I was ready for another blustery winter morn, but when I opened the door on Jan 29th, I couldn't believe my eyes; sunny and 64 degrees. Was this a trick from Mother Nature? Who cares! The rest of this week the temps are going to be perfect with upper 60's. Looks like it's time to wipe the dust off of your tackle and hit the water.
Typically, it's a little cooler this time of year, but maybe Mother Nature forgot to buy a new calendar for 2011, and that's fine by me.
Before you rush out to your favorite fishing hole, don't forget the fish will still be in their wintertime mode. Keep your techniques slow and watch the tides, and you'll more than likely have a productive day.
Right now the trout are still on the flats in the upper bay estuaries near the mouth of the rivers. You can find some trout and reds in the ICW and around Big Lagoon, but they are in the deeper holes till the sun comes out and then they will move up on the flats to warm up.
Redfish and trout are tuned in to the tides and they wait for high tide to fill up the flats and let them move up, so they can root out crabs and worms. On the warmer days of winter, fish will lay on the muddy bottom warming themselves. If I see them laying in wait, I'll toss out a jig with a jerk shad and bring it by them slowly, and most of the time it produces a good strike. February is only a few days away, so remember that during February speckled trout is a closed season, but will open back up in March.
If you like sheepshead and black-drum fishing, then February is your time to get your fill. Hit the bridges with live shrimp or small fresh cut shrimp on a #1 Gamakatsu live bait hook on a Carolina rig and hold on. The past few days the sheepshead bite has been off the charts. The bite was so good it felt like it was late March, as late March and early April are typically the best time for sheepies and black-drum. In the pass, stop over at the jetties and you'll have some fun with sheepshead, drum (both red and black), and even a few black snapper to fill in the mix.
Spring break is right around the corner, and that means warmer temperatures, big sheepshead, hard fighting redfish, and much, much more.
If you're heading down this way during March or April, give me a ring, and let's get you hooked up on the Mega-Bite.
Capt. John
850-341-9816
www.megabiteinshore.com
