Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
I just got back from a 6-week stint of flats-fishing down in the Florida Keys. Those who know about that type of fishing are aware that it’s a “visual thing” where anglers pole their boats around the shallow flats looking for fish and when the quarry is sighted the boat is moved to a position where the angler can “hopefully” pull off an effective cast and hook the fish.
When I first got started in flats-fishing it didn’t take too many failed encounters to realize how easily a fish can be spooked by the wrong approach and how challenging it can sometimes be to go from spotting one to actually hooking it. Having the opportunity to see the way in which fish react to a boat and the efforts directed upon them by the anglers aboard has been an invaluable lesson that can be drawn upon to help catch fish anywhere, including our home waters of Delmarva.
After witnessing a multitude of reactions from many different species under various situations, it has become obvious that every fish has its own tolerance level and will allow a boat to be only so close before it decides it has had “enough” and decides to get the heck out of there! Just how much a fish will put up with depends both on the species, as well as the individual fish. Down south it’s not uncommon to encounter either bonefish or permit up on the flats. The problem is seeing them before they see you and then getting close enough to make a cast count for something because those two species are notorious for fleeing from the slightest hint that a boat might be near. Other fish such as barracuda, sharks and snapper will often allow a boat to get very close to them before taking flight. Then there are tarpon, jacks, redfish and a few others that might go either way.
But just because a certain species is known to be easily spooked, or not easily spooked doesn’t mean that all the members of its family will react in similar fashion when a boat is near. Just as sharks are sometime known to literally bang up against a boat to get at a chum bag hanging off the side, other times, at the first sight of a boat they pull a quick 180 and zip out of the area at warp speed. Same type of shark, similar conditions, totally different reaction – go figure! And this is not unique to sharks. I’ve had bonefish in a foot of water swim almost right under the boat just as I’ve seen barracuda 100-yards away take off when someone thumps the butt of a rod on the deck.
So, if any fish has at least the “potential” of being scared off by the presence of a boat it would stand to reason that anglers should be able to increase their chances of success if they employ stealthy tactics to whatever type of fishing they do, no matter where they do it, and that includes right here on the good old Delmarva Peninsula. Know also that stealth can be just as advantageous to anglers fishing for flounder in six-feet of water as it can to those vying for billfish or tuna in 600-feet.
Adding stealth to a fishing routine starts with the knowledge that sound travels far underwater and that fish have evolved to be very alert to sound because it can indicate both the location of food as well as the presence of danger. Anglers should also know that different boats transmit sounds into the water differently. Drop a soda can on the deck of a wooden boat and the sound is not likely to be noticed by as many fish as if it’s dropped into the bottom of an aluminum Jon-boat. The sound transmission of fiberglass is probably somewhere in between that of wood and metal.
Engine noise is something else to consider when trying to sneak up on unsuspecting fish. While some fish might grow rather immune to the sound of boat motors, many times I’ve seen them flee from an area at the start of an engine or when another boat cruises past. Whenever possible, anglers should shut off their engine and drift up to their fishing spot rather than come in under power and risk spooking away all the fish.
Whatever type of craft you’re in, always strive to keep the banging and clanging to a bare minimum. Anglers should particularly keep that in mind when they set their anchors which should be readied before getting close to the fish and then quietly slipped into the water and lowered to the bottom. That’s a whole lot better than letting it splash into the water and then freefalling to the bottom with a resounding “clank-clunk!” When possible, anglers should anchor far up-current and then let the boat silently fall back to the fish on a very long anchor line.
Shadows are something else to consider. So many times I’ve witnessed fish casually swimming close by until a shadow from the boat passes over them and causes them to spook. Many fish are constantly on the lookout for danger from above, which could come from another fish or from a dive-bombing bird. It’s likely that fish know that a sudden shadow is the first warning sign of danger approaching and a reason to bolt out of there. Even if the water is murky and the angler cannot see the fish but has some idea where they might be holding, it can help to try and keep the shadow off that patch of water. It can also help to keep the sun at your back because you don’t want it to reflect your presence back to the fish. Of course, if you’re directly between the sun and the fish your shadow might be falling directly on them if they’re close and your shadow is long. In that case, anglers can cover both issues by positioning themselves slightly off to one side or the other.
When anglers find fish that are schooled up on the surface they should always try to avoid getting any closer than they must to get their baits or lures in the strike zone. When trolling, fishermen can let their lines out extra long and then make a big wide turn around the fish so that the lines pass near the fish but the boat never does. When casting, anglers should start off throwing to the school from as far away as possible and only work in closer if absolutely necessary. Pulling up close to surface fish will likely result in putting them down and ending the opportunity.
Whether anglers are fishing in clam crystal clear water or the murky chocolate-milk we often see after a storm, stealthy techniques will always provide more and better opportunities to hook any type of fish anywhere.
Captain Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
