One spring several years ago, while I was with my friend, Jim Bauer, on Lake Gaston, an opportunity presented itself one morning as we were leaving a cove to cast for some spawning fish. When we spotted the beds, I asked Jim to hold up for a few minutes. Those "few" minutes soon became "several" before I finally teased the one bass enough to take my offering, and then he came unbuttoned only seconds later.
At that point, I was ready to move on...and, to date, never have looked back or even thought about trying sight-fishing again.
As probably any dedicated sight-fisherman will tell you, it's important to put as many optical advantages in your favor as possible, starting with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. The more glare off the water you can eliminate, the better. After all, the objective is to see the fish, which, contrary to popular belief, is the hardest part of the job.
You would be amazed, too, if you only knew the lengths to which some anglers will go to get a leg up on being able to see the fish. Take, for instance, pro angler Byron Velvick. According to BassFan editor, Todd Ceisner, Byron keeps a Super Soaker squirt gun filled with vegetable oil on his boat to use when sight-fishing conditions are less than the best.
If the water in a known bedding area is roiled up, Byron sprays it with some of the vegetable oil, and in no time, the water has calmed down enough for him to see the beds. He learned this trick during a visit to his mom's house. As explained by Ceisner, "She was a school teacher, and he (Byron) stumbled upon a junior-high science textbook... . There was a part about a kids' science experiment where you could make a ripply pond flat by putting a little oil in the water."
The then-25-year-old Velvick tried it and has been doing it ever since.
Once Velvick finds the area he wants to start on, he'll locate the farthest wind-blown spot, fire a couple sprays of oil into the wind in that direction, and wait for it to gather together. He then simply follows the oil down the bank from there. Incidentally, if you'd like to see this complete story, simply click on this link: http://www.bassfan.com/news_article/7210/velvick-spills-his-%C3%82%E2%80%98slick%C3%82%E2%80%99-secret#.VpcZYvkrKM8.
Another important factor in sight-fishing is water clarity. While gin-clear water can offer some challenging and fun sight-fishing moments, lightly-stained water and/or areas with overhanging trees, which create shadows, are a better choice.
Lighting likewise is an important factor. Bright, sunny days offer the best view into the water. However, they also give the fish their best chance of seeing you. For that reason, overcast days are likely your better choice.
Bottom structure further figures into your sight-fishing considerations. Smooth, gravel flats can be nice, but heavy cover often provides some of the most rewarding sight-fishing. In your search for productive spots, don't overlook stump fields, large areas of laydowns, and other shallow-water structure.
As far as baits go for sight-fishing, you're probably better off experimenting to see what works for you. The same goes for colors, as well as the tackle you should use.
Meanwhile, the saying "the devil is in the details" never applied more to anything than it does to sight-fishing. Clipping tag ends off knots, hiding the hook eye and knot with the nose of the bait, and other such small details can make or break your fishing day. That's why many anglers hesitate trying their hand at this presentation.
Die-hard proponents, however, find nothing more rewarding than spotting a bedding fish, casting to it, and watching the fish take the bait.
No comments:
Post a Comment