Merry Christmas and happy holiday fishing
Those of you who are out working wet lines and hoping for a dinner catch rather than worrying about your last-minute Christmas shopping: You know trying to get a bite this time of year can be challenging.
Don’t be discouraged, because some of the best fishing you’ll ever come across awaits, if you know where to look and what to target. That is the beauty of fishing in our area — there is always something to target.
Typically, this time of year I lay off the flats fishing. The water temps are too cold to try to get the snook to bite and, most of the redfish, seeking refuge for the winter, migrated to canals and under docks. Trout fishing can be productive, although, again, you have to have water temps in the 60s to do some damage.
By now, I’m using shrimp as live bait offerings to catch fish. Actually, a lot of the targeted species this time of year prefer shrimp. Sheepshead, black drum and pompano will rarely turn down a tasty shrimp. I’ve also been acquainted with many a redfish that decided to gobble my shrimp. Other species that react well in December to shrimp include mangrove snapper, grunts, flounder and just about all the other inshore species you may encounter here.
This being said, try fishing with the season. Pompano, sheepshead, black drum, tripletail and bluefish are a few species that come to the hook when fishing in December. And, if you’ve ever been surrounded by a school of pompano, you know how good winter fishing can be.
Finally, back to the topic of fishing rather than Christmas shopping. You may only have a day left to shop. When in a pinch, it’s always good to remember the saying, “He went to Jared.” That should help you fill the stockings.
Merry Christmas, and here’s wishing you bent rods in the new year.
Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business Charters, when not mullet fishing, is targeting redfish, drum and sheepshead around residential docks on both Anna Maria Island and in the Manatee River. Live shrimp is the bait of choice and by casting these weighted shrimp under docks, Gross is finding success for his clients. Keeper redfish are patiently waiting for a tasty shrimp to fall in front of their noses.
Drifting and jigging over deep grass flats is producing a bite for Gross. DOA Cal jigs combined with a jig head are arousing suspicion from the spotted seatrout, ladyfish and bluefish. Not only do these fish provide great light-tackle action, but the trout are well suited for the dinner table, especially during the cooler months.
Capt. Aaron Lowman at Island Discount Tackle in Holmes Beach is catching flounder among the sandy ditches and potholes that are dispersed throughout the flats. To catch these “flatties,” Lowman’s preferred bait is a Berkley Gulp shrimp combined with a 1/4-ounce jig head. By twitching and jigging these artificials across the sandy bottom, Lowman can trigger the flounder to strike. Although most catches are following between 12-15 inches, larger fish are lurking. In fact, fish 20 inches and larger are being caught by some lucky anglers.
After catching flounder, Lowman is fishing the flats of Anna Maria Sound for spotted seatrout as well as ladyfish, bluefish and jacks, all mixed in throughout deeper grass areas.
Finally, dock fishing is producing redfish, black drum and sheepshead. Lowman is rigging a 1/2-ounce knocker rig combined with a 1/0 circle hook for rigging. By adding shrimp to the rig and casting under docks, Lowman’s clients are putting fish in the cooler.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier says black drum are the primary catch. Pier fishers using live shrimp cast under the pier are finding success with limits of black drum being reeled up. Mixed in with the drum are sheepshead and flounder. Most sheepies being caught are just above the keeper-size of 12 inches. As for the flounder, lucky anglers are catching fish that are big enough to fillet.
Capt. Warren Girle is fishing nearshore structure when the weather permits. By fishing artificial reefs and ledges between 30-50 feet of water, Girle is leading his clients to limits of mangrove snapper. Offerings of live shrimp or fresh-cut greenbacks are producing a bite. While targeting snapper, Girle is catching Key West grunts, flounder and juvenile grouper.
Moving inshore, Girle is migrating south to Sarasota Bay to target pompano. By drifting and jigging, Girle is reeling in 15-inch pompano. The other aspect to this bite, aside from pompano for dinner, is that there is potential to encounter a wide variety of other fish. While drifting, expect to hook up with Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, jacks and even a few keeper-size spotted seatrout — if you’re lucky.
Finally, canal fishing is yet another option for Girle. He reports residential docks in deep canals are producing bites on sheepshead, black drum and flounder.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.