Productive Boat Handling
by Mark Sosin
Most anglers would have been delighted. Fish flashed their presence on the depth finder screen and the bottom rose dramatically to signal a wreck. Captain Neil Grant studied the electronics, gazed over at the marker buoy he had dropped, and decided he didn't like where we were anchored.
"We're off the mark," he announced as his long arms swept the 5/8-inch anchor line back into the boat. "Once that current picks up speed and flows to the west, our chum will miss the fish." Neil repositioned the boat two more times until the anchor clawed into the sandy bottom at the right spot. Finally satisfied, he dropped a bag of chum over the side, tossed in a few handfuls of glass minnows, and we began fishing.
Skippers who anchor their boats on a regular basis off any coast seldom settle for random positioning, particularly when structure is involved. If they are off the mark the first time, count on them to drop the hook again with more precision. In some situations, an error of a few feet may take the boat out of the productive zone.
Whether you troll, drift, pole, or anchor, boat handling holds the key to catching fish. Weekend warriors often marvel at the success of charter captains who probe the same heavily fished waters on a daily basis. The difference lies in the professional's ability to work the boat effectively. He knows the territory, can picture the bottom, and anticipates where the fish will be.
Years ago, the late Captain Otto Reut became a legend aboard his First Timer, plying the waters off Sandy Hook for striped bass. If you asked Otto for his secret, he would simply tell you that he knew the bottom and where his baits were in relation to the various types of structure. All he had to do was handle the boat and his anglers would crank-in the fish. You probably should know that the only electronics on the First Timer was a radio. Depth sounders, Loran, and GPS hadn't even made it to the drawing board.
Skilled skippers gain their knowledge through study, experimentation, and by monitoring every detail. The amateur searches for a fleet of boats with the hope that others have found the fish and he can benefit from just being there. If rods aboard his craft happen to bend, he becomes so elated that he seldom tries to figure out what he did right. When he can't find the fleet, the intrepid angler clutches a horseshoe, four-leaf clover, or some other charm guaranteed to bring good luck and pokes along without a purpose. Remember that one can learn from failures as well as from successes providing he analyzes every aspect.
What do you look for on the water? Certainly the depth and the bottom structure offer a starting point. Add water temperature to the mix to make sure you're in a zone that your target species will occupy. Check water color. Be alert for currents and rips. Know which way the water is flowing and what the tide is doing at the moment. Trollers sometimes discover they get strikes working from shallow to deep or vice versa. The action might come going with the seas, against them, or across them. The key to the formula lies in isolating as many factors as possible. Then, when you do get a strike or see some activity, you can start adding the variables together.
Certain types of fishing demand a drifting boat. Wind and current affect the direction of drift and the speed. By picking the area you fish carefully, you can often insure a drift from shallow to deep or vice versa. Along a reefline, the best drift is often parallel to the reef. A second choice takes you from the reef seaward. That way, if you hook a fish, you have a better chance of dragging it away from structure.
When fish take up station around a wreck, it's best to start near the top of the formation on the downcurrent side. The drift will take you away from the troublesome debris and your chances of surviving the crash dive of an irate gamester improve dramatically. Of course, if all the fish are holding on the upcurrent side, you'd better set the drag on exterminate and do the best you can.
Putting a boat in the proper position to catch fish includes a knowledge and understanding of the species you seek. A school of fish on the surface practices certain behavior characteristics. They want to keep the formation intact, maintain direction without something threatening in their path, and they take a dim view of boats running over their backs.
If the fish on the surface are forage species, expect to find predators off the forward edges of the school, trailing behind, and also below the bait. A boat should be eased into the situation rather than run up at full throttle. When blues, stripers, or anything else froths the top of the sea into white foam, stay on the fringes and cast into the melee. If you're dragging baits, remember that there are plenty of roamers on the edges of the school and you don't have to run down the main body to elicit strikes.
Most fish that feed on the shallow flats swim into the flow of water to benefit from their sense of smell and retain swimming control. They tend to work in with the tide and then drop back as the water recedes. If you're poling a boat, these factors should give you a clue where you should see fish. Unless you know the precise paths and movements of your quarry, chart a zigzag course that takes you shallower and deeper. Once you see fish or signs of them, concentrate on that area.
Knowing the direction of the current helps in making a realistic presentation. The bait or lure should land uptide from the fish and sweep toward it with the flow of water. From a boat handling standpoint, ease up to any shallow area quietly and use a pushpole to move into fishing position. The sound of an outboard alerts fish over a broad area that something is amiss.
For those who simply drift flats without benefit of a pushpole or electric motor, the key lies in idling into position upwind or upcurrent from the spot you intend to fish. Let the boat drift over the productive waters and well beyond. Then, idle out into the channel, give the pay zone a wide berth, and move in for another drift.
Every situation is different. Before you settle in to fish a spot, analyze its physical layout and determine where you must position the boat. If trolling is your game, work a plan. That way, you can monitor results quickly and make on-the-spot adjustments. Handling the boat correctly makes a major difference between frustration and elation. The hottest lure and the freshest bait won't do much good if they don't get to the fish.