Fishing Forecasts

Hey, its summer time…. get to the beach! This month pogy pods will be just off the beach with predatory fish in hot pursuit. Sharks, cobia, bull reds, spanish and king macs, giant jacks, bluefish, and one of my favorites the silver king, aka tarpon, will all be crashing the pogy pods in an exciting free-for-all that has to be seen to be believed. A favorite way to fish the pods is to rig a live pogy on a medium to large circle hook. Use about 5 feet of 60-80lb. florocarbon leader then add a splitshot or two a few feet above the hook. This will keep your pogy slightly under the pod and make for an easy lunch for lurking predators. Bring some heavy tackle because you never know what may lie underneath.

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It’s time to dust off your top-water lures this month… The water temp will be on the rise and so will the fish’s appetite. “Walk the dog” style plugs as well as poppers will get both trout and redfish’s attention this month. Remember to let the fish get a good hold of the plug before setting the hook when using top-waters. A premature hook set will send the plug flying right back at the boat and you’ll lose your chance for the fish to strike again. If the fish are short striking switch to a sub-surface plug like a Sebile floating Stick Shadd. We’ve been catching a ton of  big redfish on the Sebile Stick Shadd as of late. It really looks just like an injured finger mullet.

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This winter has served up some really harsh weather conditions… but the fish have still been biting! March is a whole new month and it could be a totally different game weather wise… (or at least we can hope so). Reds should continue to stay schooled up, at least until water temps significantly start to rise and that most likely won’t be until April. Continue to look for reds in shallow areas that have a darker mud or oyster laden bottom. On clear days the sun will warm the water a few degrees in those areas making a great spot for the reds to hang out and warm up a bit. Bait (mullet, minnows, shrimp) will also hold in these “hot” spots and it’s common knowledge that the reds will be in the same areas the bait is. [Read Full Article]

Wow what a difference a year makes! Last year at this time we were talking about how great it was because of the warmer than usual temperatures. This year we’ve just about had to bust out the snow shoes… Global warming huh? Well as much as I don’t like cold weather I love what it does to our redfish. The colder it gets the tighter the reds will be schooled up, usually eagerly awaiting to chew on whatever you toss at them. Even though the cold water seems to fire up the reds there’s a few things you can do that will increase your hookup ratio. A small paddle-tail or soft plastic shrimp like those offered from Fishbite’s are just the right size this time of year. Reds will be looking for tiny shrimp, fiddler crabs, and smaller minnows so try to “match the hatch” as they say. The water should be at it’s clearest this time of year so If you’re fishing shallow go light and use an 1/8 ounce predator style jighead from Slayer Inc.. One reason I prefer to use the Slayer Inc. line of jigheads is because you can get the lighter weight jigs with a strong 4/0 hook. A larger gap hook is key for a solid hookset on a big redfish. Sometimes even an unweighted soft plastic will work best this time of year as the fish will sometimes be a little spooky due to the clear water. At low tide try jigging the deepest creek holes with the above mentioned baits (with a 1/4 or 3/8oz jighead). The fish will stack in these holes, especially during the winter time negative low tides. A negative low tide is a great time to go out and do some scouting as well. You’ll find oyster bars and troughs that you never knew were there. Remember where those oyster bars and darker mud bottom areas are. That way when you go back at a higher tide stage you know where to make a cast to. Redfish will be looking for areas like that to warm up on cold winter days and the warmer they are the more likely they’ll be to feed on whatever you’re tossing at them.

January was a good month for black drum and sheepshead and it should continue to be good through February. A piece of fresh dead shrimp on a smaller circle hook or jighead is the go-to bait for the drum. The pinfish have sometimes been relentless this past month, stealing the shrimp before it even reaches the bottom. A few other baits that get a drums attention and seem to last a little longer on the bottom are clams, oyster crabs, or Fishbites Fish’n strips. The low end of the tide seems to be best and the deeper the creek hole the better. Fiddler crabs will also get a drums attention but are really candy for sheepshead. Some lunker sized sheepies will come from the Bridge of Lions and the St. Augustine and Matanzas inlets this month. Try fishing the slack tides as it will make it easier to feel the toothy critters slurp up your bait.

As long as it doesn’t get too cold the trout should still be lurking along the ICW edges, creek mouths, and just about anywhere with moving water. If you find one there will likely be more in the same spot. Small jigs and the good ‘ol live shrimp under a popping cork should make for some steady action… just remember trout season is closed this month so it’s catch and release only until March. I was lucky enough to be on the water just about everyday this past month and didn’t see many frozen snook floating around… after what seemed like one of the best summers (2009) in recent history for snook in our region lets hope they made a mad dash for warmer water.

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!

With water temperatures on the fall this month look for sight-fishing opportunities to rise… For me the next few months are the most exciting time of year to target reds on the flats. As the water drops into the low 60’s our water, especially the south part of our region, will really start to clear up. Fish will be hanging in the cleaner waters of our flats and creeks looking to warm up on sunny winter days. Look for darker mud and oyster-laden bottom to be holding redfish, trout, and flounder. These areas will warm up faster than others on sunny days…. a few degrees can really make a difference. Take the time to scout out these “hot spots” on a good low tide.

Another benefit of dropping water temps is the redfish will start schooling on the flats. Locate these fish from a distance by looking for “muds” (discolored muddy water) and/or pushing wakes made by moving fish. After getting close enough to see them in the water always try to cast to lead fish, he’s usually the biggest. Redfish singles and doubles can also be found sunning themselves in the shallows this time of year. These fish will be lazy so make sure to present you bait in a slow methodical manner. When I spot a stationary fish I like to cast long of him and at least a few feet to either the left or right of the fish depending on which way he’s facing. Then work the bait slowly back to where the fish is (this will help to not spook the fish). Once you think the fish might be in striking range of your bait you’ll have to choose to either leave the bait sit (this will work well while using live bait or a scented soft plastic like a Fishbite’s Xtreme shrimp) or to give it a very slight twitch. Some days they like it moving and some days they like it sitting still.

Smaller reds as well as trout and flounder will be schooled up in area creek holes. A live shrimp or mud minnow tossed into the depths can’t be beat. If throwing artificials is your thing try to downsize your baits in these colder months. A Fishbite’s shrimp or paddle tail paired with a Slayer Inc. jighead will be deadly! White and chartreuse are always favorite winter colors. Sheepshead fishing should start to pick up considerably this month. Target area bridges, docks, and pilings with fiddler crabs to catch the tasty porgies. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good bite!