Go slow, go small

Downsizing can help tempt sluggish fish

Sort of like the Christmas song, but in a totally different way, “The weather outside is frightful.” Yes, it is, but unlike the snow and freezing temperatures in the song’s lyrics, the current weather is hot and humid. Welcome to the dog days of summer, when we typically have the year’s hottest temperatures. To add to out discomfort, the air is so moist and thick you feel like you can cut it, and anything left outside is covered with dew. The humid part affects humans and any other animals that have to breathe the hot, heavy air, but the hot part affects everything, including the fish.

Swimming in water that’s in the mid-to high 80s and occasionally the low 90s is tough on most fish. A few species live for the warmer water, but many find it uncomfortable and move very slowly and deliberately. When they aren’t active, fish also don’t have to feed as much, so they can be picky about their food. Factor in the abundance of minnows and shrimp during the late summer and it becomes apparent that fish don’t have to exert a bunch of effort chasing their food.

So, how do successful fishermen convince fish to bite when the weather and water are hot?

One thing is to concentrate fishing efforts in the early mornings while things have cooled a little and the sun isn’t shining directly on the water and warming it. The water usually cools a degree or two overnight, and that can be just enough to put the fish in a feeding mode.

What about those days when the tide isn’t optimal around daylight or reaching your fishing spot isn’t possible? Do you give up fishing on those days? I think not! These are the days when it is up to the fisherman to use baits, lures and tactics to convince lethargic fish to bite.

My suggestion to catch more fish during the extreme heat is to slow down and downsize.

For the most part, slowing down is simple. In areas where there’s no tide or current to deal with, you simply reduce your retrieve or trolling speed. In areas where there is current caused by the changing tides or wind, you have to allow for it.

Regardless of whether it’s rising or falling, the flow of slows near the end of the tide and then takes a little while after the change to build speed in the other direction. I often time my summer fishing trips for the last hour or so before a tide change and the first hour or two after it to take advantage of this. Also, remember that the tide is not at the same stage everywhere at the same time, and occasionally, moving upstream will prolong your fishing time at the same tide stage. Check the tide tables for your favorite area.

Downsizing is pretty straightforward and simply means to fish with a smaller bait or lure. I often also switch to lighter line and leaders to help prevent the fish from seeing them. The more time a fish has to look at a bait or lure, the more time it has to find something wrong with it.

Many fishermen think switching to live bait is the answer to convincing fish to feed in all situations. It certainly helps as there is nothing else that moves exactly like a live shrimp or minnow. However, even with live baits, there are times that smaller baits catch better than larger ones.

It’s human nature to look at a nice fat minnow or shrimp and think it’s going to catch a big fish. That’s probably true in the fall and spring, when the water is cooler and fish are the most active. Spring fish feed ravenously after having meager meals during the winter, while fall fish are feeding with abandon to stockpile for the approaching winter.

In the heat of the summer, however, trout and puppy drum, plus mackerel and more ocean species, aren’t as likely to spend the energy and effort to chase down a large bait. They apparently are quite content to exert less effort to eat smaller minnows and shrimp. As we learn when cast-netting bait, the smaller ones aren’t as wary and are easier to catch. Fish evidently know smaller minnows and shrimp are easier to catch.

Lures come in a variety of sizes for a reason, and different sizes of the same lure catch better at different times. During the spring and fall, most fishermen use soft-plastic minnow and shrimp imitations that are 4 and 5 inches long. These mimic the larger baits that are available, and the active fish will readily chase down a larger bait.

Baitfish and shrimp also spawn during the summer, so there are smaller minnows and shrimp in most estuary systems. Fish feed on these, so matching their shapes and sizes is the lure manufacturer’s goal, while making them move naturally relies on the skill of the fisherman.

Many times, simply switching from a 4-inch soft-plastic shrimp or minnow to a 3-inch one will generate more strikes. Fish see the smaller baits as being easier to catch. I’ve had several banner days fishing 2-inch Gulp! shrimp when the fish wouldn’t touch a 4-inch version and only occasionally picked at a 3-inch bait. The same goes for minnow shapes and jerkbaits.

This size preference can be seen with hard baits, too. For example, the original, mid-sized 17 MR MirrOlure MirrOdine is 2 5/8 inches long and is a pretty good option most of the year.  MirrOlure later added a larger MirrOdine XL (3 1/8 inches) and the MirrOdine Mini (2 1/4 inches). There are days during the summer and winter when the MirrOdine Mini is the only one that will draw strikes — and it will draw strikes from large fish.

I’m a fan of weedless spoons, especially for puppy drum, and size is important here too. The Flats Intruder Spoon from Cajun Thunder comes in 1/8-, 1/4- and 1/2-ounce sizes in a variety of colors. This isn’t a debate on colors, but I use gold most of the time. I also most often throw the 1/4-ounce model, but in the fall when bait is larger and I’m fishing open water, I move up to the 1/2-ounce model to help it be seen from greater distances. During the summer and especially when I’m working flooded marsh for puppy drum feeding on small shrimp and minnows, I downsize to the 1/8-ounce spoon and often outfish anglers using larger spoons. The 1/4-ounce spoon is the right size to match the bait the reds are chasing, and it slides through flooded marsh grass the easiest.

Check this out for yourself. The next hot, summer day your favorite lure isn’t performing its usual magic, switch to a smaller lure and force yourself to fish slower. I believe it will add some fish to your catch. It sure has for me.