Using Your Surroundings To Find The Fish [Fishing Report]
- By: Matthew Lanier
- on
It is SUPER important that you’re using your surroundings to find the fish!!!
Live bait automatically catches fish…right?
Not on this trip!!
Check out how an unsuspecting guest led the way!
Using Your Surroundings To Find The Fish [VIDEO]
Check out the FULL Insider Report with all the details from this trip here
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Gear Used On This Trip:
- Panhandle Big Bend Inshore Tackle Bundle
- Inshore Bundle with tackle and gear found to be most productive in this region.
- Lures that Caught Fish:
- Z-Man Kicker CrabZ
- Salt Strong F.R.E.D. Mulligan
- Hooks:
- Scent:
- Rods Used:
- St. Croix Avid Inshore Series
- St. Croix Legend Tournament Inshore
- Reels Used:
- Line Used:
- Mainline: 10lb Daiwa J-Braid x8 Grand Braid
- Leader: 20 lb Ande Monofilament
The first thing I saw when I got out to the spot I selected to fish was the INCREDIBLY LOW tide.
So I went to an area with a bunch of oyster bars thanks to the help from the Smart Fishing Spots App.
There are layers within Smart Fishing Spots that with the click of a button reveal all of the oyster bars in any area.
To start off this trip, I dug around for some mud crabs near the boat ramp and oyster bars to rig up on a hook for redfish, sheepshead, or black drum.
I set that “bait and wait” rod while I fished the edges with artificial lures.
I made use of the Carolina rig on this trip for presenting the fiddler crabs.
Once I rigged the crab up, I aimed my cast for a deeper channel in front of me.
While digging around for crabs, I looked at my kayak and the rod was slumped over the side with drag screaming!
And it was a catfish of course.
Another 45 minutes or so went by until some dolphins came rolling through the area.
They blew out the spot I was fishing so I took note of the direction they were headed.
I decided to pack up and follow the dolphins back to the creeks.
I figured the dolphins had a better sense than I did of where the bait was.
So I pushed into creek systems and threw out our new Mulligan Lure with some Dr. Juice Saltwater Slam Scent.
For fishing in the shallow banks, I switched over to the Z-Man Kicker CrabZ.
You can easily throw the Kicker CrabZ lures in super skinny water without making a massive commotion.
Later on, I stumbled upon some larger schools of mullet and switched back to the Mulligan lure.
I then put all my focus into fishing these areas with densely packed bait.
With it getting darker, I made my way back to the ramp to avoid getting stuck in the dark.
Wouldn’t you know it, I ran into another angler out there in need of a tow!
We shortly made it back to the ramp safely!!!
Conclusion
Live bait usually does the trick, but in those situations where the fish won’t eat it, you’ve got to change it up!
Your surroundings can tell you a lot, especially those closest to you on the water.
Keep an eye on the creatures and critters around you that might just point you toward the feeding fish!!
Do you have any other questions about this fishing trip?
Go ahead and ask me down in the comments!!
Finding The Fish Help
In order to help make sure that you are targeting the right areas based on the latest feeding trends and upcoming weather forecasts, make sure to use the following 3 resources because they will save you a ton of time.
1. Weekend Game Plans (updated weekly)
These regional game plans will show you exactly what types of spots to target in under 10 minutes… just click the video to start, and you’ll be informed on what to do on your next trip.
2. Smart Fishing Spots Platform (updated every 15 minutes)
This exclusive software literally shows you where the most fish are likely to be feeding based on exactly when you’ll be fishing. It factors in the tides, wind, and weather to help you quickly see which areas to target throughout the day.
3. Community Reports (live feed)
The Insider Community platform is what you can use to see what is biting near you, and you can get to know other members who fish in your area. Plus, you can use it to keep a log of your catches so you can use past trips to help predict future catches.
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Just want to say that I love how you show how much casting you do before you land a fish. It helps to put into perspective the effort it is taking you. Great job and keep it up! Oh and hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas.
Thanks for the feedback, Wally! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know that is helpful for you! We don’t always find the fish right away at the first spot, so we have to stick with it to find the pattern.
We appreciate you watching, buddy!
Anyone who b joins saltstrong should already know this because if you watch any of the coarses on any species of inshore fish from saltstrong one of the most important things mentioned in all of them are the 3 b’s birds, bait, and boils that is wading birds looking for bait and if they are present then the bait most likely is as well bait obviously if you see bait your generally in the right area and finally boils most associated with redfish or flounder because if the bottom is muddy enough to kick up mud when a fish takes off its most likely a red or flounder on the bottom very rarely at least for me have I spooked trout in that shallow of water where mud can be seen thanks for the info and all you do😉👍
Not everyone knows these things like some, and it never hurts to stick to the fundamentals, just like in this video. You nailed it with the 3 B’s, Steven! We appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment!
Great report Matt. Lots of good information about locating feeding fish and your strategy on catching them. Your explanation of choice of lures per situation is very helpful to me. Thanks. Please keep the videos coming
Thanks for taking the time to leave a nice comment, Terry! So glad to hear that you found it helpful!