It happens to all of us. You go fishing and have a great day, the fish are practically jumping into the boat. The next time you go, could even be the very next day, you do everything exactly the same and you cant catch a cold. This is a good example of when a fishing log would come in handy. What was different from the last time when you had a successful trip and this time when you didnt do so well?
The first thing to look at is the tide. When you get to your lucky fishing hole take a good look at the surroundings. Is the tide moving? Fast or slow? Is it coming in or going out. Can you see baitfish swimming around, mullet jumping? Any snook hangin out under that mangrove branch? Make a note or at least a mental note that you can write down when you get home. Hopefully you checked the tides before you left this morning, or at least last night before you went to bed. If you have a handheld gps that has tide data, look at it. What is the tide doing today.
I went fishing one day and had the pleasure of seeing a school of redfish swim onto the flat I was fishing that day. I caught big overslot redfish nonstop for nearly 2 hours that day 15 to be exact, and then they were gone. I had the presence of mind to look at my gps and check the tide data for that day and saw that it was shortly after a tide change from incoming to outgoing. I went back to that exact spot several times over the next couple weeks and absolutely hammered the reds every time. You could almost set your watch by them. I would just pull right in to the spot and start catching fish. Why? Not because I have magical fishing powers but because I knew their pattern. They were keyed on the tide at this particular spot.
Did you check the solunar tables for today? What is a solunar period? A solunar table is the closest thing to magic when it comes to knowing when the fish are going to be feeding. All animals are affected by the sun and the moon and they influence their behavior. I dont have the time to go into the "science" behind all of this. If you want to learn more about it, google it and read till your eyes bleed, or you can take my word for it.
In a nutshell, there are certain times each day according to the solunar tables that wildlife, in this case fish, will be actively feeding. There are usually 4 periods a day, 2 in the am and 2 in the pm. Of these 2 will be called majors and 2 are minors. A major period usually lasts about 2 hours, a minor lasts about 1 hour. Some days may only have 2 or 3 periods, and some days may only have 2 minor periods or 2 major periods and the major periods are usually 12 hours apart, ie 1 am and 1 pm, and the minor periods are also 12 hours apart. A major period and a minor period might be separated by only few hours to several hours. I havent figured out a pattern for them yet, but then I dont have to. Someone else has already done that for me and it is published on the solunar tables. I can also access them on my handheld gps.
I have sat on a hole I knew had fish and not had a single bite. Then all of a sudden they would just seem to turn on. Used to be I had no idea why. Now I know. For example, today. I knew there was a solunar minor that was supposed to start at 9:50. So I messed around and caught ladyfish, who dont seem to follow any kind of schedule and just eat all the time, until it was almost time for the solunar to begin. Then I set up on the spot and waited about 30 minutes, since sometimes the fish start a little early, and sure enough at exactly 9:50 I got my first snook. Yesterday it was 8:23 and not a moment before. Coincidence? perhaps... but it happens all the time, so it is at least worthy of some consideration.
Okay so you checked the tides, and the solunars...what else? How about the weather? Yeah I know... Your going fishing, dont care about the tides and the solunars or the weather. You looked outside, theres not a cloud in the sky, and the wind is nice and calm, its a beautiful day and by golly you're goin fishing. So grab the rods and hop in the truck and lets go. Whoa! Just a minute! When I say check the weather I dont mean see if its nice outside. I mean check the weather. Is there a front moving in? Is the barometer rising or falling or steady? What's the temperature? Write it in your fishing log. Some people say that fish feed better right before a front or right after a front passes through. Some people also say that barometric pressure affects the bite as well. Those bright clear blue skies and windless days, although they make for a pleasant day of fishing, they dont always make for a great day of catching. Give me overcast days and a slight breeze anytime. That doesnt mean that you cant catch fish on nice days, but at least you can compare the current conditions with those in you fishing log and see how you did last time when conditions were similar.
When I was a kid fishing in the lakes and ponds of Illinois and Missouri I used to love fishing in the rain. It always seemed that as soon as it would start getting dark and cloudy the bluegill would just go nuts eating anything I would put on a hook. And when it would start to rain they would keep on eating. Now Im not talking about fishin in a torrential downpour with lightning and all that. That is plain stupid. But during a light rain with no fireworks I would fish until my grandma and grandpa took my pole away and made me go home.
What's the water like? Is it crystal clear, a little dirty, or does it look like hot chocolate? Does it matter? Well, it does but it is not the most important factor in the equation. In clear water the fish can obviously see your bait better, and you can see them better but they can see you better too and they can see your line, and your tackle too. So in clear water you might want to consider using a lighter test leader and a smaller hook and be a little stealthier in your tactics.
What is the wind doing? I have fished on days when it was flat calm and I have fished on days so windy that the seagulls were grounded. Wind can make for a miserable trip, but how does it affect the fishing? Well the main thing that I have noticed is the wind can exagerate or diminsh the tidal flow. A wind blowing from the land to the water...called an offshore wind can actually push the water out making water levels lower than they are supposed to be. In conjuntion with a wintertime negative low tide you might find yourself fishing on the sand a couple hundred feet from what used to be the shoreline. A wind blowing from the water towards the land, called an onshore wind can make the water levels higher than normal, so if your fishing an incoming tide with an onshore wind It might mean you should get to your spot a little earlier than you planned so you can still get bait under the mangroves before the water is too high. If your on a pass, a creek or a river the wind can actally make the current move faster. This can be a good thing if your fishing for fish like snook that key on the waterflow when they are feeding.
So these are just a few of the variables that can record in a fishing log that you can use to help plan your next fishing trip. Also just because you got crappy tides, no solunar tables, a rising barometer and nothing seems favorable doesnt mean you wont catch any fish, so go when you can, you never know what's gonna happen. You might still have a great day.
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