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1 Feb 2020 Hit and miss syndrome
Capt. Jim Conant
February 1, 2020
Matlacha - Saltwater Fishing Report
1 Feb 2020
Hit and miss syndrome
We've all been there, where yesterday the fish were on fire and the next day with same conditions and there is no bite. Well it's not just you, it happens to everyone. Fish move, water temp changes, moon phase, wind direction, tide doesn't move as predicted and so on.
If you're not making a game plan the night before your trip you're doing it wrong. I watch the evening weather, check all my weather apps and then make a game plan for the next day of where and how I am going to fish and what types of fish I will be targeting. As a guide I have to get people on fish quickly and steadily. So doing my homework helps tremendously. But some days I get out there and my game plan is blown off the water because of conditions or lack thereof.
On days like this it is extremely frustrating for the angler and extremely frustrating if you're a guide. You may even see the fish in the area and they just won't bite. Everyone has their opinion and some say they can get the fish to bite. I've been out and seen this and chummed like crazy with bait and still nothing. But you talk to friends or see FB posts where somebody else was tearing it up on the same day. What's the deal? What did I do wrong? Where could I improve? What did they do that I didn't? Don't beat yourself up on this. And it's hard not to beat yourself up when you're a guide and paid to get people on fish. So what do you do? Fishing is not something you can be great at every day. You have off days, but very few if you know what to do to try and make it better.
Observe everything around you. What's the tide doing or not doing what it is predicted to do. What moon phase are you on? Keep track of this. What is the wind doing, is it blowing as predicted or is it stronger or weaker and out of a different direction. Is the wind stopping the tide from moving? Or is it making the tide move much faster than it was predicted either in or out? What are the birds doing? Are they sitting on oyster bars or in trees? Are they hunting? Where are the dolphins? Are they hunting? Is there bait showing anywhere? Is there bait around where you're fishing? Was there a front last night that came through or is it on its way this day?
Analyze what you have observed. And rethink your game plan in your head. Where was I the last time the conditions were like this? Did I fish the leeward or windward side of islands or oyster bars? Is there no moving water? Why? Where can I find moving water? Is it the wind or the moon phase causing the lack of movement? How come there is no birds around? Or how come the birds are all sitting and not hunting. Do you see these signs while out on the water? What do you do? I MOVE. I am on a limited time to get my clients on fish and I will be darned if I let my clients down. As an angler you have more time to get this done and scout so learning what to do will make you a much better fisherman/woman.
So, I moved let's say 2 miles. The entire time I am driving the boat I am looking for signs, any signs. And are the signs getting more prominent to the good the further I go. Hopefully so. Make mental notes of this.
I moved and am finally getting bites and seeing the conditions I need to see for fish to want to bite. It could be a 1.5 degree water temp change if it's cold out. It could be its warmer water because I am out of the wind in a deep cove. Did I find some moving water that they are biting in? I found bait where there hasn't been any bait in miles. Dolphins are hunting feverishly around. Birds are diving all around. Do you see a trend here? I moved to try and get the conditions to be optimal. Somedays I may only get one optimal condition and have to work with it. If you didn't get skunked you did what you're supposed to do.
So it's the end of the trip and you managed to get on some fish but by far not a spectacular day. That's when you do what everyone does and go to FB and see who all caught what. Or as I call it liars headquarters. You will see if they are not old pictures posted that it seems these other people had a good day an average day or a slow day. Or are they boasting on the only two fish they caught all day. It doesn't matter. Now you observed what others did. Was it totally opposite of what you did? Were they fishing close to you or a totally different area? What made that area good? You won't know because you weren't there. So don't beat yourself up about a slow day of fishing. If you handled it like this report you did exactly what you're supposed to do to catch fish. You weren't planning on fishing the other area because it was way out from where you are.
Hind sight is 20/20
Now it's the next day same exact conditions as the previous two days and you're a fishing god! Fishing the exact same spots you fished the day before and some others you thought of overnight in your dreams. Your FB friends are now looking at your posts and the hit and miss syndrome continues.
Check out and like my Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jimbocharters/ and Instagram #jimboscharters page for recent pictures and trips. If you're ready to go fishing give me a call to plan your trip so we can try and catch the tides right. If you're a Disabled/ Retired Veteran or first responder I have discounts for you. I'm also on Facebook at Jimbo's Charters where I post pictures if my clients let me and my website www.Jimboscharters.com and my You tube channel I am slowly building https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDg-V7oR-ex6W-5ztwLAQ
Captain Jim
239-671-4692
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