January was a mild beginning to our winter season in the Lagoon. Now that we are well into the winter season, we need to change up our strategy starting with how we work artificial baits – the slower the better. Slow means count to five between revolutions of the reel handle, maybe more. Dead sticking with a soft plastic sometimes is the answer. Redfish, trout and black drum are all on the lookout for an easy meal. Finger mullet schools have moved south for the cold season and the predators have switched to crabs and shrimp as their forage. Sight fishing is great with clear water this time of year. Drifting sandy potholes with the sun to your back can yield a gator trout with stealthy presentations of long casts and slow retrieve. Make sure you are throwing the right bait. DOA Shrimp, DOA Crabs or DOA Cal tails on a jig head are all great baits. Fishing these lures on colder days in deeper water near drop offs and channel edges are productive. If there have been some warmer days after the front, look to 2 to 4 feet of water as a good target area, also look for potholes or darker bottom areas to produce better results. On windy days fish the channels and protected areas.
What time to fish? No hurry on those cold mornings, cold blooded redfish warm up usually between the hours of 10:00am and 3:00pm producing the best action. Follow nature’s lead and slow down and fish the warmest parts of the days you decide to fish. Tight lines, and remember with low humidity you need more water keep hydrated. And keep our waterways clean – take a trash bag along with you, clean up where you can.
