Cathing fish takes 'finesse' when the barometer is on the move
Early spring can be a challenging time to fish. Strong cold fronts pass through the area on a weekly basis. The passage of these fronts creates a roller coaster of barometric conditions. To make matters worse, wild swings of the barometer are usually accompanied by strong winds. This moves fish around and makes life difficult for the anglers that pursue them. Over the years, I have refined techniques that increase the odds in the early spring.
Whenever the barometer is rapidly moving (up or down), fish tend to hold in deeper water. So I seek out the deepest water in the creek that I am fishing. Before making the first cast, I take a few minutes to search around with the depth finder. This provides a general sense of the depth that the fish are holding in. Once the holding depth is determined, I concentrate my casts to that specific depth. When the barometer is moving, finesse techniques (using small lightly weighted lures) seem to produce the best results. My favorite lures are a Z-Man TRD (PB&J color) on a 1/6th ounce mushroom head jig and a StreakZ 3.75 on a 3/16th ounce Trout Eye finesse jig. Working these lures along the bottom with a sweep, swim and long pause retrieve is a highly productive way to catch fish in the early spring. It can be difficult to keep finesse type lures on or near the bottom when the tide is moving. Casting into the tide and retrieving the lure with the current is a more natural presentation and helps to keep the lure in contact with the bottom.
On Saturday, the barometer was rising rapidly and a strong northeasterly wind made the Wando pretty rough. So I concentrated my fishing in the deepest parts of leeward (wind sheltered) creeks. Fishing was tough. In the first hour, I had one bite and zero catches. Undeterred, I kept moving until I found myself in a shallow creek with the deepest water being 7 to 8 feet deep. Trout were holding at the bottom of the channel and Redfish were schooled up along the bank. The Trout were keeper-size but the Redfish were small. Thankfully, both were unable to resist the StreakZ 3.75.
Fishing in the early spring is challenging. However, if you adjust techniques to match the conditions, you will usually catch fish.
Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.