandably, because as I have stated we are spoiled and have become accustomed
to catching or bagging our limit or limits quite regularly. What about a new angle
or twist? One in which you as the angler will be in pursuit of a target that the end
result will be catch and release Catch and release you say, c'mon if I
can't go out and catch my limit, I'm not going. Heard it before, probably will
hear it again, but it's time for a change. First of all the most important factor
with the outdoors, is to spend time in it, and second bring someone with
you, hopefully a young one so that he or she will begin to enjoy what so many other
sportsman across this nation wish they had.
Now that being said I know that the fall season was excellent for speckled trout and
most have their freezers full of filets and for all practical purposes your wife has
told you and it was probably three trips ago, �We don't have any more room in
the freezer, don't bring any more home� Sound familiar? Well if it does or even
if it doesn't try this angle for one of your next trips: Bull Reds on top water
baits.
The most explosive strike that any angler can experience is a strike from a fish on
top water bait and one that incorporates a fish that weighs from 10-40 pounds is
awesome. Even though we consider the summer and fall great times for Red fishing,
the cooler months of the year are perfect times to chase Bull Reds with top water
baits. These larger reds are on the perimeter of the marshes from Lake Borgne all
the way across to the western side of our state, and for the most part if you find
the right conditions these fish should also be found in the numbers that will afford
the angler ample of opportunities to stretch their lines. During the warmer months
schools of Bull Reds can be found along the beaches and passes of our waterways
feeding aggressively on the surface. The difference between the winter months and
the summer months is for the most part you are not going to see tremendous feeding
action on the surface. Does the lack of feeding action represent the lack of
presence of the Bull Red? Absolutely not! The fact is that the water temperatures
are now drastically different, much colder that what they were just a couple of
months ago, therefore all species of fish are changing there patterns. During the
summer months we see tremendous bait action on the surface especially early morning
and late evening times as this is when the waters are more tolerable for baitfish
and predator fish such as redfish can expend more energy without wearing themselves
out. Well the opposite holds true during the winter months. Early mornings and late
evenings the water temperatures are cooler than midday just as it was during the
summer, but the at this time of the year mid day water temperatures are more
appealing not only to baitfish but to redfish as well. The advantages here are a
plus for the angler, most importantly there is no need to rush to your favorite
hot spot early in the morning, as you will find as the day progresses the bite
should and normally is better.
Where to look: As stated before, the larger Reds spend their life on the
perimeters of the marshes or along the beaches close to the passes; therefore
targeting these types of areas will help in your quest. Water depth is not as
important as one would think but certainly checking the waters in 3-6 will
give you some advantage. Slowly cruise these areas looking for any sign of baitfish.
Remember the huge concentrations of schooled baitfish on the surface will most
likely not be present, therefore a few straggling mullet on the surface a pogie
flipping on the surface, or one shrimp flipping on the surface is all the invitation
you should need to begin casting. Sometimes you know or feel that you are in the
right area but there is no sign of baitfish. Not a problem as during the colder
months the baitfish can become lethargic (as well as the redfish) and detecting
their presence at times can become difficult. Sandy bottom areas close to mud areas
are great target zones as the mud bottoms retain heat more than the sand bottoms but
the larger Reds do prefer sandy bottoms so to find both bottom conditions in the
same area is a plus. Incidentally this is quite common along Louisiana's
coastline.
BAITS:
Top water baits come in a variety of shapes and sizes and depending on the design,
this will dictate to how that particular bait should be worked in order to
achieve the best results. Taking into consideration that we are fishing in the
middle of the winter and for the most part no matter what type of bait that you are
using, during this time of the year your presentation should be slow, and if slow is
not working then sloooooow it down another few notches. Choosing top water bait that
performs well under slow conditions is essential for success. Working top water bait
fast or steady may result in a strike but for the most part they will be far and few
between. During the colder months larger reds are just as inquisitive and can easily
be coaxed into striking baits but the difference between the warmer months and the
cooler months is that the Reds are not going to chase bait down. Popper style top
water baits and twitching style baits are the most effective as these style baits
can be worked with little retrieve. Top Dogs and Zara Spooks are
extremely effective during the cooler months as they are versatile baits working
well with not only steady retrieves but for a slow retrieve pattern that is
necessary for the winter.. Poppers are extremely effective as well, because of the
nature of their design, they force you to work the bait slower than your typical
top water bait.
TACKLE:
Spinning or bait casting reels is perfect and whichever you feel more comfortable
with should be what you choose. Personally for this type of fishing I use bait
casting reels, but for those that prefer spinning that�s fine as well. Okuma has
developed a line of low profile bait casting reels that in one word are AWESOME.
Their VSystem and Nemesis reels have been on the market for a couple of years and
their performances have spoken for themselves. Both come in the 100 or 200 sizes,
with the 200 having the larger spool. For the record I have a couple of VSystems
that have seen action for a couple of years and like the energizer bunny they just
keep on working. Knowing that these reels have seen at least a couple thousand reds
in two years and are still smooth as silk speak volumes for themselves. New for this
year on the low profile end look for the Aveon and Alumina series as these new
cousins of the Vsystem and Nemesis are ready for action. Spinning, the Aveon and
VSystem also offer a smooth as silk spinning reel that will handle any of the action
that you hand out. Check out the 30 or 40 size in these spinning reels as they are
light weight and small comparatively in size to what some anglers may be use to, but
this allows you to cast all day without wearing yourself down. As far as line
consider braided line. First of all the most important factor is the diameter of
braided lines. They are smaller in diameter than monofilament therefore allowing the
angler to use smaller size reels. Considering that most braided lines in the 30lb
test range have the diameter of 6 pound monofilament it is easy to see the advantage
points. A very important technique to use when using braided lines together with top
water baits, make sure that you use about 18� of monofilament as a shock leader on
the end of the braided line. 17lb.-20lb. test mono will be fine. The reason for the
shock leader is not for added strength or abrasive needs as the braided line is far
superior for these factors, but the braided line is stiffer than mono and has a
tendency to wrap the tip of your rod when using the twitching or
popping technique. Using the mono, being softer and limper, will eliminate any
wrapping on the tip.
As far as your choice for rods considering that you are chasing after Bull Reds, not
your average size fish, and one that exhibits pure strength you would think that a
heavy rod is necessary. Not true as Okuma's Guide Select rods composed from IM8
graphite material, are not only strong enough but light enough to handle these tough
characters. The 7' med action will do the trick in either bait casting or spinning
style.
TECHNIQUE:
Remember this is winter time and no matter what you are fishing for your bait
presentation for whatever is going to be slow. Especially for the Bull Reds
you need to be discipline in your presentation. First of all unless you see action
on the surface that indicates the presence of Reds, you need to be prepared to make
long casts. The reason for the long casts, it simply allows you to cover more
territory and keeps your bait in the water longer. Make the long cast, let your bait
sit on the water until all the ripples that your bait created when it hit the water
are gone then twitch your bait once. Quite often a strike will occur on the first or
second twitch as when the lure initially hit the water this immediately will draw
the attention to any red nearby. If a strike does not occur in the first couple of
twitches keep working the bait slowly back to the boat and you will attract the
attention of your giant red. As he moves towards the bait many times a red will lay
just below the bait staring at the bait waiting to see what the next move is. A
slight twitch by the angler to the bait shows the red that indeed it is possible
that it is something that interests him. Remember for the most part this is not
sight casting therefore you as the angler must imagine that there is a red under
your bait at all times, as this will make you slow your action down and work your
top water bait properly. Your only indication that the giant red is present will
probably only occur when the red explodes on the bait, and explode he will. As a
matter of fact it probably will catch you by surprise as the strike is like no other
especially with light tackle. Your heart is palpitating beating oh let's see maybe
200 times a minute when the strike occurs and the natural instinct is to rare back
and set the hook. NOT, DON'T, NEVER, EVER, STOP, however you want to say it
DON�T SET THE HOOK. Of all the suggestions or advice that can be given on the
strike, this would be the most important advice. On the strike just reel down tight
until you feel the resistance and then set the hook. Setting the hook without
feeling the pressure of the fish will result in a loss fish. Quite often on the
strike your eyes will play tricks on you making you think that the red has your bait
when in reality he doesn't. So wait until you feel the pressure! Once the hooks
are set the game is on. Immediately you will feel the power of these giant reds and
a little patience is required. Let the fish run because quite honestly there is not
much else you can do and if you try to horse this fish in, it's not going to
happen. It may seem like he will strip all your line out, but rarely does this
happen as they are known for their fast hard runs but very seldom will they just run
straight in one direction without stopping. Normally they like to make several runs
in many directions and it is not uncommon to have a giant red circle the boat
several times. Take your time, work the fish close to the boat where the fish can be
netted, hooks removed, pictures taken and release the fish for another day. Often
these fish will exhaust themselves during the fight therefore holding the fish by
its tail and belly horizontally in the water will allow the fish to relax and revive
itself. You will know when the fish is ready as it will simply swim out of your
hands.
Even though this is not a freezer trip I promise the action and the memories of the
strike will be etched in your mind forever, and after all it brings the main
ingredient of fishing to the table and that ingredient is FUN!!
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