Capt. Brian Boxx
As the late great Barbara Walters once said, this is 2020! Let’s ring in the new year with rod bending action! December blew through bringing with it our yearly dose of cold fronts. The drop-in temperature cooled our waters and kicked us into our winter patterns. Sheepshead are in abundance in our back water, pecking and flashing on just about every barnacle covered surface you can see. Going lite and downsizing is key to catching these convicts of the sea. Spanish mackerel and bonita have been keeping lines tight in the nearshore water. The crab pot buoys have been holding great numbers of tripletail eager to gulp down a live shrimp.
Speaking of shrimp, this is our winter go-to for live bait. They are a very versatile bait and can be used to target just about anything that swims. The local caught live shrimp are big and frisky in the cooler months making them a silver platter dish for finicky, cold water fish. Remember to reduce the flow of your livewell. Heavy flow will exhaust the shrimp. It also helps to add something for them to cling to. I use a chum bag with a brick inside. These tips will keep your shrimp form getting stressed out, saving their energy for the hook.
New year, new gear! Time to spend that holiday gift money. Get more bang for your buck with the affordable innovation of KastKing fishing products. This new company is making waves through the fishing industry. Providing its customers with the latest and greatest fishing technologies with a price that won’t break the bank. Their flagship reel, the Sharky III, is a fully sealed reel boasting up to 40lb of smooth carbon drag. It slides into your hands with a price tag of under $60.00. Top it off with their ICast award winning Super Power braid. Lock it onto one of their many innovative rods and you have a serious fin-stopping machine. Unlike most top manufacturers that spend millions on advertising and marketing, KastKing keeps its marketing cost to a minimum and its quality at a maximum passing that savings on to its consumers.
As we enter our busy season, more and more boats take to the water. Please keep in mind what you leave behind. By law you are responsible for your own wake. Although you may be outside of a “No Wake Zone,” you must be mindful of how your wake will affect others; waking kayakers, boats that have anglers standing up actively fishing, boats at or near docks, or passing a water patrol officer with his lights on are a few examples. It is extremely risky to life and property and if damage or injury occur, you can be held responsible. Till next Month, Stay Salty – Capt. Brian Boxx
Reel Salty Endeavours at 904-866-5050