| Skilled
saltwater anglers depend heavily on their powers of observation,
constantly scanning not only on their electronics, to see what's going
on below, but also scanning the surface and the sky. I can't count the
number of memorable days that have begun with myself or a crewmember
pointing a finger and saying, "Hey, look over there." The most obvious above-the-surface sign of fish is diving seabirds. When game fish attack schools of bait fish from beneath, they push the bait fish toward the surface within reach of the birds. Any concentration of diving birds is worth a look, although sometimes they're drawn to schools of bait rounded up by mackerel or sea mammals. Diving pelicans are perhaps the least reliable indicators of feeding game fish, although in nearshore waters they do often reveal the location of feeding barracuda, bonito, yellowtail or striped bass. Gulls are somewhat more reliable, while terns are the strongest indicator that game fish are in the area. Even birds that aren't actively diving can lead you to fish. From their vantage point, birds can see fish cruising well beneath the surface, and they know when those fish are on the hunt. When they are, the birds follow them, waiting for their chance. In Mexican waters, frigate birds well offshore are almost always tracking fish. With a little observation, you can learn to tell the difference between birds that are just "traveling" and birds that are hanging around an area because something is about to happen. Circling is a sure sign, as is halting, stop-and-go flying. Watch the birds' heads, too; if they're looking down at the water frequently, there are likely fish down there. A group of birds sitting on the water is frequently a good indicator that a feeding frenzy has recently taken place. Full-bellied and tired from diving, seabirds tend to sit around and digest for a while. Idle through them, and odds are you'll see fish scales glinting in the water. If so, stick around; the game fish are likely still in the area. Finally, keep in mind that the farther offshore you get, the more important bird sightings become. Within a few miles of the coast, there are birds everywhere; a school of surface-feeding fish is going to be marked by a virtual cloud of them. But 50 miles out, a few circling terns is an almost sure sign of fish. |