It’s been a little rough out there as far as wind is concerned. Our Winter had decided to show up a little late this year. Blowing mostly from the Northwest, we had to plan our launches in protected areas, keeping us out of the rough stuff. Although there were times when the wind found us, paddling the Bay had been very manageable.
The snook bite had been the hottest, with many being caught all over the Bay. From the mangrove shoreline to the grassy flats, many fish were fooled primarily by using topwater plugs in shallow water during the warmer parts of the day. Each fish reacted with pure aggression on every strike!
Trout were a little tougher to find, as they seemed scattered throughout the flats. They were found in a little deeper water (in the 4 to 6-foot range) and even deeper in the warmer days. All Trout reacted to subsurface baits cranked slow with many long pauses.
The redfish bite was another story. Let’s just say it was slow at best. It’s not like there was an abundance of redfish, but the winds made it harder to see them and kept them scattered and on the move. Only a handful of reds were caught using small soft plastics worked very slowly on the bottom.
Jack crevalle were also on the move and in full force. Huge schools have been invading the flats and, as always, they are hungry. I couldn’t get anything past these guys so, like the old saying goes, “If you can’t beat em’, join em’!”
To sum it all up, the most productive bite was during the second half of the incoming tide up into the beginning of the outgoing. Once the tide was up, the fish were a lot harder to locate since they hung tight or way inside the mangroves.
This month should be a different story, as March marks the beginning of the transition period–which means fish will be moving, and they will be hungry. So, grab a rod, get out there and catch some fish!