Twenty-six honest inches of redfish. It had pushed no visible wake before attacking the lure, in barely 10 inches of water, and generated not so much as a wrinkle on its way out. The bay's top two prizes, redfish and speckled trout, grow to 30-plus inches in length. In that class, each also carries a visible thickness across the back. The deception is not entirely dissimilar that used by magicians to convince audiences that no shapely assistant in a sequined gown could possibly fit into the shallow base beneath an empty cage.
Fish hold the same edge over most fishermen.
As much water could hide twice the fish, actually, so long as its dorsal rested flush to its back. Most waders will not make a serious cast until water covers their knee caps. Truth is, however, that predators will go much shallower to feed. Autumn efforts that concentrate exclusively on shallow water can reap staggering benefits but have their drawbacks. Schools of schoolies hang on the edges of flats, gorging themselves on shrimp and a variety of saltwater whatnots as the tide washes that hodgepodge of forage into the guts.