Locating Active Daytime Biters
Fish are very light sensitive critters, you would be to if you didn’t have eyelids! As a result they instinctively seek the deepest water
available during the brightest periods of the day. Shallow water anglers should take a look at the chart of their favorite fishing area. Locate the deepest water adjacent to the low light feeding areas. Remember that a depression in the bottom that is only slightly
deeper than the surrounding water may provide a comfortable holding area for daytime fish, and it could be right in the middle of your favorite spot! These same principles apply to inshore and offshore fish as well. Remember that these fish may not have bottom structure available, so they may relate to water temperature changes. A hand held temperature probe with a 200′/300′ foot cable is an indispensable tool.
To find the preferred water temperature of your favorite fish consult your local fisheries manager, or look it up on the internet. Once
you know the preferred water temperature you are ready to search for that magic transition depth. Lower the temp probe as soon as you reach your fishing area. What you are looking for is the depth where the water temp drops below the preferred target temperature. Now you know the maximum depth the fish will go during the brightest period of the day. Combine this knowledge with a good sonar unit and you will be on your way to dramatically increasing your mid-day catch. Use your downrigger, or inline sinkers to get your lures down to a depth the is slightly shallower then you anticipate the fish will be. Remember that most open water fish “feed up” looking for prey that is silhouetted against the light filtering down from the surface.
Cool New Bait From Berkley
Most of you have used Berkley Powerbait in the past, and now its time to try Gulp!
Berkley just introduced the new water based Gulp! formula to saltwater baits in five shapes. There is 6-inch sandworm, 4-inch shrimp, 2-inch crab, 6-inch and 4-inch minnows that do a decent job of imitating baitfish. Shrimp colors available include molting, natural shrimp, new penny and pearl white. Crab colors include amber glow, molting, natural and new penny. A package of six shrimp or five crabs has a suggested retail price of $6.49.
The 6-inch bait swimmer, with its split tail design, and the 4-inch swimming minnow, with its swimming tail action, imitate saltwater baitfish such as blue runner, anchovy, grunts, mackerel and others. The bait swimmer and swimming minnow can be trolled, jigged off the bottom. Bait swimmer color choices include cigar minnow, herring, mackerel, sardine and squid.
Swimming minnow colors include black, chartreuse, pearl white, pink, pumpkinseed, red, smoke, watermelon and yellow. The suggested retail price for a package of three baits swimmers or 12 swimming minnows is $6.49.
Gulp! is water soluble and made from all natural ingredients. Since there is no plastic in the bait, the scent and flavor is released into the water 412 times faster than oil based plastic baits and it is 100 percent biodegradable, This stuff really works, and makes a handy substitute for live bait. For more information about Gulp! contact Berkley Angler Services at 1-800-237-5539 or email them, berkley@purefishing.com
Tweet