With the arrival of December, the winter fishing season gets into full gear. This time of the year the primary challenge can be the wind. Fishing the Biminis, this should not be a significant issue as there are many locations to find protection from the northwest or direct northerly winds that can be fairly strong as the cold fronts pass through. However, using heavier gear is a plus, as the fish may not always cooperate by being in the protected areas. Water temperatures will continue to fall throughout the month, which will cause bonefish to spend more time in the shallows and flats. Always look for moving water. You will find that the bonefish are starting to congregate in larger schools as the spawning season approaches. Nevertheless, the average bonefish will still be in the 8 to 10 pound range. While bonefish are a prime “target species”, there will be some nice permit, tarpon, barracuda, jack and shark to bend your rod. Natural baits such as shrimp and conch seem to be working well. Nearshore and reef fishing will produce plenty of muttonfish, grouper, snapper and kingfish.
Merry Christmas to all and hope to see you visiting Bimini soon!