Well folks like most of you I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of Spring. As if you have not heard yet our area of Crystal River and Homosassa has been battered by one of the longest, most brutal cold snaps our area has seen in years. To make matters worse our area even experienced a little snow flurry the other day!!! Snow!! That's right snow (must be global warming). But all weather reports are showing that the end is near, WE WILL BE BACK INTO THE 70'S BY THE WEEKEND!
On a brighter note, the fish are still swimming, there have been NO! reports of any fish kills due to the weather and during my last few fishing charters I have seen major schools of fish balled up in many of the areas springs, holes, and warmer water areas. With very little rain and hardly any fishing pressure for the last few weeks these major schools of fish are going to be looking for some serious forage during the next couple of days/weeks. With weather reports looking as if we will see some 70 degree temperatures again now is a great time to target some of these giant schools of fish.
As you can imagine most of our fish will be a little shell shocked at first, but some of the heartier fish like the Redfish, Black Drum, Sheephead, Sharks, and Permit should be fairly plentiful and easy targets for savvy anglers. The trick now is to be patient!!! Most fish will be moving very lethargically so therefore slower bait retrievals and longer soak times for your baits are necessary. As I stated before most fish will be in large schools so if you do not find any luck with in a few casts keep on moving.
Although this is a tough time of year for most fishing styles now is prime time to target tailing Redfish and massive schools of Sheephead. With colder water temps most Redfish seek shallower areas of grass which warms faster with the hot Florida sun. When chasing tailing Reds I prefer the poling and stalking method for chasing the sometimes skittish January Redfish. I have added 2 stealthy flats boats to my arsenal and both are made for poling the extreme shallows of our area. My Maverick HPX drafts less than 6 inches of water and is an unbelievable boat for getting back into many of the rocky creeks and coves where these Reds will be hiding. Because this boat drafts such shallow water there are not many areas where these Reds can hide. Casting shrimp, or jigs has worked the best but the subtle lay over of a fly has also done real well.
Although the Redfishing has been Great, the impending Sheephead bite will be even better. During this time of year many Sheephead venture to areas of rock and areas with tons of crab to lay there eggs. Oysterbars, rock flats, and rocky ledges tend to be the most productive and hold the most fish. Because our local waters are so clear this time of year sight casting to these huge schools of sheephead is a great way to catch these tasty fish. I like poling my ActionCraft around many of the oysterbars and rock outcroppings while my clients pitch live shrimp or pieces of crab at these fish. The key is when one sheephead is spotted throw as many rods as possible in the same general area. In the summer time these fish tend to be loners, but during the winter schools of 30-50 fish are not uncommon.
So if your interested in checking out some Awesome January fishing, now is a great time to book a trip. Don't let the weather scare you! The fishing can still be extremely productive even when it's cold. Keep in mind we ask for weather like this in Septemeber and in January we ask for weather like September. As a Floridian we are spoiled with great weather.
So if long drag screaming runs and unforgettable fights will help cure that case of Cabin Fever, give Red Hot Fishing Charters a call today.
Capt. Kyle Messier
(352) 634-4002
kylemessier@yahoo.com
WWW.REDHOTFISHINGCHARTERS.COM
