BACKCOUNTRY / BAY / INSHORE:
The water temperatures are down enough to send the speckled trout and redfish into their winter patterns. The trout are in the creeks, bayous, and canals. On the colder days the bite will be slow, so patience is a virtue. Live shrimp will work best and they need to be fished on the bottom with little to no movement. The same goes for the redfish. On warmer days, fish will move toward the mouths of the creeks and bayous and be a little more active. Most of the flounder have moved out into the gulf, and can be caught on the bottom with a light bottom rig. Again live shrimp will work best, but cut bait and soft plastic jigs will produce as well. There are plenty of Spanish and bluefish being caught trolling or casting to in the bay and down the beach. Mangrove snapper are around the bridges and other inshore structure in good numbers and can be caught with light tackle rigs tipped with shrimp.
OFFSHORE:
The winds have been whipping up lately, but if you can catch a break there is a lot of action on the wrecks and other structures. Plenty of snapper and grouper are being found on the bottom if you can get through the triggerfish and amberjack. There are also plenty of king mackerel being caught flat-lining live bait over the wrecks as well.
Just because its cooler doesn’t mean the fish quit eating so get out and put a few in the cooler for dinner.
CAPT. DARYL SHUMATE
Liquid Native Charters
850-624-6968
Liquidnativecharters.com