Spot scouting has recently taken a special place in my heart. With a newborn baby and a puppy at home, my winter was more about indoor adventures than what you'd expect from a guy starting a new tackle shop. One thing I have been able to do after a late night diaper change is to open Google Maps and start exploring.
A week back, I phoned my dad, hopped in the truck, and set out to the local dam once more in search of a bite. Just as I was gearing up for action, my pickerel pursuit hit a dead end.The thick, pudding-like mud at our usual spot had me scrambling - both to get back on terra firma and to figure out where and how I could squeeze in 2 hours of fishing before it was time for a daycare pickup.
Lesson 1: Discover Backup Spots
As a kayak angler, I've spent a lot of time exploring nearby waterways and boat launches. Typically, I start my search with a boat launch and a few criteria:
- Is there parking?
- Is there a beach or shoreline where I can fish if I'm not bringing my kayak?
- Are there any nearby parks, parking lots, or public spaces where I can look for additional fishing opportunities?
After rattling off a quick list of spots we'd been exploring and ruling out the ones with dirt parking lots, we came up with a backup plan pretty quickly. There's a grain store nearby with a small parking lot out back. Parallel to the lot, there's some bank access and lots of structure. If the back lot gets too soupy, I can usually get away with parking in the customer lot and stopping in for some dog treats at the end of my trip.
Lesson 2: We Could All Use More Structure
Once you've got a spot in mind, there are a few things you can look for to determine where the fish are. This can change with the seasons, and perhaps the fish just decided to take a little vacation!
Look for downed trees, docks, walls, dams, sandbars, points, and coves. If you're fishing a moving body of water, look for spots where faster water flows into a slower-moving section.
Lesson 3: Know When to Work Remotely
This is one you can do without even leaving the house. Start with maps on Google or Bing to get a general sense of high and low points. Look for the light and dark spots. For bonus points, look at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Charts on an app like Navionics to get a more accurate view.
With the clock ticking on daycare pickup and the wordcount of this blog slowly creeping, we kept lessons 2 and 3 simple. There's a small dam at this spot. Dad fished around the dam and I setup in the next cove.
Lesson 4: Never Lose Your Sense of Adventure
Sometimes, it's just not your day or not your spot. A walk to the next bend in the river or a quick paddle to a grass bed can be just what it takes to avoid getting skunked.
Unfortunately for the heroes of this story, the skunk was strong this day. Despite covering water above and below the dam, casting around a sandbar, and fan casting around the cove, we couldn't buy a bite.
Lesson 5: Control What Is In Your Hands
This is a bit of a shameless plug, but it's an important one. If you don't know the spot or the species, choose a good general purpose lure and make small changes as you fish. Pay attention to retrieval speed, depth, lure color, pattern, and even line weight. Try to tweak just one or two things at a time while paying attention to the natural variables, i.e. wind direction, temperature, light, and recent weather patterns.
I threw rooster tails, white curly tailed grubs, and trout magnets, but it was not meant to be. At the end of the day, Dad and I both decided that this section of river might be a better spot to check after the stocking trucks pass through town or once the water warms a few more degrees.
For now, I'll focus on launch week activities. Speaking of which,there's still time to enter my Instagram giveaway. One lucky winner will score a $100 gift card for themselves and another for a friend, along with two beanies. The giveaway ends on March 17th, so check me out at @newdawntackleco to enter before it's too late!
Tight lines and happy fishing,
Neil Colicchio
Owner, New Dawn Tackle Co.
