General Fishing Tip #1

[captken]

General Fishing Tips

Tip # 1 Bird Watching and Fish Finding.

by

Capt. Ken Roy

When you see several Great Blue Herons, White Herons and Snowy Egrets standing right in the same area you can be sure that something has just happened and will probably happen again, right in the same place.

You often see birds, maybe even the same birds, right in the same place at the same phase of the tide every day. They KNOW SOMETHING IS GONNA HAPPEN. Anchor up within casting range and wait.

You may have found a significant "Ambush point" where some bottom condition sort of channels baitfish into an area where they are ripe for slaughter. Fish force the baitfish into shallow water where they become easy prey for the birds.

Catalog these spots in your log book. You will need to note date and time. From a tide table you can get the phase and approximate height of the tide. Of course, seasonal variation comes into play here also. Some ambush points become hot earlier or later in the tide because of shallower or deeper water.

It doesn’t take a "Rocket Scientist" to figure this out. If ambush point "A" requires an hour into an incoming tide to produce and "B" requires 2 hours of the incommer, you ought to be able to figure when to be where.

These ambush points may be hot for several hours while others are only good for a few minutes. Figure out the pattern and catch more fish more often.

Here is my best bird watching tip. If you are fishing a place where birds are active and fish are feeding, pay attention. As the action slows, the birds will begin to leave. Watch carefully to see where they go. Sure as shootin' they will go to the next ambush point. They make their living by following the tides and the fish.

Birds' alimentary canals are short. They digest their prey fast so they eat often.

Hit or miss fishing will catch you a few fish because you are depending on pure luck. Attention to details will assure that you catch lots of fish. The birds will show you where and when----if you pay attention.



Remember: Birds make their living by catching fish. They are the "Pros," genetically programed for their way of life. I've fished professionally for most of my life and, compared to these "Bird brains," I am a rank amateur.

[sprtsracer]

Great Tip!!! Thanks. Always knew the birds knew what was going on, but this puts it into perspective and adds it into "reading" the beach as well. Thanks again.

[james380]

There's a story in last weeks Florida Fishing Weekly by Mike Holiday talking about watching birds for hints on fish.