It's February and the weather is gorgeous. I don't know about the rest of the anglers in our area but January for me always seems to be the toughest fishing month of the year. Now I know a lot of you caught fish last month. To be honest We did have 1 great day last month (note I said one). We had an afternoon about a week after the big water temp drop where we caught 19 Reds on the fly, but all the north winds super low tides along with crazy inconsistent water temps usually make for tough fishing. Enough about the weather, lets talk fishing.
If you've been lucky enough to get on the water recently. You surely noticed the warmer water temps and the increase in hungry fish. Lets start with our most reliable fish. Sea trout, I know lots of you have had luck with blues, mackerel or a variety of other species. I call those the grab bag fish. Back to trout, you can always check out your favorite trout holes.
If the fish aren't playing nice. Try slow drifting over a healthy turtle grass bottom in 4-6 feet of water. Keep blind casting around the edges of depth changes or pot holes. When the strikes start to increase drop anchor and work the area until the bites slow down. Pull anchor and repeat . Don't spend to much time in an area that is only producing a few fish. Trout are least affected by lower water temps, and will almost always eat if you make your presentation at the right depth and speed. The nice thing about trout right now, is they are plentiful and larger trout(20" plus) are making a good showing.
Redfish are starting to show up in small to medium size schools. Fish in water 3-6 feet seem to be the ones that bite the best. A decent number of reds are moving onto the flats. Although they seem to be more interested in warming up rather than feeding. But if you can find them in the shallows and make a long stealthy cast to the business end of resting or slow moving fish. Hang on...Just make sure to keep it slow and give them plenty of time to decide your offering looks tasty.
Snook for the most part have been a little like hens teeth. Now don't get me wrong, I know there are some snook way back in the creeks (mostly small fish). Night fishing is still productive around the lights and docks. On my outings we have had luck with mostly small snook around deeper cuts or where flats drop off into channels.
Last week Aaron Adams from Mote Marine gave another great talk at Charlotte Harbor Fly Fishers fly fishing club. He stated that the fish have been very scattered. Fish were in some back creeks (not as much as past years) but also being caught near barrier island passes. So on my next outing, I thought I would try something a little different. I started poling water that I would normally check in late March or April. WOW!! what a great surprise. For the next few day's we sight fished to 100 plus snook in shallow sandy bottom areas, plus the fish ate flies. As an added bonus, there was quite a few Reds mixed in. So go fish the back creeks if you want but I'm going to stick to those shorelines closer to passes.
The flies we have had success with are crab/shrimp style patterns in brown,green and rusty orange combinations. Also bait fish patterns that mimic pinfish,killifish,gobies or mud minnows. All these patterns work best when fished on or near the bottom. Allow the flies to sink then use short 4-6 inch strips with pauses every few strips.
Artificials that I like this time of year tend to lean towards jig heads(1/8 to 1/4 oz) With soft plastic grub or shrimp style baits (both Gulp and Bass Assassins new blurp have been great producers). My favorite colors are root beer with gold flakes, copper, green and brown. If they don't produce I'll go the other direction and use all white, chartreuse over white or glow white.
Smaller surface plugs or suspending plugs can be good under lower light conditions or where fish are active in warmer water. Just remember what ever you tie on the end of your line. its still spring, morning water temps will be cool and warm as the sun hits climbs the southern sky. With that in mind fish slow, slow and slower.
Enjoy every day on the water. If you can, take a kid fishing.
Thanks
Captain Jamie Allen
941-628-9031
Check out Aaron Adams new book:If you've been lucky enough to get on the water recently. You surely noticed the warmer water temps and the increase in hungry fish. Lets start with our most reliable fish. Sea trout, I know lots of you have had luck with blues, mackerel or a variety of other species. I call those the grab bag fish. Back to trout, you can always check out your favorite trout holes.
If the fish aren't playing nice. Try slow drifting over a healthy turtle grass bottom in 4-6 feet of water. Keep blind casting around the edges of depth changes or pot holes. When the strikes start to increase drop anchor and work the area until the bites slow down. Pull anchor and repeat . Don't spend to much time in an area that is only producing a few fish. Trout are least affected by lower water temps, and will almost always eat if you make your presentation at the right depth and speed. The nice thing about trout right now, is they are plentiful and larger trout(20" plus) are making a good showing.
Redfish are starting to show up in small to medium size schools. Fish in water 3-6 feet seem to be the ones that bite the best. A decent number of reds are moving onto the flats. Although they seem to be more interested in warming up rather than feeding. But if you can find them in the shallows and make a long stealthy cast to the business end of resting or slow moving fish. Hang on...Just make sure to keep it slow and give them plenty of time to decide your offering looks tasty.
Snook for the most part have been a little like hens teeth. Now don't get me wrong, I know there are some snook way back in the creeks (mostly small fish). Night fishing is still productive around the lights and docks. On my outings we have had luck with mostly small snook around deeper cuts or where flats drop off into channels.
Last week Aaron Adams from Mote Marine gave another great talk at Charlotte Harbor Fly Fishers fly fishing club. He stated that the fish have been very scattered. Fish were in some back creeks (not as much as past years) but also being caught near barrier island passes. So on my next outing, I thought I would try something a little different. I started poling water that I would normally check in late March or April. WOW!! what a great surprise. For the next few day's we sight fished to 100 plus snook in shallow sandy bottom areas, plus the fish ate flies. As an added bonus, there was quite a few Reds mixed in. So go fish the back creeks if you want but I'm going to stick to those shorelines closer to passes.
The flies we have had success with are crab/shrimp style patterns in brown,green and rusty orange combinations. Also bait fish patterns that mimic pinfish,killifish,gobies or mud minnows. All these patterns work best when fished on or near the bottom. Allow the flies to sink then use short 4-6 inch strips with pauses every few strips.
Artificials that I like this time of year tend to lean towards jig heads(1/8 to 1/4 oz) With soft plastic grub or shrimp style baits (both Gulp and Bass Assassins new blurp have been great producers). My favorite colors are root beer with gold flakes, copper, green and brown. If they don't produce I'll go the other direction and use all white, chartreuse over white or glow white.
Smaller surface plugs or suspending plugs can be good under lower light conditions or where fish are active in warmer water. Just remember what ever you tie on the end of your line. its still spring, morning water temps will be cool and warm as the sun hits climbs the southern sky. With that in mind fish slow, slow and slower.
Enjoy every day on the water. If you can, take a kid fishing.
Thanks
Captain Jamie Allen
941-628-9031
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This link will take you to Amazon or you can probably find it (or ask for it) at your local fly fishing store!
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