February has arrived and we have seen some cold spells. Water temps some days have been in the low to mid 40s starting out and hitting 50 by the afternoon. The red drum fishing has remained fantastic in the areas holding winter schools as well as the black drum, but some spectacular days can be had this time of year targeting speckled trout. I personally like to fish shallow water for speckled trout when I can. When I say shallow, I’m talking 3’-8’ deep. BUT in the middle of winter with the cold snaps I’m forced to look deeper, especially early mornings before the sun has had the chance to warm the shallow areas. I find deep water 12-20’ sometimes deeper. If there is shallow water close by that is a huge bonus. The fish will move up to those shallow drops as it warms in the afternoon on those cold days. For tackle in these deeper areas I will use soft plastics on 1/8oz or 1/4oz 4/0 jig heads. This is one of the only times I will choose a jig head over a weedless swimbait hook, there’s a reason for that. Sometimes in the dead of winter these fish will have a smaller bite window and will be a faint strike at times. Faint enough that it is tough to set the strike with a weedless hook. The trout will inhale it and immediately spit it back out. Saltwater Assassin and VMC both make quality saltwater jig heads.
For the plastics in these type of deep water situations I prefer the following:
I try to use as light of a weight as I can get away with. If I am fishing a deep 20’ plus bend in the creek or river I will cast and count as the bait sinks. If the fish are active and you get hit on a 10 count you know they are fired up, they are rising up and hungry. Other days you have to hop it off the bottom, this is especially the case in high boat pressured areas. Let that plastic sit, pop the rod tip up a couple times and let it sit again for 4 or 5 seconds. Those tough cold February days that will get the job donewhen they are not as active.
