Whether fishing freshwater or saltwater far from home, knowing some important aspects of weather, presentation, and forage cues will help anglers catch fish wherever their travels take them.
When fishing away from home, the added element of being in a new area often makes first forays a little more difficult and a little less successful.
It doesn’t always have to be this way, however, as doing a bit of research on the front end of a trip, applying similar baits and tactics in new waters and introducing what’s happening in the new surroundings in terms of season and activity cues can speed up the learning curve and enhance the experience in the limited time that vacations can offer.
Use the resource
Never before has more information been available with less effort. Simply click on a smartphone or open a web browser and use your favorite search engine to find forums, social media groups, tackle shops and local sportsman groups that provide reports, suggested baits, tips, and updates on seasonal fishing to any destination.
From spot stories filed online by local newspapers to daily updates posted by guide services, it’s easy to find dozens of tours in a search that will help provide information making destination fishing easier.
In addition, most fish and wildlife management agencies now have a strong online presence. There, season information, regulations and online license ordering can be reviewed before heading out.
Buy and print the necessary licenses and stamps to be ready for the fishing you’ll be going on, whether it’s the purpose of the trip or just part of a larger family vacation.
For questions, there is likely a helpline or email address where you can get answers to specific queries or even get the status of a particular fishery. You just have to get a time before the trip to get a reply.
Fish are fish everywhere, but…
The best thing about fish is that everyone has to eat. This is the same from North Dakota to Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Although they may differ in size, schools and what they call dinner, most game fish can be tricked into biting an artificial lure of some kind or offering a live bait rig that is substantially similar from coast to coast.
Keep it simple and know the tactics that work on one species in one water will likely work in another, with small tweaks in size and color.
When fishing in more foreign environments, such as making the jump from the Midwest to the coasts and saltwater or inshore fishing, keep in mind that added elements like tides can have a big impact on when the fish are most feeding probabilities.
Typically, incoming or outgoing tides are when predatory fish are most active. When fly-fishing mountain streams on a destination trip, it’s also helpful to look up when hatches are happening and what bugs are usually dealt with during the time of the visit.
Both tide charts and hatch calendars can be found on the web, and when you go to any unique area for a fishing trip, knowing them will help you a lot in your preparation and planning.
What is happening?
When you arrive, keep an eye on what’s going on in the world around the area you plan to fish.
How do animals behave and when are they most active? What insects are there and in what quantities? Are baitfish or other aquatic prey visible either on the surface, by sonar or with a bit of reconnaissance and rock flipping?
Answer these questions, along with recent weather conditions, water clarity, and other important elements before your first cast to get a better idea of what your quarry is likely doing.
Add these factors together to get a global understanding that affects the smallest decisions, such as fishing location, bait or lure selection, and even the use of certain lines or tackle.
Already knowing how these items affect your daily fishing at home will help you on those days you spend far away and in less familiar waters.
Doing the legwork before any trip that might involve a little (or a lot) of fishing to know where to go and what to use, applying tactics known to fish at home against those abroad, and immersing yourself in the world that surrounds, No matter how unfamiliar, it will help improve success and create great memories wherever your final fishing destination is.