General Blue Water Fishing Tips

Locating Fish:
Bait

Even when not actively feeding, game fish can usually be found near food. Areas holding bait are those most likely to be holding game fish. Bait, like game fish, hold in areas where they can find food. For bait, this means areas with a good supply of plankton. Factors that cause plankton blooms are described below.

Bottom contours

Sharp rises in the bottom, such as ledges and humps, can cause an upwelling of deeper water. This water is more nutrient rich than most surface water, allowing plankton to build up in these areas. Unlike other factors that attract bait and game fish, bottom contours are stationary. Good bottom structure consistently holds game fish because they do not have to hunt for it and they do not have to move to stay with it.

Temperature breaks

Temperature breaks along the western edge of the Gulf Stream indicate where coastal water is pushing against Gulf Stream core water. In addition to being warmer, core water has a higher salinity level and lower nutrient content than coastal water. This difference prevents these two water masses from mixing easily. (It is also what makes green water green and blue water blue.) Because coastal water contains more nutrients, it also contains more plankton. Plankton floating in coastal water, stopped by the barrier between coastal and core water, is forced to build up along the edges where these two water masses meet. In addition to plankton build up, temperature breaks along the Gulf Stream also cause rips to form. Rips are strips of calm water that run along the top of a temperature break, usually surrounded on either side by rougher water. The calmer surface of rips causes floating debris to gather in them.

Floating debris

Bait is attracted to floating debris and can usually be seen hanging just under patches of weeds or boards. Most species of surface feeding game fish are also attracted to floating debris. Dolphin are especially known for hanging under any floating debris they find. Whenever weedlines or other debris are found, lures should be trolled past them.

Birds

Birds are the most effective tool for finding active areas from a distance. Birds will stay above of feeding game fish, picking off bait that is driven to the surface by these fish. Watch any flying birds in the area. If the birds circle to stay over one area, troll to that area. When game fish move or sound and resurface, birds will move with them, showing you where the fish are. Larger groups of birds pecking at the surface are usually hanging over schools of smaller fish. Small groups of birds hovering and diving are usually hanging over larger fish.

Article Source: nccoastalfishing.com