Convict Time
The first temperature drops of winter are here and the weekly cold fronts have arrived. This can make fishing difficult, if you don’t have a plan. The snook have begun to move to their backwater winter homes, the redfish will get lockjaw after the front and the trout can be hit or miss on the flats. You have to adjust your plan if you want to put a bend in your rod.
Luckily, there are options. Some of the biggest negative tides of the year are in the winter months. This will trap the fish in the potholes and channels. Live shrimp are a best bet. For artificials, go with a soft body plastic on a Mission Fishing 1/8 to ¼-ounce jighead. A suspending bait like a MirrOlure works well too. The trick is to fish both super slow. The water is crystal clear this time of year, so don’t be afraid to drop down on your leader to 15-pound fluorocarbon or even to 10-pound if the bite is extra tough.
Another best bet is fishing the many residential docks that line the Bay. Sheepshead, black drum, redfish, trout, flounder and snapper will stack up under the docks and can provide nonstop action. The additional bonus is that many of the docks are protected from the harsh northern winds. Again, live shrimp are your best bet. Soft body jigs like Gulp can fill the cooler as well. When fishing the docks, pay attention to the direction of the current. Make you presentation in the direction of the flow. Live shrimp should be freelined with the addition of a small splitshot if needed. Throw lures up-current and work them back toward the structure, lowly. If you think you’re fishing them too slowly, you’re still retrieving them too fast. Winter fishing is all about slowing things down. If you’re cold, the fish are too.
The final option is targeting sheepshead. As mentioned, they will be found at residential docks, but the hot action will be at area bridges. The Skyway, Dick Misener and Gandy bridges are all famous for both big fish and hot action. Knocker rigged shrimp, both live or dead and cut in pieces are a popular choice. Fiddler crabs and barnacles also work well. Use the smallest hooks and lightest line and weights you can get away with. The sheepshead are notorious bait steelers. Sometimes when you feel the bite, it’s too late. That’s why they wear stripes. They earned the nickname “convict fish” for a reason. These tactics that work at the bridges will also put fish in the cooler at the various reefs, channel edges and rockpiles. You have the additional shot at keeper grouper and larger mangrove snapper at those spots. Don’t know any Bay spots? Look for the fleet and watch your bottom machine.
Just remember, don’t let the cold weather keep you at home. If you adjust your game plan, the fishing can be red hot when it’s cold outside. We have multiple boats for any size group and Captains that specialize in winter Bay fishing. 