Page 43 - Waves June

something that moves slow and is relative-
ly close. Put your bait close to suspended
fish so that they won’t have far to go to get
and eat your presentation. Once you find
their “holding level”, by counting down
your bait’s sink rate, duplicate that count,
below the same surface area, on your next
cast. You should be in the strike zone
again. Another trick is to “fan cast” if
necessary; that means that if you don’t get
a strike casting straight out in front of you,
cast 10 or 15 feet to either side. The fish or
the boat could have moved just enough to
make a difference. This adjustment may be
the move that puts you back on them.

These leaders, their proper buildup and
use will definitely “up” the potential of
your bait being eaten. It’s not all that un-
common for that bait twitch maneuver to
turn a looker into an eater. There are times
a Mustad 10829BLN for instance, that so that they won’t have far to go to get when any species are aggressive feeders
vigorous rod sweep when your line comes and eat it is also important. Whether you and seem to eat anything quickly. When
tight is the thing to do. are on a private, charter or party boat, pay that’s not the case, being at the right depth
attention to what level in the water column with the twitch added may get ‘em fired up
Another small thing which can add to your the fish are holding. Getting to that depth and spittin’ mad or whatever, and the bite
strikes is the simple act of giving your rod and then being able to repeat it can at is on. These rigs with that added twitch
tip an occasional twitch. What this does is times be vitally important. Remember that may be the edge you’re looking for; I know
to give your baitfish the look of being alive a predator fish has the ingrained ability to they’ve worked for me in my forty-four
but injured and vulnerable. These twitches weight the energy expended in catching years of offshore fishing.
at times will generate a strike. Many times its prey against its food value. It’s not a
over the years I’ve seen snapper swim up deep thought, it’s an instinctive, involun- Simple is best!
to or by a bait with seeming indifference, tary reaction. Nature has provided for this
then when the bait is twitched, they turn so that a fish may grow instead of losing
and strike it. weight chasing prey. This is the reason
that, for instance, suspended red snapper Patrick
Putting your bait close to suspended fish will seldom chase a bait very far, preferring Lemire

Waves Magazine | June 2019 Issue | 43