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The most sought after fish when flats fishing include redfish, tarpon, seatrout, bonefish, permit and snook. Other popular catches are striped bass, bluefish, barracuda, shark, cobia and mutton snapper.
When choosing the best areas for flats fishing, look for flats that are 8 feet deep or less. More productive flats usually contain stumps, brush piles, grass beds or other types of cover. Flats that contain shallow ditches or humps are especially attractive to bass. Also look for baitfish, crabs and other “fish foods”.
Observe tides carefully when locating good flats to fish. Some will be totally dry during low tide. As the tide rises, game fish will move in to feed whereas when the tide drops gamefish will wait for crabs and baitfish to flee the flat.
Flats are usually fished with fly gear or light spinning gear. Light tackle is the rule. Fly rods should be 8 or 9 weight. If you are using a spinning outfit, load it with no stronger than 12 pound test. Live bait such as mullet, pigfish, pinfish and shrimp works well. If you are using artificial lures, any size with attractor colors may be used from May through June. If you are flats fishing during July through August, natural colored lures work best.
Other equipment to include on your fishing trip is proper footwear, sunscreen, sunglasses, a raincoat and plenty of water to drink. Hydration is important since most flats fishing takes place in sunny climates such as the Florida Keys and the Caribbean, as well as lakes and rivers across the United States and other countries.
The most important equipment required is usually a small skiff with no more than two fishermen aboard. This lets the guide pole across shallow waters with ease, to reach the best flats. Also remember to wear light colored clothing to reflect the sun’s heat, and be less visible to the fish.
Wayne Gilbert is a Florida native with over 30 years of fishing experience. His website about Flats Fishing, Florida Fishing,
has been providing its viewers with extensive coverage of the Florida backcountry fishing scene for a long time. Other topics include backcountry fishing, Florida Keys fishing, and individual gamefish habitats,statistics, and locations.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Gilbert
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