Saturation Fishing

The first step in getting a trout to strike is to get the bait or lure in front of the fish. If the fish can’t see, smell, hear or otherwise detect the bait, it won’t strike.
Presentation of the bait can be relatively easy. This most evident in the smaller native brook trout streams and smallest tributaries of other trout waters. These brooks are a step across. The trout are obviously in the larger holes. A blind man could recognize where the trout will be. As long as you can swing the bait without spooking fish, every fish in the pool will see your offering. A few casts will cover the largest pool in one of these streams.

Even a casual fisherman will get 100% presentation to the fish in a brook. It will be up to the fish whether to hit or not. If they decide against your offering, move on and leave that pool for the next visit.

Now let’s move from a 4-foot wide stream to one that averages 8 to 12 feet across. This won’t make saturation presentation to all the fish much more difficult. The stream is two to three times wider than a brook, but the holding water is just as easy to recognize. It may take a few more casts to cover every nook and cranny, but it is an easy matter to do so.

A lot of wider streams, say 20 or more feet across, will simply be wider versions of the 8 to 12 foot wide creeks. The water isn’t too deep. Except for an occasional bend or undercut that is much deeper than most of the stream, these streams ­ again ­ simply take a few more casts to reach all the fish with your presentation.

Now let’s begin to complicate things.

At this point, the waters we’ve discussed are relatively shallow. The pools are not so deep to create difficulty in reaching fish settled in them.

But we are beginning to get to where depth is as much a factor as width. As the depth of a stream becomes greater, presenting the bait to all the fish in the pools becomes a real chore. At times, it can be virtually impossible to do so.

The deeper pools in gin-clear water are more forgiving in presentation. You don’t have to be touching the trout’s snout for them to be aware of the bait or lure. They’ll see the bait, overhead half a dozen feet or a dozen feet to the side. They may not want to move that far to feed, but they see the bait and will at least consider whether to hit or not.

Anything that lessens the trout’s ability to see will complicate the presentation. Limestone streams are milky. Farmland creeks often carry silt and clay particulates. Any creek can become an opaque with mud during or after a rain or runoff from melting snow. Even the lessening of light toward dusk is a factor.

Cut the visibility in half and the fisherman will have to make twice as many casts to cover the same surface of water effectively. Consider depth and you may have to cover that area multiple times, delivering the bait to various depths.

How do you effectively cover a large pool?

Many of us make numerous casts at the head of the pool and allow the bait to work down through the length of the water. In most cases, this only covers some of the pool. Fast current between you and the far side of the pool will sweep the bait towards you.

How do you reach the far side of the pool with the bait? A lot of the time, wading across to the other side is the best way. Rather than fighting the water with long casts, move and work with more manageable shorter casts.
If repositioning isn’t practical, then give line out for live bait or reel slower for artificials to keep the presentation on the far side as much as possible. Going deeper to reach holding water under a fast glide can be even tougher.

A bait fisherman can simply put on a heavier split-shot or sinker. If using artificials, a larger (and heavier) lure, a weighted fly can be a great help. And like bait, artificials can be used with a weight in front of them.

Savvy fishermen will put weight on and off their line as they systematically reach all areas of a large hole.

Another trick for additional depth is to cast further upstream and allow the bait to sink deeper before reaching the water you want to reach.

I had just mentioned a systematic reaching of all areas of a large hole. Anyone can cast haphazardly and catch fish. The best fishermen will have a more studied approach. They will have a system they follow to ensure maximum results.

Most fishermen will stand in one spot and cast in a fan pattern. Each cast will be a foot or more from the previous. When the fan pattern, from the upstream bank around the the downstream bank is completed, the angler walks downstream a few feet and repeats the procedure. This is a good plan of action.

The angler takes into account water width, water depth and current velocity. He observes indicators of underwater holes, boulders and other holding structure. Taking all this into account, he modifies his fan-approach to best saturate each pool with his presentation. The smart angler doesn’t just watch his fan pattern of casts. He visualizes how his bait works in the current and how he works the line. He then has a better idea of how to reach all sections and depths of the pool.

Remember, the trout will never strike if it doesn’t know your bait is there. You must get it close enough to do some good. If every cast is wisked to the same slot of current, then you’re missing opportunities.

Saturate the water and catch more trout.