Intro to Flats Fishing:
On the Flats

by Captain Corby Dolar

So you are ready to be On The Flats!

Before you go speeding out to the first shallow water you can find and start tossing all of those new lures in every direction, let’s just take a few moments to study what a redfish looks for in a flat.

They will also watch to see how the water is moving onto and across the flat. Fish generally do not like a place that does not have a fair amount of current moving on it. This current brings oxygen and bait to the fish and also helps them move across the flats.

The best flats I have found are usually on the edge of deeper water such as a channel or deeper bay. This allows the fish to retreat to that deeper water during the lowest part of the tide for safety where they can rest while waiting on the return of the rising water.

You will also want to watch for “wakes” or “pushes” in the shallows. A wake is a small ripple that is caused by a fish cruising just under the surface of the water. A push is about the same thing but is usually made by a fish that has just moved quickly for a short distance. A lot of the better guides will stop several hundred yards before a flat, break out the binoculars, and watch to see if fish are moving in the shallows. If he sees the telltale water disturbances he will pole to the flat quietly and try to get in front of the fish.

This brings me to my second point. Approach any flat quietly. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to come roaring up to a flat and shut down quickly. This is the equivalent of walking into a crowded theater and yelling at the top of your lungs, FIRE! Not only will it spook every living thing on the flat for up to a half a mile, it may also stop a lot of fish from ever returning to that piece of ground. Some years ago we did a little experiment on how engine noise affects fish. We had a small deep hole in the middle of a flat that always held undersized redfish. We ran through it a couple of times and then left it alone for several days. To this day we have never caught another redfish in that hole.

Good visibility is the key to sight fishing. Always try to keep the sun at your back. This allows you to see fish from farther out and at the same time keeps them from seeing you so easily. And, if you can have the wind at your back at the same time, all the better.

Another important point to remember is that a fish will usually enter the flat and cruise along following the current, but will almost always turn around and face the current to feed on anything it might find. So if you make a cast to a moving fish and he passes over your bait, give him a second or two to get by your offering. Even if he did not see it, and you are using a natural bait or an attractant on your lure, he will probably come across the scent trail that is being put out by the bait and return for a look and hook.

A question that I am asked quite frequently is, “What is a tailing fish”? A “tailer” as they are most often called is a fish that is feeding in shallow water. It will tilt its head down to pick up some food off the bottom. When it does this its tail actually comes out of the water. Redfish are famous for this. But don’t be surprised to see trout, sheepshead or even a jack do the same thing. Tailing fish are my favorite fish to throw to. They are usually so focused on what they are trying to forage out of the bottom that they do not even know you are there. Your presentation can be dragged right under their noses and more likely than not you will have the fish pounce on your offering.

Another character of a flat is known as a “pothole”. A pothole is nothing more than a deeper hole in the flat. They can be anywhere in size from a couple of feet to several yards across. And, they can be just a few inches deeper than the surrounding water, or they can be several feet deeper. These are great places to look during falling tides and dead low tides. Fish use these during falling water to lay in ambush. As the water drops, baitfish will move into the holes to ride out the low tide. At low tide fish may use these spots as safe refuge from predators that may feed on them in the deeper open water. In any case it is always a good idea to give these spots a closer look.

Potholes should always be fished by approaching them from the up-current side and casting first at the front edge of the hole. After that, cast progressively deeper into the pothole each time. If you cast for the middle or the back of the hole first you could be dragging the bait over a fish’s back. This will almost always spook them into the next zip code. Remember that the fish that are in these holes will almost always be facing into the current.

Another good place to pay close attention is “wheel ditches” or “prop scars”. This is where someone has run along, not paying attention to their water depth, and has had their propeller cut a groove into the flat. Fish will use these as highways. Almost every trip out I will find a fish or two swimming down these ditches, darting out whenever they see a crab or baitfish, and then returning to them to continue on their way. I have even laid in wait at the deeper end of one of these slots as a big redfish is wallowing in 4 or 5 inches of water on the shallower end knowing he will more than likely drop into the ditch to make an easy retreat back to deeper water.

At higher tide phases you can fish right up on the beaches and into the stands of grass that line the shorelines. As the tide drops, retreat back to the outer edges of the flat and watch for fish making their escape from the dwindling surroundings. Another good spot to look for is called a “runoff”. A runoff is a small finger channel that receding water has cut out. Fish will look for these as easy avenues of escape.

Just remember this one last thing. No two flats are alike. Find a good-looking one and keep coming back to it at different stages of the tide. I have seen one flat that the redfish feed on all the way through the rising tide. But a flat just a few hundred yards away may only yield redfish on a falling tide.

The only rule that is constant is that everything is different. But this is what makes it so much fun. Also, be patient. I believe it was the world famous Lefty Kreh that said, “Flats fishing is 3 hours of absolute boredom, interrupted by 20 minutes of pure pandemonium.”

Also please practice good flats etiquette. If another boat is already on the flats, do not pull up in front of them. He got there first so come in from behind. And, always keep at least a quarter of a mile of distance between you. Next time it may be you there first. It is a big ocean and there is room for everyone!

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