We have had a mild winter compared to prior years, but the tides are still giving us dry land and deep pot holes to fish!
This time of year, we like to target sheepshead, trout, black drum and redfish. We tend to leave the snook alone, because they are the most sensitive to the cold water and we do not want to harm the snook population.
We try to fish for sheepshead and black drum at the lowest tide as they’re trapped in the potholes. Use a 1/8-ounce jighead with a nice size select shrimp, tail hooked, and use 20 to 30-pound fluorocarbon leader and just let it sit. Make sure you’re fishing around something with some kind of structure or oyster bars for your best shot to have the most fish held in an area.
Redfish go out into the open flats on the negative tides. Get as shallow as you possibly can and just sit and watch for a minute. You will see them tailing and rooting through the flats looking for anything to eat. I like using topwater plugs and weedless jerk baits that can cast a far distance. Another must have has been bait scents. Shrimp or ladyfish scent is a great choice to use all year round.
Trout are in deep potholes this time of year and stacked in thick. A 1/8-ounce jighead, paired up with your favorite plastic, should have you bringing in multiple gator trout without a problem. 