Jackson: Finding fish with the help of feathered friends
I definitely remember the first time I witnessed a massive flight of shore and sea birds using their "dive bombing" skills.
These winged creatures used their keen eyesight to spot surface activity in the Florida Keys. Usually it meant there were pods of bait fish on the surface or leftover pieces of a meal that ultimately became easy pickings for the crusing birds to gulp down.
I've seen that happen on Lake Michigan as well as a half-dozen other inland lakes.
Smart anglers know how to play the game, especially at this time of the year before the annual ice encapsulation. In reality, the game can be tilted your way at just about any time of time year.
I'm facing a sad fact now. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy ice fishing, but if push comes to shove, give me a warm, cloudy day on a lake with great weed lines and a great potential of smallmouth and largemouth bass.
On the other hand, scads of fishermen have decided to stow their gear until spring. On the bright side, it also means you will have more room to navigate around your favorite lake or river spots.
The fish are waiting, but locating them is not the easiest task in the world. If you don't mind a sharp wind attacking your face and hands, your boat can take you to the honey spots if you do it right.
This is the time of the year when lake hanger-oners like sea gulls and a few other avian species are kind enough to help us when we search for suspended fish.
Take west Loon Lake, for example.
The gulls are crafty hunters in their search for baitfish, minnows, or injured pan fish. Their eyes are so sharp that gulls can spot wounded fish from a good distance well above the surface action.
Acting on advice from friend and guide Billy Heim, I sat on Loon's calm water on a recent afternoon watching the sky. And then a flock of sea gulls arrived and skimmed the surface of the water. The minnow massacre went into high gear with gulls grabbing they silver morsels.
The baitfish saga started when suspended game fish forced schools of minnows to the surface. In this case, ravenous largemouth bass were the motivating element.
So now there were two forces working in cahoots to satiate hunger pangs forced on them by Mother Nature's inherent call of the wild.
I slowly motored over to the area, not too close mind you, and flipped a Husky Jerk Rapala into the melee. I did the same thing a long time ago in the Florida Keys when I saw surface water boiling near one of the causeways. The birds were dipping down into the water to grab mullet and pinfish that were pushed to the surface by a school of tarpon.
Billie Heim was spot on with his instruction regarding this situation.
I immediately had a strike and boated a 2-pound largemouth. The action continued for several minutes as the diving birds and I battled for the best position to hook and land some bass.
Five fish later I decided I had enough.
Over the past 20 years I've had a lot of birds signal to me they were determined to fill their gullets, but I chose to ignore their "help" and followed my own instincts.
I suggest you carefully watch for circling birds when visiting on your favorite lake. Their presence could help you turn a so-so fishing day into something more rewarding.
• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (live-streamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.