By Capt. Dave Stephens
Well, if we have a fall here in SWFL it’s in full swing. Over the past couple weeks, a couple fronts have pushed down into our area. Fortunately for us, the warm-up happens fairly fast. The stronger these fronts get, it will begin to drop our water temps, as water temps drop we start to focus more on fishing our winter patterns. I have been focusing on locating fish in deeper waters. Lucky for us we have plenty of fishy waters on the upper harbor. One of the major areas that fish migrate to is PGI; a vast area of deep residential canals that was dug many years ago. As our water temps drop, many of our game fish seek deep water for winter. Locating fish in a large area can take time, so I’m going to tell you things that I look for. One of the main things I look for is depth, since it’s the major reason for fish moving into these areas. The majority of these canals are the same depth, however over time the current flow has made some areas deeper. I recommend spending a day driving around scanning the area with your depth finder locating the deeper water. I also look for docks that have lots of oysters growing on them. Small crustaceans and bait fish like to hang around these docks. If you find the food source, chances are you’ll find predatory fish.
The cooler water temps will have fish keying in on shrimp, also your local tackle shops should start having some nicer sized ones. That’s always a sign that things are starting to switch to a better shrimp bite. Normally, things don’t switch over night, it will be a transition period. For the most part, our fish have been living in a tropical environment, so it will take some time for them to acclimate to the change. One of the biggest things I stress when making the change, is slowing down. When our water drops below seventy, and possibly into the sixty’s these fish are going to slow down. However, over time they will become more aggressive, it will just take time. For some anglers the cooler water is welcoming. If you look forward to fishing for sheepshead, then this is your time of year. These guys are often overlooked and confused with other fish. During the winter these crustacean-eaters gather in schools to spawn. Some of the best fishing will be around old crusty docks and jetties. We’re gonna talk more about these striped bait-thieves next month. If you would like to experience some of Charlotte Harbor’s finest fishing give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs.
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