<i>"This is your latest NOAA Weather synopsis from South Santee River to Savannah Georgia, and out 20 nautical miles. High pressure will dominate the area over the next two days. Tonight light and variable winds seas 1 to 2 foot, in the morning west winds 5 knots seas 2 foot or less, tomorrow afternoon winds switching to south west 10 knots seas 2 foot."</i>
It sounds like an offshore fisherman’s dream come true! Fishing out of my 23-foot center console I have always been a fair weather fisherman, but is there a such thing as too fair of weather?
Personally I love a calm ocean, a 2 to 3-foot day makes it easy and quick to get to the fishing grounds, it is easy to spot baitfish, rips and slicks, birds, debris, and even fish on a calm day. However days with light and variable winds and a slick ocean can make it tough to raise fish. Here are a just a few suggestions that may improve your odds of hooking up on those slick days:
* Go light on the leaders and pay extremely close attention to the bait presentation. Many anglers believe with the lack of surface noise and white water on a calm day the fish really have the opportunity to criticize your bait presentation. Rigging lighter and presenting the bait in the most natural form possible may give you the upper hand to trick a fish into biting. Lighter leaders, smaller hooks, fresh baits, and good swimming lures are the key here.
* Pick the roughest ride possible. When trolling the action of the lures is set by the boat. For instance if the ocean is real calm chugger heads may not even pop. Trolling into a head sea will cause the bow of the boat to rise and fall in turn causing the lures to speed up and slow down. It is just like working a top water popper with your rod tip for freshwater bass. As the lures change speeds they will pop and give the desired action to attract fish. Increasing your “normal” trolling speed may also aid in the lure presentation on a calm day. Note: On rough days many lures are jerked around too much,