Fishing Forecast, Northeast Florida

The early bird doesn’t always get the worm… January is one of my favorite months to fish and being able to sleep in a little longer than usual (especially when it’s cold) can be nice. There’s no need to get on the water super early this month as the fish will be chewing better after the sun gets up and the flats start to warm up a bit. A mid-day low tide this time of year is a Northeast Florida angler’s dream come true. Redfish will be schooled up and low tide is the easiest time to find them. This is the time of year that I always hear people saying “I wish my boat would float shallower or, I wish I could push-pole my boat”. This is because you can take a shallow water skiff deep into the creeks and flats on the low tide stages and have your way with large schools of feeding redfish. Look for flats with dark colored bottoms and creeks with an abundance of oyster bars. One of my favorite areas this time of year is the flats on the west side of the ICW in St. Augustine from the 312 bridge to just south of Devils Elbow Fish Camp. Redfish love those areas because they warm up faster than others and tend to hold more bait for them to snack on. Typically the water is pretty clear right now so you’ll be able to see the fish but you can also locate them by looking for “muds” or small fleeing baitfish and shrimp. Don’t worry if you don’t own a super shallow water skiff, these fish are still accessible. Most larger creeks in the area have small “flats” on their banks on extreme winter low tides. Slowly use the trolling motor to work as far back as possible in the creeks while eyeing the banks for cruising reds.

An inexpensive way to improve your sight-fishing prose is to buy a step ladder and bring it out on the boat. Paired with a good pair of polarized sunglasses this will give you a huge advantage. Some redfish tour anglers are actually using 10 foot ladders with great success (just make sure you have some decent balance if you try this one). My favorite baits this month are small soft plastics like a Fishbites Xtreme paddle tail or a live shrimp both paired with an 1/8 ounce Slayer Inc. jighead. The reason I prefer the 1/8 ounce or even a 1/16 ounce jig is they make less splash when casted and with the clear water we have right now our reds can get a little spooky. This is also a great time of year to bust out the long (fly) rod. Many a redfish and even a few sheepshead will fall to small shrimp and crab flies. Being able to see the fish before you cast makes fly fishing that much more exciting and rewarding.

Black drum should be a good bet this month in the deeper creek and ICW holes. Fresh dead shrimp or sometimes even better, a fiddler crab fished on the bottom will do the trick. Speaking of fiddler crabs, the sheepshead bite should continue to be good through the next few months. Target area bridges and pilings with fiddlers, oyster crabs, or small shrimp. If you’re feeling a little more sporty look for sheepies on the flats feeding on oyster bars. It seems like sometimes every oyster bar you pass by this time of year will have a few munching away just waiting to be caught. Have a safe and happy New Year!