My favorite time of year to catch redfish is here! Cold water temps mean clear water for Northeast Florida, and that means it’s time to sight-fish for reds. When the water gets below about 60 degrees, the brown algae will die off, resulting in clearer water and some exciting fishing opportunities. Cold water also means that redfish will be schooled up, both on the flats and in the deeper creek holes. Black drum, trout, and sheepshead will also be schooled up in the same areas. If you can get out on a nice sunny day over the next couple of months, you better go, because the fishing will be on fire!
We’ll have some really good negative low tides coming up which means easy pickings for schooled up fish of all kinds. These extra low, low tides will concentrate fish down to the deeper parts of the creeks and flats. Fish the last hour or so of the outgoing tide, with a 1/4oz Slayer Inc. jig and just about anything live or artificial pegged to it, and you’re sure to get hooked up. Hard bends in the creeks will have the deepest holes. Some creeks may have a shallow mouth but don’t be afraid to do some exploring, as some of the best creek holes are pretty far back in there. If you’re unsure of the depth or afraid of getting stuck, just wait until the tide goes slack and then starts pushing in. That way, you’ll know if you can make it in, you can definitely make it back out, as long as the tide is still coming in. Then next time, you’ll have a better idea of where your boat can and can’t go.
On days when the sun is shining, locating large schools of redfish on the flats can be a sure thing this time of year. The sun allows you to see in the water, so make sure you keep it at your back, if at all possible. Redfish will tend to hang out on flats that hold bait, have easy access to deeper water, and have areas that warm up quickly. Flats with an abundance of oysters are a good place to start, as they tend to cover most of the above-mentioned criteria. Once you locate the school, approach as stealthily as possible. Drifting and/or poling the boat, are best but using the trolling motor can catch our fish as well. Just keep it slow and at a constant speed. This is also a good time of year to downsize your baits a bit, as clear water tends to mean spookier redfish. My favorite sight-fishing bait for redfish is a 1/4oz or 1/8oz Slayer Inc. jighead with a Slayer Inc. SST paddle tail. The size and action seem to be just right for our wintertime reds.
Sheepshead fishing will be in full swing by now. Just about any bridge piling, or jetty rock with barnacles on it, will be holding some sheepies. The go-to bait is a fiddler crab on a small j-hook or jighead. Fish the pilings and rocks vertically, with enough weight to hold the bait close to the structure. Just remember, they’re quick, so you’ll need to be on your hook-setting game. The old saying goes, “You have to set the hook before they bite”!
Tight Lines!
Capt. Tommy Derringer
www.InshoreAdventures.net
904-377-3734