Tactics & Tackle

The Five Step Plan
by Mark Sosin

"Because my customers deserve a meaningful day on the water and there is no better way to insure it," Captain Mike Glaesner told me. We were sharing the stage at a Salt Water Sportsman Seminar and Mike was responding to my question on why he develops a game plan every single day before he leaves the dock.

Mike is not alone. Those who catch fish consistently follow a carefully prepared itinerary that includes at least one and probably two or more backup options. Only the rank amateur sets sail without a predetermined course and destination. That doesn't mean that plans won't be altered by opportunity situations, but skilled skippers leave nothing to chance or lady luck.

Every game plan involves five steps. Whether one fishes every day, frequently, or occasionally, it's worth following this proven procedure.

STEP 1 – PRELIMINARY INTELLIGENCE

Even when they are on the water seven days a week, professional captains call other skippers in the evening to find out how they fared. These regulars may have worked a different area, pursued other species, or perhaps encountered experiences worth relating. It's also comforting to know that the rest of the fleet didn't do any better than the captain who made the calls.

If you weren't on the water today, the preliminary intelligence phase of establishing a game plan will help you get current quickly. You need at least two opinions and probably three or four to help you focus on the most logical targets and the primary area. Tackle shops are always a good source, since their business depends on knowing what's happening in local waters. If you know any guides or professional skippers, a judicious phone call will frequently result in basic information. Don't expect them to pinpoint exact spots, but they'll tell you what's biting and the general area you should try.

Friends who fished in the last day or two can become a source of data. Outdoor reports in newspapers, on radio, or tv can add to your knowledge. If you're a computer person, look for data on the Internet as well. At the same time, start checking weather forecasts for the day or days you plan to fish. They may not be totally accurate, but they'll give you an idea whether you can go for the primary species or may have to alter your plans.

When you finish step 1 of your game plan, you should know the target species, the general area you will fish, and the basic methods used to catch the fish.

STEP 2 – THE SPECIFICS

The closer to your time of departure that you can deal in specifics, the more meaningful they are going to be. Conditions change on the water and you want the latest information you can get. Whether you prowl the estuaries and inshore waters or probe the blue water grounds, you want to know how deep the water is where fish are being caught. Water depth serves as the key to the lock. You don't have to know the precise spot, but you do need to focus on the right depth. If fish are in one spot at a given depth, they'll be in other places of similar or identical depth.

At certain times of the year, water temperature has a primary influence on where fish will be and where they want. During these marginal periods, it pays to find out where tolerable water occurs and areas to be avoided because the water is too cold or too warm. If there is a temperature break out there, determine whether the fish are on the warmer or colder side. Whether you fish shallow flats or the deep blue, temperature could be a factor in finding your quarry.

It's equally essential to know the stage of the tide and time of the day that the fish began to bite. If your source doesn't want to discuss tide, ask if the fish were caught in the morning, afternoon, or throughout the day. With a set of tide tables and a little knowledge about the area, you can approximate the stage of the tide, remembering that it will be almost an hour later tomorrow than it was today.

Water color can be valuable, particularly on the inshore grounds where muddy or off-color conditions can cause a change of plans. Many estuaries turn chocolate when the wind blows from a certain direction for prolonged periods. A color line between green and blue water offshore may be just the area you want to start exploring. If you find a color line inshore, it may be worth checking out.

The direction of the prevailing wind and its velocity play a role in developing a game plan. Conditions could preclude an offshore trip if the zephyrs are howling from the wrong direction. The angler who fishes in bays and rivers needs to pick spots that will be in the lee if there is a strong wind. It pays to remember, however, that wind drives bait against a windward shore and that's worth checking out if conditions allow.

Finally, whatever intelligence you can glean on preferred natural baits or artificial lures will prove helpful. In some situations, it's important to know if live bait is essential or if the fish will settle for dead bait.

STEP 3 – MAKING PREPARATIONS

Time on the water is extremely valuable. Wasting it becomes counterproductive. If you have to spend precious minutes rigging tackle, making up leaders, and doing other chores that could just as easily be completed in advance, your fish-catching time diminishes.

Once you settle on a basic game plan, select the right equipment for the job and do all the rigging at home. When you step aboard the boat, you should be rigged and ready to go. That means that knots are tied, hooks sharpened, and reserve tackle is in place. If you only make up two leaders and you lose them or have to cut the hooks off to release fish, you find yourself rigging tackle at the instant the fish are biting. Prepare more than you think you will need and you'll reduce the frustration level when things begin to happen.

STEP 4 – THE FINAL DECISION

When you step aboard the boat or fire up the beach buggy, you already have a primary game plan worked out that will take care of the whole day. The final decision takes place the morning you will fish after you verify that the weather and other conditions are close to what you anticipated. If you ferret out some last minute information, modify the plan accordingly. And, just because you have a game plan doesn't mean you ignore opportunity fishing. As you are traveling, you may see something worth investigating. Try it if you think it's worthwhile. Be sure in any tradeoff, however, you don't miss the critical tide somewhere else unless you are actually seeing fish.

Listening to the marine radio might also cause you to make changes in the initial plan. Understand that your plan is not cast in concrete. It should be flexible and you should be willing to make adjustments throughout the day.

A major decision develops when you are reasonably sure there is a body of fish a considerable distance away from the dock, but not quite as certain about closer opportunities. If you run, you reduce fishing time, but could be working a more productive area. It's not an easy decision, yet it occurs with frustrating frequency.

STEP 5 – CONFIDENCE LEVEL

Veteran skippers develop a basic game plan and then add at least a couple of backup options. If the primary strategy doesn't appear to be working, these skilled captains are ready to switch to the alternative approach. The confidence level centers on the lack of results. It deals with the uncomfortable questions of how long you fish each spot before you decide to move and when do you abandon the first plan to go to a backup.

Too many novice anglers tend to flit from spot to spot, spending more time running than fishing. If you did your homework and developed a plan based on meaningful information or hunches, it pays to give it time to work. Captain Barry Gibson puts it in perspective this way. "If I'm there at the beginning of the right tide and feel good about conditions, I'll stick it out," he told me. If I arrive at the peak time and nothing happens within 20 to 30 minutes, I'm on my way to the next spot."

When you're not catching fish, seeing signs of fish, and nobody else around you is doing very well, it's time to start thinking about Plan B. The key, however, is that you already have a Plan B worked out in advance. It's a fine line between leaving an area too soon and lingering much longer than you should. If solving that puzzle were easy, everyone would be a hero.

No matter where you fish or the species you seek, take the time to learn what's happening on the water and then develop a workable game plan. Put an option or two into the equation just in case things don't work out. If you follow a reasonable plan, you'll do better on a consistent basis than those who simply put to sea without a clue. The more you plan, the luckier you will become.

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Tactics & Tackle

The Five Step Plan by Mark Sosin

The Five Step Plan
by Mark Sosin