Bait balls and birds
- This topic has 13 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated Dec 28, 2007 at 1:42 pm by
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Took these shots while out last week. I’ve caught a case of skunk real bad and only caught a few little ones. Of course most of the fish we were charting were well below 20′.
These Loons know where the bait is so when you see several Loons in one area you can bet the fish are close by.
The Gulls are out in force and will lead you to actively feeding fish.
Here they are feeding on a bait ball that got pushed up.
This fly was too big for what the fish are eating right now but it’ll be a killer this spring.
Spooky shot with the new Zeiss.
Thanks it was hard to get good any kind of sharp images shooting from a 17′ boat in open water and 20mph winds. I was using the “Beercan” 70-210 Minolta lens. This lens has a cult following and so far I really like the results I’m getting from it.
I was still wishing I could get closer to the Loons but they would go under every time I got close. So today I looked at a nice Sigma 400mm lens and was this close to buying it. Logic took over and I let it pass for now. I’ve got 6 more days till the auction is over… I wonder how good the results would be shooting with this lens without a tripod?
Here’s some more bird pics – I love my birds, they can add so much to a fishing day. This is a little egret. I couldn’t work out what they were at first because of the plumes but figured it was a breeding season decoration. They were feeding in the gutters that drain the mud flats – masses of what we call “jelly prawns” flushing out of the mangrove swamps (tiny shrimp – about size 6).
These are the fish that were also feeding on the jelly prawns – threadfin salmon. The big feelers are used to herd up the bait into a tight ball then they’ll lunge through the bait, mouths open. Can be an incredibly difficult fish to get a bite from but not on this day.
Morsie
Morsie,
Just so I get a feel for the bird’s movement that day . . . is he “dancing” around in the water with his plumes up?
Thanks Neal, The dollar exchange rate is still very much in your favour…..
Not actually doing any sort of dancing, just a lot of prancing to keep up with the showers of prawns the threadfin and other smaller fish were causing to bust up.
Morsie
Here’s some more bird pics – a capped tern and a frigate bird on a ball of sardines.
A gannet and a mackerel on the same bait ball as the one above.
This is a big bunch of egrets that had a heap of bait trapped in a beach gutter.
Morsie
I haven’t used the Zeiss much yet Carter, the landscape around here right now is pretty sad with all the greenery gone. What little I have used it so far I’ve noticed the photos require very little adjustment to suit my tastes. My fishing is in a slump too so no fish pics and that’s what I really bought it for, well that and landscapes.
How fast do they like to pull with all those things sticking out in front of them??
Yeah, that “beercan” almost has some sort of an effect to it, pretty cool.
Were i’m located. Most of the guy’s that shore fish, usually drive to the coast. From there they drive as close to tho coast as possible. When they spot birds feeding. They pull over and go at it. The guy’s with small water craft do the same thing but from the water. I hope to add the salt to my routine this season. Everyone gives me a hard time for chasing Trout & Smallies. I live less than 2 miles from Salem Sound. I know some guy’s who land 100+ fish in a day from a small boat. I won’t catch that many in a whole season :'( I think it’s time to diversify! ;D
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