With the end of Winter in sight and the weather being mildly warmer, many anglers are looking to wet their lines as the new year starts to race by. Sheepshead have made their way into Tampa Bay in great force. They are well known for their dominant presence during the winter months, and historically peak in numbers February and March.
They can be found at any of the Southshore bridges, docks, seawalls and jetties. I always head to my favorite mangrove snapper spots this time of year to find them. Sheepshead desire the same structure and environment as mangrove snapper. Most of the time, when fishing these areas, you will catch more sheepshead than snapper because of their great numbers during these months.
Choice baits to use are live shrimp and fiddler crabs. These baits should be presented on a size 1/0 hook freelined, or with a split shot. You can also use your favorite 1/8 to 1/4-ounce jighead–where there is one there are a bunch. Keeping count is important when catching these guys, because you can fill a cooler quick when the bite is right.
Another species to target this month are spotted seatrout. These hungry shallow water predators can be found stacked up anywhere that has a drop in depth adjacent to a sandbar, or sandy patches and potholes on grass flats. Take advantage of the mild water temperatures as the fish are more active. Baits I use for spotted seatrout are scaled sardines and live shrimp. Both baits are presented on a size 1/0 hook freelined. You can sight cast or drift fish these baits. MirrOlure MirrOdines or a Trout Master gold colored spade tale grub are my top choice artificials to use, if you desire to cover a large area in a small amount of time. If you’re fishing the Southshore side of the Bay, I recommend stopping at “Hooked Up Bait and Tackle” off of US 41 and Beach Ave. Augustine always has everything you need for a good day of fishing.