Fishing “Edge”ucation – Get That Extra Edge to Help Catch More Fish

Knowing your surroundings and paying attention to changes beneath the surface can go a long ways towards catching more fish. There are many small things you can observe, like grass lines and potholes, that just might give you that extra “Edge”. Here are a few tips that I’ve picked up over a long career of being a fishing guide in South Texas.

I always preface my comments by saying this is what has worked for me and by no means is this the ONLY way to catch fish. Each of you should hone your observation skills and spend as much time as you can in the areas you have confidence in. Familiarize yourself with the places you fish so that you will know where you are and where your next “target” is no matter what the conditions are.

Grass lines are the first key to come to mind. I see many areas on the south shoreline of Baffin Bay, the Meadows and 9 Mile Hole where the grass just runs out or stops growing in very shallow water. Most of these areas transition from dense shoal grass to white sand bottom. The contrast is very visible, especially on clear sunny days.

Another type of grass line that is a little more subtle often occurs on a depth change. As an old Bass fisherman, it took me a while to realize that a depth change in the Laguna Madre was not necessarily a three to four foot drop into a channel. In fact, many of the ones I see that will change fish behavior are as little as two or three inches. The grass line I refer to here is a transition from the longer dense grass to a sparse short grass in the shallower water. This is redfish heaven as it seems to give small crabs and shrimp a false sense of security while leaving them virtually exposed to any predators swimming nearby.

I like to start out with a fast steady retrieve looking for a reaction strike. If you get fish that follow your lure in but just won’t hit, you may need to vary your retrieve. A very fast retrieve with occasional pauses or a “wave” retrieve which involves a steady rate with raising and lowering of the rod tip can be effective. There is no single right way to work your fishing lure so experiment and vary your retrieve. Just make sure you remember what it was you did that triggered the strike.

Yet another grass line feature is the edges of potholes. Potholes can be as small as a trashcan lid or cover several yards. The irregular edges afford hiding places for ambush feeders to scan the openings for smaller prey. By blending in with the grasses, they can better execute a surprise attack. There are rock edges and dropoffs like many in Baffin Bay where the rocks reach close to the surface and then quickly drop to depths reaching eight or nine feet. The old Bass fisherman comes out in me again when I see structure and edges like these. In fact many tactics used in modern Bass fishing will work well on these areas.

I’ve always been an advocate of slower to moderate retrieves on