It’s almost spring and clear water sight fishing gets going. Snook, redfish and seatrout start heading to the flats and gin clear water can be a blessing and a curse.

It is essential to be stealthy with long distance approaches to a flat. I start 100 ft or more away approaching with trolling motor only towards a flat. Noise and shadows are your enemy. The sun must be high enough to see into the water. You have to practice looking past the surface and searching the bottom. It takes time but it is essential where the water is just too deep for surface indicators. Now speaking of noise try to keep you trolling motor one speed. Jumping up and down all the time creates more noise fluctuations and that can spook fish from yards away.

Now you must go light on your tackle. I’m talking 10 lb braid max and 15-20 lb leader. It is paramount to your success. If you get bites or fight a fish you must trim back or replace your leader. Chaffing or worn leader by the hook is easily seen by spooky fish and most are on a flat. You can see that is a bird flies over projecting a shadow and everything runs.

Let’s talk what you are presenting. The lightest offering will produce less splash upon entry. This is important. 1/16 or 1/8 oz is all I use with top water lures the exception but that a different post. I modify and shorten my additions of plastics to the jig or weedless hooks. This creates less wind  resistance on your cast and increases your distance.

Let’s talk about distance. The longer you can cast and bring that presentation through the strike zone the better. It creates a buffer and your bite ratio will increase. It’s a savvy angler who puts all these insight together for more success.

Capt. John Pfeiffer

snookhookerfishing.com

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