It’s that time of year when marsh fishing slows due to the heat. The bite is usually good early and earlier. The bite shuts off right about the time you feel yourself baking like a sun-dried tomato. With water temperatures in the marsh are hovering in the 90’s most fish are seeking cover in deeper water once the sun reaches high above the horizon.
Sam and I stayed out later in the day than normal because this was Sam’s last weekend to fish for a while. It was sort of like a standoff out there between the two of us on who was going to call it quits and succumb to the heat and our cohort first. I won’t mention any names but I didn’t refer to myself as getting “soft” after we finally called it a day each day.
Back before I had the luxury of living near the coast I would fish marathons (sunup to sundown) regularly. I noticed over time that during the summer, even more so than other times of the year, fish were more active in the early morning hours when the water was the coolest regardless of the conditions. I fished three different spots this past weekend. I noticed a difference in fish behavior and the number of fish we saw as it got later at each of these areas. In the morning there was nervous bait everywhere and we heard numerous fish crashing bait on the surface. That activity didn’t last long.
The tide at each of the areas was completely different in terms of movement. One spot we fished the very end of the incoming tide, the other we fished during slack tide and the other during a strong incoming the whole time. The bite didn’t differ because of the tide at any of the locations. It did differ as it the day got late. I attribute this inactivity to the water temps. The water in the marsh was hot to the touch during the heat of the day.
I am not saying that fish disappear during the heat or can’t be caught but there is a correlation between fish behavior and the heat. We still saw and caught fish in the middle of the day but our catch rate decreased significantly as it got later. Not all fish leave the shallows and seek shelter in deeper/cooler waters but the ones that stay are usually not in a “feeding” mood. It’s still possible to get these fish to eat but it’s tougher. A majority of the fish we caught were in the early morning hours.
Sam and I caught a fair amount (about 15) of fish between the two us. No hogs, although we had our shots, but plenty of slot fish to 25″. Not a banner couple of days in terms of fish, but I spent some quality time on the water with a good friend that won’t get salty again for a while. He’s moving away this fall to attend graduate school to pursue his doctorate degree.
We caught most of fish on topwaters over shell while drifting or sight casting to single fish cruising shorelines. Water levels were running above predicted levels in the marsh because of Tropical Storm Don. We fished mostly during incoming tides.
Conditions:
Tide: running high; incoming tide
Water Clarity: Muddy
Depth: 2′ or less over shell
Wind: S/SE 5-10 MPH
Lures: Redfish Skitterwalk and TTF flats minnow (mumpy glo and morning glory)
Didn’t take very many pictures, but I shot a bunch of video and will post it up when I get a chance to edit it.
