A lot of this is the same but........ Here is a little more information on the fishing the "Birds".
Locating Birds......there are several things to learn in doing this. First
is to spot the birds from long distances [up to a mile away] and then
identify them. Seagulls are what you are looking for-----not the "TERNS"
which look very similar and there are a lot of them out there. Watching the
birds behavior can tell you if it is feeding or what I call just "Picking"
....picking up something every now and then.
Seagulls will usually be calling out when they are feed and you will hear
the noise. Finding seagulls sitting on the water can be very good sign
that there are fish in the area----but just not chasing bait right now.
Approaching feeding Birds.......I find it best to always approach a flock of
birds from up wind or ahead of the direction the birds are working. This is
done by staying 200+ yards away and making a circle. If the wind is blowing
say 10+ mph.....be careful to not get directly up wind so that the boat
drifts straight towards where the fish are feeding. Have the anchor ready,
so it can slowly be lowered into the water, if needed. Never---Never----drop
the anchor into the water. The noise can spook the fish. Same for noise in
the boat....don't jump or bang on the boat.
Fishing under Birds........this is where many many people make mistakes that
can ruin a good opportunity to catch some fish. Oh, when fishing under birds
it is usually Speckled trout, but could be Red fish or both. Speckled trout
can be scared off very easily. You can NOT-----let me say that again----you
can NOT approach a flock of birds with the engine running. I always try the get on the up-wind side and let the wind help push the boat towards the birds. But be sure that you are not in a direct line to pass right through the flock of birds [and fish]. As a
rule......slow down when you are 200 yards away to a slow idle speed. At
about 125-150 yards cut off the engine and use the trolling motor. When you
get within 75 yards of where the nearest birds are feeding, stop and start
casting. The fish could be scattered out over a fairly large area or if the
school is moving there could be some stragglers. Also.....usually [sometimes
?] the larger trout will not be in the middle where the birds are diving but
farther away, so always cast a few times away from the center of action it
could have BIG results.
Approaching the birds slowly is a must. If you come in too fast the birds
will sometimes leave....making it hard to locate just where the fish are.
Fish etiquette.........This unfortunately is not followed by a lot of
fishermen and can result in no one catch very many fish. If one boat does
not use the above guide lines.....it can ruin it for anyone else fishing
that spot. If you are luck enough to be out on the lake on a calm day, there
should be several places where birds are feeding......so don't try to crowd
in where someone is fishing especially if you can see another flock of birds
and nobody fishing them. I usually fish during the week to avoid the crowds
on the weekends. If this is the only birds working and there is room for
you to move in closer and not be in the way of the other boat(s).....it
should be ok....but do it slowly and don't get too close. I have seen where
4 or 5 boats are fishing is the same area and everyone is keeping a good
distance [casting distance] away from each other. When you are ready to
leave.....i.e. not catching any fish....but there is still another boat
nearby, use the trolling motor to get 125+ yards away before starting the
engine and then idle the engine to get farther away.
No Birds...But fish chasing shrimp-------this does happen sometimes and you
usually hear the noise before seeing them. Shrimp make a "clicking" sound
when jumping along the surface of the water to get away from a fish that is
trying to catch it. Also another noise that can be heard is a fish [usually
a trout] chasing or catching a shrimp or bait fish on the surface. Both of
these noises are what a fisherman is trying to imitate when using a cork to
fish with. The corks are designed to make the same noise to attract a Trout.
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