A rip channel is a deeper area between coast and bar, or an underwater groove of a significant depth. A rip channel usually has a dark bottom shaped by rocks and bladder wrack, but it can also consist of pure sand or gravel. You can’t avoid finding these rip channels on the coast, since they are some of the most common bottom conditions in Danish waters. The size of a rip channel varies greatly. Even the smallest rip channels, only a few meters wide, can contain many fish. The sea trout swims around these rip channels to hunt for food. In line with the tide, the fish cross the bars to reach the rip channel that’s closest to land, since that often contains the most food options.
This aquatic plant functions as a brilliant hiding place for the small food options, and simultaneously they oxidize the water around them, which provides small fish, shrimp, and sand hoppers with good living conditions. The eelgrass is also used as a resting place for the sea trout when it migrates along the coasts and particularly in late fall when the trout are headed for the river.
Along with the eelgrass, bladder wrack is the most prevalent aquatic plant along the Danish shores. This seaweed attaches itself to smooth surfaces such as rocks, gravel, and other variations on the bottom. The bladder wrack is a good hiding place for food options and fish. Bottom conditions with bladder wrack are good indicators of fish being nearby.
The muddy and soft bottoms are often found in inlets, fjords, and brackish areas where outflow from rivers or drainage canals has transported sediment for many years. At the right times of year, these areas offer some fantastic fishing. From late fall till spring, the soft bottoms tend to be where the sea trout, for instance, can easily find food such as bristle worm, goby, and shrimp, since this type of bottom is a good heat insulator during winter.
In deep water fishing spots, variety abounds – both in terms of fish and types of fishing. In summer, the deep water can be several degrees colder than the shallow, coastal water. This may attract predatory fish that prefer the cold water. In winter, a similar situation is in play, since the deep water is warmer than the surface water.
A fishing spot with current and good water flow is always a magnet during the warm months, when spots of this type will be rich in oxygen. Current water contains many food options that ride the current and thus attract the predatory fish. Current water can be good year round and particularly in combination with reefs, points, and banks.