# Tides and Flats?



## Aze0008 (Mar 20, 2014)

I have been doing a lot of fishing on grass flats here lately with much success. One thing that I have noticed is my more plentiful, and larger quality bites have been on a falling tide; more precisely the later half of a falling tide when the water depth is at its minimalist. 
I assumed that the bite on a shallow water area would be better when the tide is rising so that the fish would be able to feed without worry of being stuck on land when the water dropped, and also bc the tide coming in would funnel bait into the flat and the predatory fish could ambush the current flowing bait.
Anybody have an explanation on how the tide would affect the flat or tell me my thought process is just flat out wrong??


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## Johnms (Nov 29, 2010)

I think it depends on where you are in relation to the point where the gulf enters the bay. I found that on incoming tides I do better when you fish the flats closer to the pass, outgoing tide I fish where bait is being swept from the bays. When the tides are flat-I go golf.


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## Magic Mike (Jun 30, 2009)

You hit on it: predators follow baitfish. Find the baitfish (mullet, LY, bull minnows), you'll find the bite on the flats. Also ook for small variances in depth for ambush points (especially during low tide) - sandy pot holes, prop trenches, etc. Those act as good ambush points. I like to fan cast and cover a lot of water... once you find them, settle in for a bit.


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## Aze0008 (Mar 20, 2014)

Johnms said:


> I think it depends on where you are in relation to the point where the gulf enters the bay. I found that on incoming tides I do better when you fish the flats closer to the pass, outgoing tide I fish where bait is being swept from the bays. When the tides are flat-I go golf.


Where I'm fishing there is an entrance to the gulf less than mile away from the flat. And the tide has been going out with the falling tide in this particular location.


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## Aze0008 (Mar 20, 2014)

Magic Mike said:


> You hit on it: predators follow baitfish. Find the baitfish (mullet, LY, bull minnows), you'll find the bite on the flats. Also ook for small variances in depth for ambush points (especially during low tide) - sandy pot holes, prop trenches, etc. Those act as good ambush points. I like to fan cast and cover a lot of water... once you find them, settle in for a bit.


This particular flat is about 300 yards long x 60 yards wide with grass throughout the whole area and about 20 yards of the perimeter is 2-3 ft with the middle having holes that drop down in depths up to 6' in some holes. 
I've graphed the whole area with down and side scan and found numerous pot holes with sandy, hard bottoms and prop trenches dug throughout the entire way.
Most luck seemed to be in the middle where the depth dropped into the aforementioned holes that had a hard bottom. 
Bait fish located all throughout the grass.


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## Magic Mike (Jun 30, 2009)

Sounds like you have a good area. Some days it will be on fire, some days you'll go home empty handed. I've found that really early mornings have been best so far this year


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## SushiKing (Jul 19, 2013)

What are prop trenches?


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## salty_dawg (Mar 21, 2013)

SushiKing said:


> What are prop trenches?


When people run too shallow and destroy the grass with the skeg/prop. It takes years to grow back.


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## Magic Mike (Jun 30, 2009)

salty_dawg said:


> When people run too shallow and destroy the grass with the skeg/prop. It takes years to grow back.


If ever...

watching people run over flats makes me sick to my stomach...


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

SushiKing said:


> What are prop trenches?


look at google earth images and you'll see areas that look like tire tracks or paths in the shallows -- especially in areas going to a from boat docks that are shallow. Look closely at the Oriole Beach boat ramp area and you'll see.


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## Aze0008 (Mar 20, 2014)

SushiKing said:


> What are prop trenches?


Its where the prop of a boat digs into the grass/sand because its too shallow creating a dug out groove.
That's why there are a lot of "No Combustible Engine" zones in the flats so the boat props don't destroy the submerged grass on the flats


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## Shadow6 (Jul 5, 2012)

I've got a couple spots (one on NAS and one in GB) that have produced in the past (like a month ago); however, everything is a dry hole now. I was using live shrimp on both popping corks and w/ Carolina rigs. Lots of bait fish like hard tails and pins, but nothing worth to show wifey to explain my absence or tardiness for supper. What are y'alls thoughts? I'm dying to get back into some reds.


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## Aze0008 (Mar 20, 2014)

Shadow6 said:


> I've got a couple spots (one on NAS and one in GB) that have produced in the past (like a month ago); however, everything is a dry hole now. I was using live shrimp on both popping corks and w/ Carolina rigs. Lots of bait fish like hard tails and pins, but nothing worth to show wifey to explain my absence or tardiness for supper. What are y'alls thoughts? I'm dying to get back into some reds.


I don't know what to tell you I've never fished that area over there at all. The only thing I would recommend would be to start over and go hunting so new waters. If you you caught em there this year before start branching out to places near your holes and see what turns up and figure out a new pattern.


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## Magic Mike (Jun 30, 2009)

Mirrolure 17MR during the day and topwater early in the am. If neither of those are working, go with a soft plastic on a jig head working the drop off points on the edges of the flats. Once you find them, break out the live shrimp on a popping cork if you want. You'll cover more water with a lure to start out with. Scent gels on the lures help too. I like Menhaden scent the best

There are a dozen flats or so around the P'cola bay area... they all hold fish. You just got to figure out where they are and when they're there. Keep trying


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## Aze0008 (Mar 20, 2014)

Magic Mike said:


> Mirrolure 17MR during the day and topwater early in the am. If neither of those are working, go with a soft plastic on a jig head working the drop off points on the edges of the flats. Once you find them, break out the live shrimp on a popping cork if you want. You'll cover more water with a lure to start out with. Scent gels on the lures help too. I like Menhaden scent the best
> 
> There are a dozen flats or so around the P'cola bay area... they all hold fish. You just got to figure out where they are and when they're there. Keep trying


Thats been my strategy everyday I've gone out as well. All though I would add throwing a weighted swim bait, spinnerbait, or hopping the bottom with soft plastics along the reeds for reds during the hot part of the day when the trout flee the flats. Been my main pattern for the past couple weeks.


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## Simonj31 (Mar 6, 2014)

Magic Mike said:


> Mirrolure 17MR during the day and topwater early in the am. If neither of those are working, go with a soft plastic on a jig head working the drop off points on the edges of the flats. Once you find them, break out the live shrimp on a popping cork if you want. You'll cover more water with a lure to start out with. Scent gels on the lures help too. I like Menhaden scent the best
> 
> There are a dozen flats or so around the P'cola bay area... they all hold fish. You just got to figure out where they are and when they're there. Keep trying


Any suggestion on the top water lures?


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## Aze0008 (Mar 20, 2014)

Simonj31 said:


> Any suggestion on the top water lures?


Bomber or heddon's super spook or spook jr work well for me. The heddon has more of a BB rattle to it that I think the specks like and the bomber topwater has more of a tungsten ball rattle to it that aggravate those stubborn fish. 
Color really isn't and issue since its on top. I usually go with a darker hue during the day and a brighter, maybe flashier color at low light conditions like dawn and dusk.


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