Flats fishing is a method of fishing where anglers target species of fish specifically in shallow, saltwater bodies of water.

History

While fishing shallow areas is not a modern invention, flats fishing as it is known today was developed in the 1940s in Florida and the Bahamas. As this style of fishing has gained popularity, so has its exposure in fishing related media. One example includes a flats fishing specific television series, ''Flats Class'', created by

World Fishing Network World Fishing Network (WFN) is an American television network, which offers online and mobile platform dedicated exclusively to fishing. Based on the Canadian television network of the same name. The network's programming covers instruction, t ...

Methods

Fishing on flats is often done with baits, lures or light spinning tackle, or by

fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly diffe ...

. Weather changes, such as barometric pressure and ambient temperature may affect anglers' success due to effects weather has on fish feeding patterns and tide levels. Other factors contributing to an anglers success in catching fish may include sunlight and wind. Flats fishing can be done by wading, form various types of boats including

flats boat Flats boats are a category of boat designed primarily for fishing in protected, shallow water areas often referred to as "flats" by anglers. While the name may be misconstrued to mean the boat hull is flat, this is not generally the case and in ...

s designed primarily for the activity or other watercraft such as micro-

skiff A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have devel ...

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

s, and paddle boards, making it accessible to a wide variety of anglers. Some anglers may choose to hire fishing

guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Expl ...

s who are knowledgeable about the local

fishing ground Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

s and feeding patterns. The increase in popularity of flats fishing as a destination activity has created additional job opportunities for fishing guides in some destinations. When flats fishing from a boat, a guide or other angler may stand on a "poling platform" at the stern of the boat and use a pole to guide the boat (by pushing against the sea floor) as silently as possible toward fish, which are easier to spot from the platform due to its elevation above the water.

Locations

Flats fishing is a popular type of fishing in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

particularly, which is known for its large variety of flats fish species. Anglers may also travel to destinations to fish on the flats and perhaps especially destinations known for a certain species, such as

bonefish The bonefish (''Albula vulpes'') is the type species of the bonefish family (Albulidae), the only family in order Albuliformes. History Bonefish were once believed to be a single species with a global distribution, however 9 different species ...

Andros Island Andros Island is an archipelago within the Bahamas, the largest of the Bahamian Islands. Politically considered a single island, Andros in total has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined. The land area of Andros consis ...

the Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

. While other locations such as

Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...

may be considered iconic destinations for traveling anglers as well, flats fishing techniques have been employed in diverse areas of the world outside of its original heritage by both local and traveling anglers.

Targeted species

Fish species often targeted in the United States include

redfish Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to certain deep-sea rockfish in the genus ''Sebastes'', red drum from the genus ''Sciaenops'' or the reef dwelling snappers in the genus ''Lutjanus''. It is also app ...

snook Snook, Snooks, or Snoek may refer to: Fishes * Family Centropomidae (snooks) ** Common snook * Family Esocidae (pikes) ** '' Haplochromis insidiae'' ** Northern pike * Family Gempylidae (snake mackerels) ** Blacksail snake mackerel or black ...

, juvenile tarpon, bonefish, permit, pompano, sea trout and others. Larger

gamefish Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commerciall ...

such as

marlin Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deri ...

may be targeted in some locations. Some species such as bonefish may be regulated for

catch and release Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture, often a fast measurement and weighing of the fish is performed, followed by posed photography as proof of the catch, and then the fish are unhooked and returned ...

fishing only.

References

{{reflist Angling Fishing techniques and methods