Fishing Tips

MAC-ATAC Sportfishing Tips from Capt. Todd MacGregor

Tip #1: The Daily Movement of Fish

Fish tend to seek their optimal level of light. The larger the fish, the more prevalent this can be. This is not a hard and fast Rule, although it is a tendency. This is why we have more fish in the shallow water just before dawn than at mid-day. The shallower the water, the warmer the water. The deeper the water, the cooler the water.

When fish are in the shallows, say less than 20 feet, their metabolism is stimulated by the warmer water. This drives their need to feed.
When they go through their daily migration to deeper water (seeking optimum light level), the water is cooler and this slows their metabolism down reducing their need to feed. This is why dawn and dusk are considered 2 of the best times to go fishing. Especially when the fishing is slow.

I now take most of my charters in the early morning for many reasons. This being said, we should always plan to start early, work really hard, and expand our options by using time and the fish metabolism to our advantage.