Turning the Cold into Hot Bites
If you think the water is too cold for the fish to bite in January, try fishing deep holes, channels and power plants. January can be a most productive month. Snook, redfish, pompano, jacks, trout, sharks and cobia are just a few of the species which invade the warm waters of the deep holes, channels and power plants.
Learn to get the most out of your chartplotter. Most units can run most of the new charts on the market. I started using a chart called Florida Marine Tracks. It’s used mainly for coastal and inshore, but it lays Google Earth over the chart making it easier to find holes, channels and safe routes to run.
When fishing the deep holes, I prefer using live shrimp and cut bait. I set my clients up using 10-pound braided line with 15-pound leader (at least 3-feet) and a 2/0 circle hook. Trout, for example, have keen eyesight. The lighter the leader, the better the bite. I free line the live shrimp into the center of the hole. Allow it to work its way down slowly, twitching it every few seconds until it reaches the bottom. If you do not get a strike, start a stop-and-go slow retrieve along the bottom until you reach the top of the hole and repeat.
While my clients are fishing, I put two rods out with cut bait on the bottom. We call it dead sticking. Best winter baits for me are cut threadfin, sardines, ladyfish and fresh mullet. I use the same tackle as with live bait, except changing to a 3/0 Kahle hook and a Ghost Drag on the fishing rod. The Ghost Drag allows you to have your bail open and tension on the line. When the fish grabs the bait and starts to swim away, the line is released from the Ghost Drag. All you do is close the bail and fight the fish.
If you prefer fishing with artificial baits, use the same technique as with live shrimp. Start your jig on the opposite side of the hole and work it along the bottom slowly, allowing a slight twitch every few cranks of the reel handle. I prefer using a jig like Fishbites Butt Kicker paddle tail. It seems to work very well for me all year round. Another favorite of mine is the MirrOlure 52M11. It’s a medium runner red head sliver side with a white belly. This was my first lure I ever used and still, to me, one of the best.
Now for power plants. In my experience, the best time to fish has been from sunrise to 10 am depending on cloud cover. On cloudy days you can stretch it a couple of extra hours and on bright sunny days, a little less. Once the sun’s rays start to warm the water, the fish have a tendency to move toward the outer edges of the channel and even into deeper flats to feed and return again at sunset.
Depending on where you fish dictates how you are going to fish. When fishing the center of the channel, you will find that fish such as snook, flounder, pompano and redfish tend to hug and feed on the bottom. Here I use a small ¼ ounce egg sinker (larger if the current is stronger), a 20-pound test fluorocarbon leader (Texas rig style) with a 1/0 to 2/0 circle hook. Trout will tend to feed mid-water in the center of the channel, and here I free line the bait with no sinkers, or use a Cajun Thunder float with the bait suspended about four feet under it. Cobia and sharks prefer the surface, and I use heavier tackle such as 30-pound fluorocarbon leader and 2/0 to 3/0 circle hooks. As the sun rises, the fish will tend to migrate to the edges of the channels and eventually to the mouth of the channel and into the flats.
Live shrimp is considered the favorite, and live greenbacks work well if you can find them. For artificial baits, Silly Willy jigs are great for pompano and flounder. MirrOlure #52M11 is a killer on trout and jacks. Fishbites paddle tail jigs worked slow on the bottom will get some nice snook and redfish.
Each power plant has its own restrictions on where you can fish, so follow their rules and you can enjoy some great fishing all winter long.
Capt. Sergio Atanes is host of Florida West Coast Fishing Report on Facebook and YouTube every Monday night 7-8 p.m. live. He is also host to Aventuras De Pesca USA on national TV and Radio Show.
Emil: atanes@msn.com Phone: 813-973-7132 reelfishing.com
