By: Capt. Travis Freemen
Hello everyone this is Capt. Travis Michael Freeman owner and operator of Steady Fishing Charters in Everglades City, FL. Here is a little inside local information about the snook, redfish, and trout bite here in the Glades this time of the year. December the water is cold and clear which can make the fishing a little more challenging but I have a few secrets to tell you that will catch you a few fish 9 times out of 10 like what I’m using for bait and what to look for when it comes to some of these larger predator game fish that I will be talking about targeting in this article. Also knowing what the wind and tides are doing on the days you choose to fish are always critical when it comes to fishing in the Everglades during the winter months. I’m telling you fishing the glades is the best therapy for anyone. The sea trout bite has been amazing with all the cold water and low pressure coming through, to catch these hard-hitting fish throw a paddle tail or soft plastic root beer in color 3 to 4 inches in length with a 1/4oz jig head white in color and just jig the flats and any grassy areas between 3ft to 6ft deep and you will catch some nice sea trout. Also, a popping cork with about 3ft of 20 to 30-pound test fluorocarbon monofilament leader with a #4 j hook and an 1/8oz sinker just above that #4 j hook with a live shrimp on the hook is just as good of a setup as you’re going to find for sea trout in the winter months. As for the redfish I’ve been catching a lot of upper slot reds between 24 to 27 inches using live shrimp on a popping cork with 40-pound fluorocarbon monofilament leader roughly 3ft in length with a light spilt shot sinker just about a #4 J hook baited with a live shrimp or live pilchards 3 to 4 inches in length. The bigger reds have been feeding along the oyster bars and mangrove islands in and around 2 to 4ft of water, feeding on crabs and small live white bait fish. For me the winter redfish bite has been best during the incoming/rising tides early in the morning or later in the afternoons. A lot of times we see the fish before we even hook them because the water is very clear along the gulf shores and I’ll tell you first hand sighting a 30-inch fish and catching that same fish is something that every angler should experience in my opinion! Last but not least the snook bite has slowed down which is pretty common for December in the Gulf of Mexico along Everglades city’s coastline but the Everglades has so much to offer, we can always head into the backcountry and catch these big 15 to 25 pound female snook that have come inshore from a long summer spawning and living in the open gulf. Now they simply follow the food and wait for the spring. As for catching them I use live pilchards or we cast some artificial doa paddle tails red and white in color 4 inches in length with an 1/8oz jig head in the shallow creeks and a 1/4oz jig head in the deeper shoals and creeks along the mangroves. Always using 40 to 60 pound monofilament leader for both artificial and the live bait rigs using a #5 or #6 circle hook with live white baits, normally pilchards, finger mullet, or live shrimp. I hope this info helps my fellow anglers that read this article. If you’re looking to spend a super fun action-packed day of fishing in the Everglades with a 4th generation local guide then give me a call at 239-285-2971 or 239-431-1261 and let’s book your bucket list fishing trip today, so you can experience the Everglades National Park and the 10,000 Islands at its best.
Steadyfishingcharters.com
Steadyfishing@yahoo.com