Capt. Dave Stephens
Well it looks like we made it through 2020, let’s hope this new year is much better. The month of January generally means putting the cast nets away and getting ready for shrimp season. Some of the things that I make sure to have on my boat is several different jig heads. I keep several different colors such as chartreuse, white and red. Water color often plays the role in what color I choose to throw. In cleaner water I go with white or chartreuse, in darker I throw red more. I also keep several different weights sizes of jigs also. Anything from 1/8oz to a 1/4oz, this is for different depths and current flow. In deeper water, or water with a faster current I use a heavier head. Also, a must-have in the winter is a selection of floats. Probably the most popular is the popping cork. A swift movement to the side with your rod tip will cause these to make popping sounds. For the anglers looking to get more involved in using artificial lures, this is a great time. Soft plastics such as jerk shades and DOA shrimp do very well this time of year. Water color plays a big part into color selection of your lure. Once again in darker water conditions choose a darker color, such as root beer or watermelon. In cleaner water lighter brighter colors such as pearl and chartreuse work great. One of the most important things to remember is work your baits very slow. The biggest mistake I see is anglers working a bait too fast.
The trout fishery is normally very strong this time of year. The cooler weather tends to school these guys up in deeper waters. If we have a major front pass look for fish in deep water, such as creek mouths and residential canals. Shrimp will be the bait of choice this time of year. If the bottom is clean fishing on the bottom will get good results. If you’re fishing over grass or oysters, you may want to float your bait just above the bottom.
Another fish that will be schooling up is sheepshead. These well-known bait thieves school up to spawn during the winter months. Areas with good structure will hold good numbers of fish. Places such as docks and seawall with rock along the edges. Since these guys food of choice is crustaceans, shrimp and fiddler crabs are excellent baits. I highly recommend using a small hook such as a number 1 or 2, and enough weight to contact the bottom. Bring plenty of bait if you plan to target these guys, they get their stripes honestly!