Fantastic February Fishing
With January behind us and a great duck hunting season completed, Team Brodie Charters is now focused on fishing. February is an excellent month to get out on the water because many fishing opportunities abound especially on the beautiful days before and after cold fronts. One of the first things that come to mind is running out to the barrier islands looking for redfish, black drum, and sheepshead. As for the black drum, well these big bruisers can often be found prowling the isleâs shallow flats in huge schools. Thatâs right, fish in the 20 to 50 pound class and often compact schools made up of hundreds of fish swimming tightly together forming a black cloud-like image in the water. As you might imagine battling one of these fish in crystal clear shallows on light tackle is enough to warm up any angler in the winter month of February. A large live shrimp or piece of crab are very tempting offerings to these big flats bullies. For best results cast ahead of the fish letting it approach the bait sitting still on the bottom. Sheepshead numbers will begin to increase at the isles in February too. These bait stealers love structure and will be gathering in big schools getting ready for their spawning ritual generally peaking in March. At times the sheepshead bite can be enough to drive an angler crazy often reeling in an empty hook or half a shrimp bit off behind the head. Keep a sharp eye on your rod tip, and at the first sign of a downward pull on the line give it a good hook set. Sheepshead, often referred to as âbay snapperâ are protected by an armor of tough scales, sharp gill plates, strong crushing teeth, and some really nasty spines. Despite their look these fish With January behind us and a great duck provide great battles on light tackle, have a firm white flesh, and provide excellent fillets for frying, grilling or baking. Bring plenty of live shrimp to feed the sheepies and youâre in business. As for redfish these crimson-hued beauties will be somewhere at the isles too. You may find them in singles, small groups, or massive schools like the black drum, and they are much more aggressive feeders compared to the drum. These reds will hit a variety of lures including jigs and spoons, but toss a live shrimp, croaker, pinfish, or mullet in their path and itâs game on. Besides seeing the reds on the shallow flats be sure to fish dark water like gullies, troughs, and drop-off s along the beach. These sorts of haunts are favorites for reds lurking for passing bait fish. Cut bait works well on these island reds too, and some fresh mullet cut into sized for the size of reds youâre targeting is sure to bring on some redfish runs. And by the way, you might catch an early season Florida pompano or two out there, we did last season. Back inshore the sheepshead, redfish, smaller drum, as well as some speckled trout still in coastal rivers and bayous can offer great February angling. Th e bridges are great places to find sheepshead, drum, and redfish, and once again live shrimp will generally be your ticket to success this time of year. Scattered speckled trout can still be found in various parts of coastal rivers and bayous, and these can be caught by either still fishing or slow trolling various jigs or jerk baits like MirrOlures. Of course live shrimp or bull minnows either free lined or fished under a popping cork will fool the trout. They will move out of the deeper holes during periods of warm weather. Bottom line, yes you can find plenty of fishing action in February, and looking forward to March the fishing action will get twice as hot. Here aboard Team Brodie Charters I want to thank everyone for a banner year in 2013, looking for another successful and fun-filled banner fishing season in 2014, and wish good luck to everyone out there with tight lines and calm seas. Oh yeahâŚbe safe