A micro wreck can be anything that changes the topology in the underwater world. These wrecks need not be big to offer at least temporary accommodations for predator and prey fishes. Small submerged logs or pilings, the occasional lone rock, tires, or just about anything that stands out and transitions the bottom will support life. For example, while clamming in Tuckerton, NJ a few years ago, I came across an old engine block from an old boat submerged in chest high water. The surrounding boat, presumably an old wooden garvey, had long succumb to the elements of salt, water, and time. This large area in which I was working was a mud flat with its greatest depth never being over five feet or so. Aside from the occasional empty bottle, horseshoe crab shell, or lost crab pot submerged in muck, this area offered little for fish and encounters with them were sparse. Under closer examination, this engine block, now just a cube of rust, was encrusted with life such as hydra, muscles, barnacles, sponges, and miles of mono. I also noticed schools of spearing, shrimp and bay anchovies on the down current side using this engine block as a shield from the sun and current. They would periodically scatter and reassemble a few moments later. While working the mud on that side of the block, I also noticed that these bait fish would occasionally scurry because they were being repeatedly hammered by several fluke that were in the three to four-pound range. The fluke had assembled about eight feet down current from this structure and you could see them inching up every few minutes, re-bury themselves and repeat the process until they were in striking range. They strike like lightning and just settle back to duplicate the cycle. Fluke will remain close to this area and fatten up all summer long or as long as water and food conditions remain favorable. Although not technically a wreck, the action of humans clamming also is something for an angler to follow. By disturbing the bottom, worms, crustaceans, and microorganisms are released from their haunts causing a feeding frenzy in the water. This is a natural chum slick. Grass shrimp will feed heavily in this muddy slick. Weakfish, drum, and fluke, when present, love to be down current from this and are temporarily attracted from great distances. This is when shad darts and small baits on light tackle can be employed with great success. During my time there, I’ve had several chance encounters with these little wrecks. Lawn chairs, waterlogged remnants from old docks, bricks, tires, cinderblocks, old nets, crab pots, metal and concrete pipes of unknown origin all fall into the category of a micro wreck. While these ‘wrecks’ receive little attention over the years from anything other than a chance encounter, I try to visit them when I can. I’ve noticed that when one inhabitant leaves, another always takes residence. At different times of the year, different species of fish use these tiny structures as home base. Baitfish that use it as protection will fall prey to bluefish, weakfish, and striped bass to name a few. Cooler waters will bring in the predominantly structure based fish such as blackfish and sea bass. An area as small as five feet in diameter can actually hold dozens of blackfish, sea bass, porgies, and many other species adapted to wreck life depending on its size, location, and geometry. I have found that this is especially true if the structure is anywhere adjacent to the channel or deeper water currents. It is truly like a little magnet. These little snags can be found throughout our rivers, bays, and ocean, but are often very small, invisible, and consequently overlooked. If you are drifting a dead zone and a small structure such as a pinnacle appears on your depth finder for a brief moment, it may be a wise move to throw a marker, circle back, and investigate. Often these structures are too small to rouse curiosity or satisfy a number of boats, but they are so often overlooked and are rarely sought as areas that might hold fish. If you mark and record these little snags in your GPS, you can be more specific in your hunt for trophy fish as opposed to just drifting aimlessly and leaving it all to luck or chance. The same holds true when you’re snagged. Often you hooked onto something that harbors life. How often have you ever went back to the snag and fished it with intent? Your natural reaction is to leave the area as quickly as possible to avoid further frustration. This is all too often a mistake. Many anglers I know will say “let’s go here” or “let’s go there” where “here” or “there” are classified as very broad areas such as Romer Shoals or the Bay Ridge flats. There is nothing wrong with this, but being more specific within these areas always yields better results. |
It is often difficult to pinpoint or relocate the exact location of the micro wrecks without expensive equipment, but I have found that by anchoring as near to where the GPS says it is, you can fan cast and find your target again and again. If you have enough rope, you can double anchor and usually pull yourself right on top or at least as close as possible to the structure. If your rig gets hung up on the wreck, while you’re trying to get free, motor back ahead of the snag and drop an anchor while taking notice of your drift. Again, you can adjust your direction and throw a second anchor or hook and pull yourself on top of the wreck with a little practice. Have a little patience and let things settle down for a few minutes before deciding whether to actively fish or leave the area. A hole or depression can also have a micro wreck effect. Depressions offer shade and cover and a small temperature difference, and that’s maybe all it takes to attract and hold a few fish. Large holes can be found on topo maps, but smaller holes must be found. In New York harbor, holes are often left behind by constant scouring. Boats and barges are left anchored or moored for long periods of time. During this time, the current and or tidal flow is slightly deviated downward by the vessel and small holes are scoured out by the hydraulic power of the downward flowing water. These depressions most definitely hold fish that seek the cooler and deeper cover. During the tidal flow these fish get excited by the upwelling of water on the backside of the hole, which brings them food, which in turn jumpstarts the food chain. If you get over one of these depressions with your depth finder, you’ll sometimes see schools of bait and predatory fish swimming in and out of the hole. Drift starting from the up current side and let your baits drop into the hole. If you do not get immediate results, change to a different bait and make a few passes before moving on. Inactive fish will lay motionless at the bottom of these holes to escape the current and can be enticed to strike. They are usually inactive for the reason that they are well fed. If you get a strike, anchor to the side of the hole, cast up current and let your baits work through the hole with as little weight as possible. A small depression offers much for a predatory fish, and such an ambush point makes the hunt for food a breeze. Bars or sandbars are sometimes created and destroyed within one tidal period. As you know, this happens several times a day. Knowing when and where this happens will add to your angling success. As a bar is created, sand, food and debris is deposited and it is this new structure that supplies all the needs of fish, at least temporarily. It is this altering that is attractive and it is never exactly the same each time. One small rock or a slight shift in current can change the shape of a bar drastically. It gets things moving by constantly scouring, upwelling water and exposing food. The same holds true upon its destruction. As a bar is destroyed by the tide, all the microscopic life that was in the sand is set free to attract bait and then larger predators. It is for this reason that fishing bars during tidal change is so important. Two converging currents will also create a bar in the shape of a point or peninsula. These are the places to be when the water is moving heavy. Stripers know and learn to use these areas to seek out clams, crabs, and other life that were once buried but now dislodged for brief periods. An hour or two on either side of the tide is the time to work these points. Keep in mind that the shape of the point is changing rapidly at this time and every few minutes it elongates or shrinks up to several feet depending on whether the tide is coming in or going out. At low tide you can sometimes see the shape of the bar and this always extends out for some distance below the surface. Veteran surf anglers have gotten the knack of this, but from a boat, your perception is a bit skewed and you lack the benefit of being on stable land where you have reference points. It takes a little practice to effectively work a bar from a boat. At any time, every fish has a reason why it is present at a certain location. It doesn’t matter which species you examine. Hungry fish will exploit any opportunity for a free meal, no matter how small. It is a huge advantage to anglers to discover and utilize some of these small worlds with intent and purpose. |
