Winter is here in south Florida and so are a bunch of new residents. I'm talking about black drum, sheepshead, mackerel, cobia, pompano to name only a few. These fish will be searching for warmer waters which means they will usually be found in deep creeks, grass basins with moving water, rivermouths, and nearshore and offshore. We have been doing good on almost every trip out. Shrimp and jighead or straight up lures like Fishbites have been working very well. I have added popping corks and Cajun thunders for more visible action and even tandem rigs for fishing grass beds. This method usually gets them on the first or second strike.
A great starting point is either Flamingo or Chokoloskee in Everglades National Park. Check your depthfinder and head for the holes. Deeper water usually means warmer temperatures which is conducive to a great bit. And match that with a strong incoming tide and you will have your rod bent all day long. Lostmans, Shark, Chatham River's are all good but so are some of the smaller unnames creeks. Look for bends and turns and drop a fresh shrimp straight to the bottom. Shrimp will turn all of these fish on and maybe even other species like flounder, redfish, and some real nice snook.
Right now the bite is good to excellent in the backcountry. Whitewater Bay has been good on the windy days. In between fronts my float plan is still Florida Bay because of the diversity and style of fishing there. Be prepared for anything during this time of year. The fishing is usually a little more difficult than summer because of reading the changing wind direction and fluctuating temperatures however; it has thus far been a very warm winter.
In Biscayne Bay it has been warm enough for bonefish however; as it gets cooler the bonefishing will be more difficult. The deep channels and cuts always hold fish. Fish early and late for best results. City fish receive a lot of pressure. Pretty soon as we get into late winter I will start to chum up for mackerel in the bay area. This can be a lot of fun.
Capt. Ariel Cabrera
