Wrap Up of the 2010 Flats Season by Captain Sean Crawford

We mostly had pretty good days with smaller males showing up again in abundance, had some great days that you only dream about with fish on top for hours, and had a couple downright slow days. That's why they call it fishing and not catching. But as inconsistent as the Flats can be, there is always a chance of catching a 20 pound plus fish on fly or light tackle in less than 5 feet of water, and that chance alone is worth the trip to most serious anglers.

The season started somewhat slow, but the fish that were caught were quality fish. Later in the month of April we had good numbers of smaller males that we have not seen in recent years. Six and ten inch Bass Kandy Delights, No. 17 Tony Accetta Spoons in gold and silver, and Yo-Zuri crystal minnows worked well in the deeper water areas of the Flats. When the fish got into the real skinny water where the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) was thick, we used BKDs rigged weedless, Tony spoons, or Stillwater Smack-it poppers. Tony spoons suspend just below the surface and have such large hooks that they can usually be pulled through the shallows without picking up too much grass. On the fly we used large yak hair flies early in the season, then transitioned to smaller deceivers and half and half flies later in the season. Siliclones worked very well on days when the fish were active but not quite committing to hitting surface lures. A yellow or chartreuse fly with gold flash seemed to be the ticket on most days, while all white or olive over white also did well. I prefer intermediate lines most of the time on the flats, but also use 300 grain sinking lines when fishing the deeper water around the channels and areas south of the Fishing Battery.
We had tons of blowups on Stillwater Smack-it poppers this year, but more often than not the fish missed the lure entirely. Even still, really big fish missing a popper is still a sight too see, and the ones that did come tight were well worth it. One thing to remember is that in skinny water large striped bass will dive into the mud repeatedly once hooked to try and dislodge the hook, much like a bonefish in the Caribbean or Florida Keys. Remember to keep as much pressure on the fish as possible once hooked, and try to keep its head up. It doesn’t hurt to have 20 or 30 pound test braid with a 20 pound test monofilament or fluorocarbon leader, just be careful not to put too much pressure on the rod with this set up.

We also had a lot of large fish follow the fly or lure right to the boat and then veer off at the last second as the boat and/or the angler came into view. The last day up there on one of the last casts we had a fish that was 25 pounds if it was an ounce, follow a yellow half and half right to the boat, then turn and splash myself and the angler as it turned off. That’s the kind of fish you dream about, and the reason to keep fishing the Flats every year.