Big Inshore Fishing in the Smallest of Waterways

The spot was hardly hidden, clear as winter water on Google Earth. The key to this coastal ribbon was knowing about the major stormwater drain tucked at the rear terminus. Places like this are popular hangouts for giant snook that spend the stable periods lounging in the standing water and crushing anything foolish enough to venture into their realm.

Knowing this, Capt. Will Burbach and his buddy cast-netted jumbo mojarra along the mangrove edges, later grabbing each bait as needed and slinging it—with a 7/0 circle hook pinned near its dorsal—deep into the dark passages that transport rain runoff from drainage canals into the adjacent bay. After near misses rendered the first couple of baits unfit for duty, the guide threaded the line deep into the pipe on his next attempt. The mojarra hadn’t had time to dive more than a few inches when the resulting explosion sounded like a wooden paddle cracking the surface.

“That’s one of the giants!” proclaimed Burbach, who after a couple of minutes of rod-testing strain and teeth-clenching resolve, brought a 17-pound snook to the landing net.

LIMITED ACCESS

Similar opportunities with linesiders and a range of other species—including redfish, speckled trout, flounder, black drum, tarpon and more—exist throughout the South, where rather modest waterbodies, anything from a natural creek or bayou to a man-made canal or even a tiny marsh drain, often afford big opportunities for anglers willing to explore the roads less travelled.

These are not the places for a deep-drafting center console. Some won’t even accommodate a bay boat without its hull dragging and squeaking its way in and out. Many of the waterways I’m referring to are best fished on a skinny-water skiff, a canoe or a kayak. Only such slender, high-floating watercrafts can slide across treacherously shallow spots and sneak past canopies of overhanging branches and the encroaching mangrove roots, oyster bars and other protrusions that often constrict already-narrow passages to well-guarded sweet spots even further.

THE RIGHT APPROACH

Curiosity and a sense of adventure naturally draw some us to search for such hidden gems, and sometimes it’s high winds and inclement weather that practically force us into small waters to seek shelter. But I suspect the growing fishing pressure on many of our favorite spots is frequently the real motivation for exploring diminutive waterways where the topography itself takes care of the crowd control, and less-educated fish—often of above-average size—provide a welcome bonus.

Of course, nothing’s a “gimme” in fishing, so your results and sometimes even your safety depend on playing a smart game. Instead of powering into these alluring but cramped waters with your outboard, it’s best to opt for a push pole, a paddle, or controlled drifts aided by a trolling motor. Such slower, stealthier forms of propulsion won’t send an advanced warning signal to the local residents and will prevent perilous encounters with low-hanging tree branches and submerged obstructions.

TOP CONDITIONS AND TIDES

The warmer months tend to produce better morning and afternoon action, with most fish spending the midday hours tucked into shadowy hangouts. During cold periods, however, the best bites usually occur after the sun has warmed the water for a few hours.

It’s worth noting that any prominent oyster mounds, rock piles or man-made hard structure will absorb and then radiate solar warmth, serving as a space heater on chilly days.

Incoming tides tend to widen and deepen small waterways, facilitating travel and also bringing shallow, rocky, oyster-crusted or vegetated points and edges into play. The downside, however, is that fish will follow the rising water—and the baitfish—under overhangs and into cover, making them more difficult to target.

By contrast, falling tides flush forage out of cover, and gamefish cash in by repositioning to pinch points and strategic locations like creek bends, points and submerged structure, where they can wait in ambush shielded from the current’s brunt.

Prey hides when hungry mouths abound, but once the tide drops beyond a certain point, low water can show you what’s on the menu for the local gamefish. That’s when you’ll see the resident forage leisurely enjoying the predator-free period.

SEASONAL MENU

Throughout the upper Gulf, fall shrimp runs can ignite every creek, cut and marsh drain when the crustaceans head toward open water. Alabama Capt. Charlie White, who spends a lot of time fishing the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta’s many tributaries, says falling tides in autumn draw redfish and trout looking for shrimp and juvenile menhaden. Of course, fiddler crabs are present on muddy banks year-round, blue crabs are particularly abundant from May through October, and spring and late summer often bring an influx of mullet into small waters. And as long as the water remains warm enough, a number of other baitfish, including pinfish, killifish (aka cocahoe or mangrove minnows), pogies (menhaden), sardines and others, will also tempt gamefish throughout the year.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR

As you explore small waterways, be sure to keep an eye out for the following key features:

• Straightaways and Winding Waters: Both hold active fish, but Florida captain C.A. Richardson says the latter really shines on slow-tide days. Periods of little tidal fluctuation and water movement don’t inspire feeding activity, but in places where the water funnels through twists and turns, it gains momentum and creates a more attractive eatery.
• Deep Spots: From tidal cuts to creek bends and dump holes (deeper spots outside creek mouths), depth is valuable currency in small-water scenarios, as they offer fish safety, comfort, temperature moderation and ambush spots.
• Intersections and Cul-de-sacs: Creek intersections are always worth checking out, says Richardson. “When the water’s pulling out of the trees, fish like to sit in the middle,” he says. He also favors what he calls “cul-de-sacs,” where a creek ends in a broad, open area where fish can stage and pick from the available meals, like in a mall food court.
• Inner Sanctums: Most kayakers and canoers know that many canopied, tidal creeks—barely big enough to wade and portage a paddle craft—emerge into open lagoons, many of which are brimming with snook, redfish and juvenile tarpon. Likewise, residential areas often have narrow canals leading to protected lagoons or basins surrounded by waterfront homes with docks, seawalls, overhanging trees and other features of interest to both fish and anglers.
• Fish Magnets: Look for spots that divert the current, congregate forage and provide ambush positions. Think sandbars, blow-down trees, stumps, energy-industry structures, rocks and what Richardson calls “mother-in-law” islets: small, isolated formations of dry land, mangroves or grass sitting off the edge of a primary shoreline.
• Available Forage: A school of baitfish dimpling the surface, twinkling pods of pinfish closer to the bottom, blue crabs swimming out with the tide and fiddler crab colonies blanketing a bank or bar are all signs that a creek, bayou or drain has the groceries to attract hungry predators. Larger mullet are especially welcome, as their noisy rumblings can help mask a boat’s presence.
• Recent Departures: Known as “dust-offs,” sudden clouds of bottom sediment indicate a departing fish. They confirm that gamefish are indeed present and tell you that you should slow down, be as quiet as possible and look for fish while you blind-cast to likely areas.

TOP TACTICS

To succeed in small waters, Richardson stresses the importance of combining a quick response with stealthy presentations to maximize short-lived chances. Unlike open bays and flats where you might spot fish well beyond casting distance and set up a wind drift or intercepting course, small creeks and backwaters often yield those “Hey, there’s one!” moments that require you to stay alert, control your emotions and make the appropriate delivery quickly.

Lead any moving fish as if it were a stationary target, casting beyond it and bringing the bait or lure past its line of sight. Low, sidearm casts prove invaluable here, as does an underhand pitching-style presentation. Whatever you do, don’t bonk the fish on the head or land your offering so loudly that it sends ’em all packing.

For sight-fishing, a jig or a gold, weedless spoon will promote a quick and accurate delivery. When you’re prospecting, alternate between a topwater, a spinnerbait and a swimbait or twitchbait, and periodically switch to a jig-and-paddle tail or Texas-rigged soft plastic.

With marsh grass, Roseau cane, mangrove roots and matted vegetation present in many small, salty or brackish waterways, flipping and pitching Texas-rigged craws and creature baits into the cover can also get the job done.

A neat trick I learned from Capt. Anthony Randazzo of Venice, La., has proven useful when the tide is high and redfish are running close to the edges of a narrow creek or bayou. Known as “banging the banks,” the technique entails casting a spinnerbait up onto the mud and immediately beginning the retrieve to simulate a fleeing crab. The same principle can be applied with other artificials to mimic a specimen of the prevalent forage—be it a baitfish or crustacean—trying to evade a predator.

As the tide falls, the water is filtered clean of debris and stocked with a crustacean and baitfish buffet. Then, live shrimp or baitfish, cut baits and artificials fished under a popping cork are highly effective for targeting obvious drains and runouts, as well as the deeper zones to which fish will retreat.

There’s probably no simpler alternative than a shrimp rigged on a jig head, which South Florida captain Rick Stanczyk uses in various small backwaters of Everglades National Park. You have to be careful where you toss this open-hook offering, but in the right areas, the bait doesn’t last long.

TIGHT QUARTERS

Fishing small waters often means you have limited casting room. It’s not always a tuck-in-your-elbows kinda deal, but even with a couple of boat widths of space, adjustments are necessary.

In certain creeks and canals, you’ll occasionally pass small drains and runouts that are too narrow to access, but deep enough to hold big fish. The confines or obstructing vegetation may preclude a traditional or even a line-drive type of cast. So “shoot” your bait in there, emulating a crappie fishing tactic that employs spinning gear and archery-like dynamics to send a bait under docks.

The procedure requires you to open the bail, let the bait fall to about reel level, then pinch the line against the rod butt. Next, you grip the bait by the bend of the hook with your free hand, hold the rod horizontally with the other and point the tip at your target. Lastly, pull the bait backward to load the rod, then release the bait and the line for a pinpoint delivery.

When it comes time to fight a hooked fish, it’s best to keep the rod low and the heat on throughout the battle, using the down-and-dirty technique of dipping the tip in the water and keeping the fish on a short leash to steer it away from entanglements and prevent break-offs.

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• This article was featured in the November 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.

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