Bimini Inshore Fishing Report and Forecast: January 2016

Don't forget it is closed season for Nassau grouper. PHOTO CREDIT:
Don’t forget it is closed season for Nassau grouper. PHOTO CREDIT:

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is hard to believe that it is now 2016! Wow, where did the year go? While it has been unseasonably warm over the last couple of months the cool and cold fronts are bound to start arriving soon. When this does start to happen, the fish, as well as the anglers, will start looking to keep warm. This means that you will need to start looking to deeper water to find the fish. As always, fish the tidal channels and creeks that will be bringing in the warmer ocean water for your best shots. The bones will tend to be larger and will be in much smaller schools. There will be lots of singles and doubles. On warm days, when conditions permit, look for tailing fish in the calm water. With an incoming tide during mid-day, the fish will venture onto the flats that have been warmed by the sun. Cold fronts will bring a stiff north to northeast wind but it typically lies down in a day or two. The other usual suspects will be good targets as well such as permit, barracuda, and tarpon. All typical natural baits work well during this time of the year, particularly crab and shrimp. Bimini offers fantastic fishing during the winter months so don’t miss out. If you decide to do some nearshore reef fishing you will find plenty to put on the table such as yellowtail, snapper and grouper (leave the Nassau grouper alone though since it’s off-season for them). Now is the time to make your New Year’s Resolution to visit The Biminis ring true. Hope to see you soon!