Boating USA — February 2018

102 | BOATINGMAG.COM | FEBRUARY 2018

When Mother Nature throws

a wind-whipped monkey

wrench into your fi shing

plans, you have a choice. You

can stay tied to the dock or

try Plan B — as in bay — and

enjoy some angling action

close to home. Many of the

same bays and harbors where

we store or launch our boats

host a variety of game fi sh.

While not usually as large as

those encountered in coastal

or off shore waters, these fi sh

can still save the day while

providing light-tackle action

in waters more protected

from the howling winds and

white-capped waves.

FOCUS ON STRUCTURE

Game fi sh are attracted to

various types of structure.

Dock pilings, bridge abut-

ments, piers, shoreline

riprap, jetties and bars all

provide sources of food and

an ideal place to ambush

prey. Whether fi shing with

live or cut bait or casting arti-

fi cial lures, focus your eff orts

in these types of areas. Points

of land can also provide fi sh

with a place to conserve

energy while waiting for the

tidal current to bring food.

LOOK FOR LIFE Find the

life and you’ll fi nd the fi sh.

Just as you would off shore,

use your eyes to fi nd feeding

birds (including those

stalking the shoreline) or the

visible glint of baitfi sh in the

sun. Put your fi sh fi nder on

its manual setting and select

a depth range/frequency

that maximizes the display

for shallow water. If your

harbor has fl oating live-bait

receivers (like many do in

California), these are obvious

magnets for a range of fi sh.

LIGHTEN UP The fi sh

available in harbors and bays

are often smaller versions of

those you’d target off shore.

Downsizing your tackle can

make catching small stripers,

blues, spotted bay bass or

halibut more fun. And you

might just learn some new fi -

nesse techniques you can use

Garmin’s new EchoMap

Plus series gives boaters

four compact multi-

function displays to suit

a wide range of boats.

Four different combos

with 4- to 9-inch displays

come pre-loaded with

BlueChart g2 cartography

and Quickdraw Contours

mapping software to cre-

ate personalized charts.

Other new features include

built-in Wi-Fi and access

to Garmin’s ActiveCaptain

app to update and purchase

maps and charts and view

data from the ActiveCaptain

community. Hardcore

anglers will appreciate

the fi sh-fi nding capabili-

ties with built-in Garmin

midband, ClearVu and

SideVu scanning sonars

($199.99 for 4-inch unit

without coastal charts or

transducer to $1,099.99 for

94sv unit, buy.garmin.com).

Check out the video at

boatingmag.com/garmin-

to affix the label, one without ridges or screw heads. If your reel is spooled with

monofilament, simply label it “#20” for 20-pound-test, for example. If you are

fishing a top shot of mono or fluorocarbon leader over braided line, you can label

it “#30/#65” to denote 30-pound leader over 65-pound braid. Also include the

amount of line and the date you spooled up.

PHOTOS: (COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT)

PLAN B

RIGHT FIT