February fishing: patience, persistence
With water temps ranging from the high 50s to the low 60s, fishing our local waters is requiring patience, persistence and several layers of warm clothes.
Strong winds from the north are bringing the cold and causing rough seas, which can make fishing feel more like a chore than a pleasure. Always keep in mind that the fish have to eat at some point and, when they do, you’re not going to catch them by sitting in your living room watching fishing shows on TV.
Sometimes finding the motivation to run the boat on these days is a challenge but, if the fish end up biting, it’s all worth it.
One species helping make fishing “worth it” is pompano. Small nylon jigs tipped with shrimp are attracting a bite from these tasty fish. Rallies have yet to become frequent, but catches of a half dozen are not uncommon. Some days are better than others, of course, and there’s plenty of bluefish, jacks, bonnethead sharks and whiting to fill the void.
Dock fishing is another method of fishing that can bring a payoff on cold windy days. Black drum, sheepshead and redfish are waiting for your presentation of a live shrimp on a knocker rig. All three species are worthy adversaries on light tackle and, as a bonus, are good on the dinner plate, too. Another advantage of targeting these fish around docks is that they congregate in sheltered areas — canals and the leeward side of a shoreline — which helps keep you out of the wind.
Although conditions are not the greatest, don’t be discouraged. Get out and fish and you may be rewarded. After all, days in this part of Florida begin cold but shape up — and warm up. Hopefully, fishing follows suit.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier is seeing anglers reeling up a variety of fish on shrimp. Pier fishers using live or dead shrimp are catching the usual trio of suspects — sheepshead, black drum and flounder. All three are hooking up from the sandy bottom and among the pilings of the pier.
Jack crevalle are being caught on either jigs or live shrimp, although the bite right now is sporadic at best. It’s best to have a spare rod rigged and ready with a jig in case these fish decide to show up. Jacks 1-2 pounds are the average.
Capt. Aaron Lowman at Island Discount Tackle in Holmes Beach is managing to find mangrove snapper around structure in Sarasota Bay despite the cold waters. By anchoring and casting weighted shrimp around a dock piling, Lowman is catching mangrove snapper up to 16 inches. Along with snapper, sheepshead are taking a shrimp. Most sheepies are 1-2 pounds, although larger fish are hooking up.
Along the beaches of Anna Maria Island, Lowman is able to locate the pompano bite. Small nylon jigs tipped with some fresh-cut shrimp for scent are attracting pompano, as well as a variety of other sport fish. Ladyfish, jack crevalle and bluefish are competing voraciously with the pomps to strike a shrimp-tipped jig.
Shrimp fished on a knocker rig is working along the beaches for Lowman. Black drum, sheepshead and bonnethead shark are being caught with regularity.
Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business Charters is catching redfish by dock fishing with live shrimp and artificials, especially Berkley Gulp Shrimp. Gross is catching slot-size reds with some regularity. Along with redfish, Gross is finding black drum, sheepshead and flounder in the same areas.
While fishing deeper grass in Tampa Bay, Gross is finding bluefish and jack crevalle readily taking soft plastics. Ideally, spotted seatrout are the targeted species, although the sheer aggressiveness of the blues and jacks is resulting in more action than the trout hookups.
Finally, nearshore and inshore structure is resulting in bent rods on the Fishy Business. Sheepshead, mangrove snapper, porgies and Key West grunts are readily taking live shrimp offerings. Dropping bait directly to the bottom works to attract a bite.
Capt. Warren Girle is adapting to the weather by fishing canals and residential docks in Sarasota Bay. Using live shrimp as bait, Girle is instructing his clients to cast along seawalls, mangrove edges and under docks to find a bite. The usual suspects — black drum and sheepshead are readily taking half or whole shrimp when presented to them. Other species, such as jack crevalle and bluefish, are being found in canals seeking refuge from the cold.
Moving out to the vast grass flats of Sarasota Bay, Girle is finding decent numbers of spotted seatrout. While working the shallower flats, ranging 2-4 feet, Girle is finding a lot of undersized trout. But, while fishing deeper flats of 6-8 feet, Girle is catching slot fish in near limits. For both scenarios, Girle is using live shrimp fished under a popping cork. The pop creates a disturbance, which attracts the trout and, upon their investigation, they find and take the bait.
Finally, on calm days, Girle is venturing to depths of 4 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico in search of mangrove snapper. Both snapper and Key West grunts are readily responding to live shrimp on a bottom rig.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.