When Bart Swab went from recreational angler to kayak fishing guide, he had to take his fishing to the next level. “When I was fishing for fun, I could fish familiar places and use the same tactics,” he recalls. When he started guiding, he had to change his game plan. “Putting people on fish day after day improved my learning curve and solidified advice I’d had from friends and other guides,” he says.
How to Break Down Your Favorite Fishing Spot
Location, Location, Location
As a pro-guide based in St. Augustine, Swab knows local waters like the back of his hand. “To take my fishing to the next level, I focus my attention on one area,” he says. After years exploring the surrounding area, he has found the best places to launch. “I know where to get away from other anglers,” he says.
Focusing on one location allows him to observe the effect water and weather conditions have on the fishing. “I figure out what, why and how the fish in the area feed during a year’s cycle,” he says. The lessons he learns produce fish year after year and hold true on other bodies of water.
Returning to the same area over and over allows Swab to network with other local anglers. “Through friendly conversation, I learn more about my favorite area,” he says. Swab shares a story of a conversation that changed how he uses a MirrOlure 17MR. “I used to employ different twitches as I retrieved the lure but another angler told me to try a steady retrieve,” he remembers. The change produced more bites and Swab reconsidered how he uses the lure.
Lighten Up
Swab says the number one way to produce more fish is lighter line and leader. “Getting the fish to bite is the hardest part,” he points out. Thinner line and leader is the best way to increase the number of bites.
Lighter fishing line allows Swab to cast farther. “If I cast 30 feet with 20-pound test, 10-pound test might allow me to cast 40 to 50 feet,” he explains. Increased casting distance not only reduces the chance of spooking a wary fish, but it also produces a longer retrieve to cover more water.
The ultimate test is downsizing his leader material. Heavy fishing pressure and crystal clear water make fish wise to lures and baits. “I drop my leader from 20-pound fluorocarbon to 10-pound and I see more bites,” he says. The lighter leader is more difficult for fish to see and improves his lures’ action. “I may lose a few big fish, but I get more bites,” he says.
Lose Confidence
“This is hard: I take my five favorite confidence lures and put them away for a year,” Swab says. Shelving the best lures in his arsenal forces Swab to try new lures and tactics. “I found new lures that work even better and expand my understanding of my favorite lures,” Swab says.
For example, a Heddon Zara Spook is one of the most popular topwater lures in the world. “A few years ago, I decided to put down the Spook and try other topwater lures,” Swab says. He stumbled through other walk-the-dog lures until he tried the A Band Of Anglers Xorus Patchinko. “The Patchinko has proven an essential lure when I target snook,” Swab says.
Making the switch away from a favorite lure isn’t easy. Self discipline forces him to experiment with other lures and tactics. “I don’t have a choice but to adapt my fishing,” he explains. He says the experiment allowed him to recognize new opportunities to use a topwater lure and taught him when his confidence lure works best.
To catch big fish, the little things count. | Feature photo: Bart Swab
