What To Wear:

Fishing on the flats can be a physically grueling experience when the sun is out and the temperatures climb into the nineties. It is essential to protect your skin from the sun and to guard against dehydration.

You must liberally use a waterproof sunscreen to protect your skin against the harmful rays of the sun. Be sure to cover any exposed areas before you leave the dock and reapply often during the course of the day. Attention should also be given to rinse the sunscreen of your hands before handling any tackle or gear.

Proper clothing also adds in sun protection for you skin while also guarding against heat exhaustion. Always wear light, loose fitting clothing that breathes well yet protects you from the elements. Light colors are best. Light colored clothing helps dissipate the sun's heat and also makes the angler less visible to the fish. Dark colored clothing creates a stark contrast between the angler and the sky that the fish can easily key on.

A lightweight hat that will help shield the sun's rays from your eyes is also a vital element when fishing the flats and shallow waters. A dark brimmed hat will prevent light from reflecting in your eyes and help you spot fish more accurately. If your favorite hat has a light colored brim you can darken it with black liquid shoe polish to improve its effectiveness.

The most important accessory for fishing is undoubtedly polarized sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses eliminate surface glare and are vital in spotting fish. They come in a variety of styles and shades. Most anglers agree that the best shade is a amber hue that builds contrast. Some people find this shade too bright on sunny days, so it is best if you experiment with various combinations to find out which works best for you. Experienced anglers often have several pairs of sunglasses in various hues to match different conditions.

The Clock System:

Proper communication is essential when sight fishing the flats. You need to be able to accurately communicate to your partners in the boat exactly where the fish are. An accurate method of communicating a fish's location has been developed through the years by Florida Keys guides and is still used today.

This simple yet effective technique assigns the hour points of a clock to the layout of the boat. For example, the front or bow of the boat where the caster stands is always twelve o'clock. The stern or back of the boat is six o'clock. The remaining positions are relative to these two points just as the face of a clock. These are fixed references to the boat and never change.

In actuality this technique is simply done by calling out the fish's location and distance. Let's say you spot a bonefish while poling a flat. You simply call out his position to your partner by saying, "Bonefish! One o'clock forty feet away. Moving to your right!" Your partner now instantly has a mental idea where the fish is and can usually quickly zero in on his location.

There are times when your guide or partner spots a fish that you cannot see. Depending on the situation you might have to trust your partner's judgment and blindly cast to the fish by following his description. Your friend may quickly become your very best friend when his call accurately leads you to a fish!