Mother Nature throws a mean curveball

If Mother Nature played sports, she would be a baseball pitcher with a wicked curveball. Just when I begin to think I have this fishing thing figured out, Mother Nature throws me a curve.  

 

Last Friday, I nearly struck out. When launching the skiff, I was supremely confident. The sky was blue, the barometer was rising, and the wind was from the northeast. Clearly, post cold front conditions. My plan was to target trout along depth transitions in 10 to 15 feet of water.

Historically, trout move into deeper water when the barometer rapidly rises. This concentrates the fish. Making them easier to locate and catch. Not on this day. After hours of searching, I was unable to locate (or catch) a single trout. Strike one.

 

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. So, I gave up on the trout and switched my attention to redfish. It did not take long to locate a school of redfish milling around an oyster bar in one to two feet of water. However, these fish were not interested in my lures. As a matter of fact, most of the time they ran away from them. After several lure presentations and no takers, I went looking for another school of fish. Strike two.

 

As I searched the shallows, I could feel the pressure building. One more strike and I was out. About then, I spotted a small redfish slowly swimming towards me. I cast my Z-Man Finesse TRD several feet ahead of the fish and just let it sit. The fish swam up to the lure and ate it. Yay! No strike out.

 

On the ride back to the dock, I concluded there is still much for me to learn about fishing.

 

Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.