Tomoka & Halifax River Fishing Report: Dec 2013

by Capt. Todd Wynn

Another year of great fishing is coming to an end. I want to take this moment to thank the readers for giving me this great opportunity to write the Tomoka River and Halifax River column. I also would like to let you know that this will be my last column for Coastal Angler because of my move to the west coast of Florida.

Fishing in the Tomoka this time of year can be excellent. You can catch a variety of species fishing many different spots. This time of the year the dock fishing in the Halifax really turns on. You can also do well fishing the Tomoka Basin. Many techniques will work right now for many species such as trout, reds, and flounder.

Fishing the docks in the Halifax can be quit productive this time of year. Many techniques can work for this kind of fishing. I have found one of the most productive ways to fish the docks are to work it with your favorite jig. I will start by fishing the out skirts of the dock and work my way in. Remember reds, trout, and flounder quite often hang out under the dock structure, so the further you can get your bait the better. You can also use topwater and suspending lures to work the outer edges of the dock. Live bait also is excellent for this situation. I like to use the wind and tide to my advantage to move the bait under the structure. One of the easiest ways to get your bait positioned is with use of a popping cork. The popping cork will go with the tide and intern pull your bait with it.

Another great option for this time of year is fishing the Tomoka Basin. The Basin can be red hot this time of year. I like to start off fishing topwater fishing shallow shorelines and around some of the shallow oyster bars. Keep in mind with it being a little cooler to work you lure slower. As the day heats up I will go to soft plastics or suspending baits and work them quicker.

Good luck on the water and tight lines.

Capt. Todd Wynn
Limitlesscharters.com