This article originally appeared in the Fisherman magazin

Love Thy Structure

As someone who considers himself a hardcore surf rat, I am still bewildered by a query why I am not seen often on this or that local sandy beach, even during the fall run. Fishing almost exclusively during nighttime hours would explain half of the story but the more important reason is that I prefer fishing the structure. Now I know what you are going to say, “ sandy beaches have structure, sand bars, cuts and troughts”. While that might be true, the structure I prefer is something that creates obstruction to the baitfish and attracts the gamefish on more consistent basis than open beaches and sand bars. Doc Muller has been preaching “Bait, Structure & Presentation” at least as long as I can remember, yet most anglers who are new to the sport chose the open sand beaches instead of back bays area teaming with life. Part of the reason might be that areas like jetties are difficult and somewhat dangerous places to fish while places like banks along the bridge do not offer any legal parking within walking distance. During the fall run any structure on the front beaches might be very productive as the baitfish and gamefish are migrating southward and structure creates an area where gamefish might attempt to corral and ambush hapless baitfish. But the fall run last only few weeks yet the structure on the backside of inlets and in the back bays hold the gamefish from April well into December.

Follow the fluke!!!

What does summer flounder have to do with increasing your chances of success with a bass, blue or a tiderunner you ask? A lot. Where do you fish for fluke? Inlets, drop-off, channels and cuts among other places but all located in the bay. There are more than 100 miles of gorgeous sand beaches from Brooklyn to Montauk yet they hold very few summer flounder. That’s the same sand that they love to burry themselves inside in the bays while praying on a baitfish. And there lies the answer, baitfish. The beaches do hold bait at times but not nearly enough to suit a hungry fluke who pass on that piece of real estate on their way from their offshore wintering grounds in spring and head strait thru the inlets into our bay. You would be wise to follow their trail.

Hit the road

Think of inlets, as ramps to and from the highway, without them there is no way of getting onto the highway. It holds true for the baitfish and gamefish that we are targeting. Being that back bays are a prime area that hold baitfish thru the season and a perfect place for young baitfish to mature in an environment that gives them the best possible chance of survival, it is no mystery why gamefish on their migration north in the spring enter our bays and take residence. They have no choice but to enter and exit the bay thru the inlet channel. Aside from being a main thoroughfare for migrating fish, inlets are generally narrower bodies of water compared to their surrounding areas and therefore feature currents that are much stronger than normal. Bass, blues and weakfish use these strong currents to their advantage to ambush the baitfish. One of the best features of fishing these areas with fast currents is our ability to reach deep water without having to wade too far. Fish will hold on the edge of the channel during the time of outgoing current waiting for crabs, worms of baitfish be swept by the strong currents towards them and still have security of knowing that deep water is within one strong sweep of their tails. Since the backside of an inlet can be a large area, it’s best to concentrate your efforts on a particular piece of structure within the inlet. Any structure that will act as an impediment to the current flow and will create an area of unstable water should get your attention first. Areas like inlet jetties, rips or inlet coves and points are generally much more productive that featureless stretches of sandy beach and a bucktail dressed with a pork rind would be my first choice in this area followed closely by a darter or a similar swimming plug.

Slippery when wet!

Jetties as a structure are fish magnets for species small and large. If you visit any jetty on low tide you will notice a lot of exposed marine life such as algae and mussels covering the rocks. Small fish and crabs seek shelter and food among those boulders and the game fish that we are seeking move in to feed on the baitfish. The jetties that border the inlets are especially and consistently productive. Although each jetty has its own characteristics and make up, it’s important to seek the most productive structure within the jetty itself. Instead of blindly casting among the rocks, you would be better served if you sought the most “fishy” looking spot and worked it from different angles. Nine out of ten times that spot will be a rip. Rip forms when current moves over or around an obstruction such as tip of a jetty, a submerged rock or if there is a sudden change in water’s depth. Rips create an area in which the baitfish loses its ability to swim and they create an ambush area within the structure. Baitfish generally cannot swim against the current, however they are able to swim with it, usually while keeping tight to the shore and away from predators. Once they enter the rip they are easy pickings for a stronger game fish that know that force of the current within the rip will create conditions in which small baitfish will get washed in and become confused and easy prey. Although the fish will at times be feeding in the front of the rip most of the time you will find them on the backside of it. They will use the force of the current to bring them a free meal without having to go chase after it. Once the current changes strength you will find that the fish will move up or down, depending on current direction, in the rip. When casting from the jetty, cast up tide at about 45 degrees. This will give you a chance to get your plug working properly before it hits the most productive area. Bucktails and darters are deadly with any strong moving current while swimming plugs and live or rigged eels are better choices when current is running at slower speeds. Having been on a receiving end of a nasty slip on the rocks at Jones Beach few days before my wedding I would advise you not to go on any jetty without some kind of under sole concoction, Korkers or homemade. Remember that if the rocks are dry on the top you might have go among the algae covered ones, that are slippery, in order to release your fish or get your plug that will hang up occasionally in the rocks.

Bright Lights …………big city

If the jetties are a fish magnet, then a bridge must be considered a bait metropolis. First, let’s consider a few facts. Most of the bridges are built where the body of water is at its narrowest point, saving money to the builders in cost of material and time to completion. However, these same narrow channels feature stronger that normal currents to begin with due to a lot of water empting from the back bays, trying to push thru a narrow channel. Now you add some bridge abutments and you have created a perfect ambush structure for gamefish. As the current pushes through the bridge “eddies” are created behind pilings or abutments. Striped bass are fond of “hiding” behind these obstructions conserving their energy by staying out of the current flow and darting into it to attack there pray. Now add the equation the fact that a typical bridge has lights across its span, which attract baitfish at night. Baitfish will gather under those lights at nighttime while the gamefish will stay in the bridge shadow line and attack any baitfish swept their way. The best approach is to cast your lure up current and let it drift into the shadow lines. You want your lure or jig to stay in the area between the shadow line and the bridge pilings for as long as possible before it gets washed out by the force of the current. Darters and especially bucktails can be deadly when fishing around the bridge structure. In summer months you can scale down your offering and try variety of soft plastic lures for a good shot at weakfish. One thing that needs to be mentioned is the need for a strong rod to help you turn your fish in a heavy current once you hook it. It’s best if light tackle is left at home. You must be able to turn the fish as it’s heading for cover under the bridge with your expensive hardware in its mouth. You will surly get cut off, if it succeeds in getting your line in contact with any bridge structure while your line is under pressure. That’s why a stiff rod is a must here. Considering how many big bass are caught each year under these bridges, do you really want to tangle with one in a strong current with no chance of your coming out on top?

Although you might think so, ones success in the surf really depends on their ability to fish more than you and me. Instead these skilled surfrats have ability to analyze bait movements taking into consideration wind and tide conditions and have ability to catch fish on any given day, even when everyone else around them is scratching their heads because of lack of action. But I would bet you that there is doing it “in the back”.