Exploration fishing
The large sandy beaches may be the least attractive, but despite the lack of structure, some of them can be excellent, as they are close to areas where sea bass live and regularly come to feed, depending on the season. You'll need to know the right season to go there to catch them at the right time.
In the absence of bird activity and structure, you'll have to beat the ground to find the bass. Other anglers prefer to stay in one spot and wait for the fish to pass. These are two distinct approaches.
It's a fast-paced fishery, where you move around looking for the sea bass that occasionally pass by these beaches in search of food.
With a little knowledge, you'll eventually see that bass often pass by the same spots, because even if the bottom seems uniform, there are variations in depth, even slight ones, or a slightly different nature of the bottom or something that concentrates the fish in certain areas. These are the areas where bass prey are found, and where you need to fish. Only experience will enable you to find these more favorable areas, which can change from one year to the next.
Of course, the slightest change will be a place to insist on. Like a moray or surface current, waves that break differently, a change in bottom color. These positions or clues can allow us to insist on these more favorable zones.
Fishing specific spots
Other beaches will be dotted with a few rocks, or will feature seagrass/seaweed beds, or other structures that will inevitably be key positions where bass prey will be found.
Depending on the tide and, above all, the height of the water, these structures will be covered or uncovered by the flow, attracting prey and predators on certain days.
You'll need to focus on these well-marked positions, which, as you'll see, will certainly be where you'll be regularly taking sea bass on this beach.
Areas of mixed environment are also always good spots, as sea bass are predators that hunt by stalking, but also sometimes chase their prey, especially when in shoals. Any change in bottom color is therefore a good place to wait for prey.
It could be a small sandbank amidst seaweed, or conversely a clump of seaweed in the middle of a large sandy area.
Sight fishing on the beach
On certain beaches and under certain conditions, especially when the water is clear and windless (or protected from prevailing winds), visibility can be excellent, allowing sight fishing.
In this case, one or more marauding bass can be spotted, often moving quickly in search of forage fish and other prey.
Fishing is therefore done by sight, observing the movements of the fish on the bottom, a bit like fishing for bonefish on the flats in "exotic"!
Sea bass can be found in very little water, even on beaches, whether in the surf or just a few meters from the shore where food will be present.
Catching them on sight in these conditions is always very pleasant and offers great adrenaline rushes. However, you'll need the right size/color of fly to catch these sometimes selective bass. In fact, they regularly refuse our flies if they don't match the prey of the moment. It's a fishery that's rarely practised, as all the parameters have to be right for it to take place, but when it does, it's a real treat!
In terms of flies, don't hesitate to change regularly to find what works best. As you'll see, if you're sight fishing, refusals are commonplace, which also tells us that you need to change flies often, or at least find the right color and size for the day!
By observing the prey present (shrimps, smelts, sandeels, sprats, small sardines, etc.) you can also find leads. In the absence of a bite, you'll often have to go back to basic patterns. A 10/12 cm fly with a green, blue or tan back is often effective in this type of environment.
