Using Birds to Find Fish
If you’re an angler, you probably spend a lot of time in your boat looking for fish. But maybe what you really should be looking for are birds.
Seabirds are like nature’s fishfinder. They want to catch fish even more than you do. After all, their lives depend on it. And they’re equipped with great natural fish-finding gifts. They can fly, so they can look for fish from the best possible vantage point – from above. They also have exceptionally great eye sight for spotting fish.
Because of this, smart fishermen can use seabirds such as cormorants, seagulls and even herons to help them find fish.
When you spot a flock of birds hovering above the water, chances are they are there to feed on baitfish. Those baitfish that they’re after are likely being chased to the surface from below by predators such as striped bass. Where you see birds, you’ll likely find baitfish. And where you find baitfish, you’ll almost always find sportfish such as stripers.
Birds can also help you find fish when they’re not in the midst of a feeding frenzy. A less obvious sign is when you see a group of them not eating, but hanging out on the water or along the shoreline. That doesn’t necessarily mean there are no baitfish in the area. It could be these birds are resting after gorging themselves on baitfish before you got there. They’re likely there for a reason, so it’s worth casting in the area to see if anything bites.
