by Eric Henson
Well, it’s the beginning of a new year and I’m looking forward to getting you guys on track for one of the coldest months of the year. Although it may be cold, it can also be one of the most productive months for fishing. You just need to be in the right place at the right time. Here are some tips on a couple of my favorite fish to target this time of year.
Speckled Trout – The big females are in and they are still getting fattened up for their spawn. On the higher tides look for them to be up in the shallows. Then once the water drops back out look for them to be in the troughs or deeper potholes. First thing in the morning pitch large top-water plugs like the Yo-Zuri 3 DB and wait for huge explosions! If you are not keeping them, be careful when handling the big “Gator Trout” because they are quite a fragile fish and we need them to make lots of babies! :)
Redfish- These fish will mostly spread out in singles or doubles with the occasional school here and there. They will follow the same patterns as the large trout for the most part. When have our super low negative tides, look for them to be trapped in holes or don’t be surprised to see their tails popping out of the water to flag you down. When they are “tailed up” basically doing a head stand, make sure to see what direction the fishes head is going to make the right presentation. Then I like to take a “Monster 3X USA” X-TAIL on a 1/16 oz. weedless jig-head and drag it ever so softly in front on their face. Once the tail goes down, Game On!
This time of the year is probably my favorite times of the year when it comes to water clarity for sight fishing and weather/water temps. You just have to pick out the best days in between cold fronts. Also, there are a lot of people from all over the world here this time of year so be careful while out on the water. Many of these people may not know the laws and regulations so, we don’t want accidents. Till next time, be safe! Tight lines and tight knots!