Capt. Joel Brandenburg
February is hot or cold. Many game fish are transitioning from their winter haunts to their spring time locations. Sometimes during their migration the weather stops them in between. In February you find fish settled in unexpected areas. Because the weather stopped them in that location they may be more reluctant to feed either because they are in an unusual location or they are cold and feeling to lethargic to feed. Below are a few examples of game fish that you can find in February and how to get them to eat.
*Mangrove snapper: You can find large Mangrove snapper around towers and buoys in the bay. We like to chum them in on a slack or slackish tide by cutting up threadfin herring with scissors making each piece about as big as your finger nail. Keep dispensing each piece of chum in the same place so you have one single chum line. Hopefully you will see a large maroon cloud appear behind your vessel. Once the Mangrove snapper are schooled up behind your boat start catching. We like to use 3ft of 6lb test leader with a small short shank “J” hook. Take one of the finger nail sized cut baits and insert your hook in it so your hook is invisible to the snapper. Send your hooked bait into the chum line and let out your line with zero resistance so it goes with the flow. You should get your limit in no time using this technique.
*Sheepshead: A lot of visitors come down from the north this time of year and come fishing with Ana Banana Fishing Company. I always ask if they have any type of fish in particular that they would prefer to target. Some clients have a specific species they want to target, but most say either put me on something that will make our rods bend and our drags scream or the say we are planning a family fish fry and want to only target fish that are in season and good to eat. When they want a fish fry I usually mention sheepshead. They say we catch sheepshead up north in our lakes and we consider them trash fish. I quickly let them know we have a different kind of sheepshead here and it’s the best tasting fish in the world. The way we target sheepshead this time of year is to find reefs and underwater structures 10ft to 25ft deep in the bay. We fish them with light 10lb test mono leader with a quarter ounce red or gold jig head. Use 1/2 a shrimp or enough to cover the hook. Send it straight down until your bait is 6in’s over the reef bottom. Chum all around the boat with tiny shrimp pieces. You won’t feel a big hit, just a nibble, lift your rod slowly and when you feel weight, start reeling quickly. You should catch other great fish too, such as sea bass, flounder, grouper, snapper and grunts.
For a charter with Captain Joel Brandenburg owner/operator of Ana Banana Fishing Company call 813-267-4401 or visit www.anabananafishing.com. To stay at the Ana Banana Cabana check out our fishing packages at www.thevacationrentalhouse.com or you can talk to Captain Joel in person at Little Harbor Resorts Fishing fleet dock in Ruskin Fl. www.staylittleharbor.com