Over the next several weeks as the water temperature continue to warm the baitfish common to our creeks, (mullet, mudminnows, pinfish etc.) will begin to flourish. As the baitfish population increases predatory fish such as bass, trout and flounder will congregate wherever they can locate pockets of baitfish. Locating concentrations of baitfish can sometimes be difficult especially around times of high tide when the baitfish seek shelter in the Spartina.
Since the baitfish like to hold up in the grass to escape predators, any deeper channels, commonly called feeder creeks, leading into the grass will hold large concentrations of baitfish using the channels to enter and leave the grass through the tidal cycle. Baitfish rely so heavily on the cover of this grass that they will hold in the grass as long as possible before running out of water during a falling tide. As the tide reaches that critical low level in the marsh large numbers of baitfish will come out of the feeder creeks at once. By the same token it is not uncommon to see schools of baiting sitting in the mouth of a feeder creeks waiting to swim in with the incoming tide.
Feeder creeks dump into larger creeks that are typically navigable throughout the tidal change. The mouths of feeder creeks vary in depth and therefore the tidal stage required to begin to flood or empty these creeks will vary. As most everyone knows being in the right place at the right time is critical to your success with many aspects of life and fishing is no different. Knowing the tidal stage required to flood or empty a feeder creek mouth is critical to knowing when the bait will congregate there as well as the predatory fish.
When gigging I often see flounder sitting in feeders that are only a foot wide and perhaps an inch or two deeper than the surrounding bank. The fact is mudminnows only need a ? -inch of water to swim and if that water is present they are going to use that conduit to travel in or out of the grass. I have also fished feeders that are 8