How to: Reading the water

[surfstix1963]

Sandbars are pretty easy to see whats going on especially when you have waves.

A wave only breaks over shallow water.

Where it starts to form is the outer bar(deep water)

When it starts to form it is going over the sandbar(lower water).

Where it actually breaks is called the slough or trough. The wave dies down because it is coming back to deep water.

Thats the area between the beach and where the wave broke. Most of the fish are going to be right in front of the inside of the bar.

If you think about the least turbulent place for the fish to hold and feed on bait being washed over the bar, its where the wave just lifted and broke right over their heads.

Its really important to try to cast over the outer bar and work it slowly over the bar. When it comes over the bar this is where you need to pay close attention to the plug.

Keep it working but don't get caught up in the wave.

Try to follow the backside of the wave so your plug doesn't tumble and you lose control of it.

Waves usually come in sets.
Try and count them to get some insight on how the sets are coming in.
If you figure that you will have some time to work your plug w/o wave interference there should be nice foamy water. Always try to cast to the backside of an incoming wave.

Then you have cuts in the bar.
Watch the waves break. There will be areas where the wave is not breaking. This is a cut. This is the fishes hwy.

From outside the bar to the inside is where they can search for food. It is basically just a deep pocket of water in the sandbar the fish use because they can't get over the shallow sandbar.

Like I said most of the bait is being washed over the bar into the slough.I hope this made sense because I kind of got lost in my words.