With temperatures ranging from the mid 40s to the mid 80s, trying to figure out what to target from one day to the next has anglers’ heads spinning.
With days in the 80s, some anglers are hooking up live shiners as bait to target snook, redfish and trout on the flats. Although using shiners in February isn’t common, it’s not also not new.
Most action is occurring during afternoon tides, when the shallow waters over the flats have warmed for the day.
That said, if you’re fishing the normal tides, you’ll need to switch tactics.
For the snook, it’s best to go later in the day.
For trout, drifting and jigging with soft plastics is working well. It seems as if getting the jig down on the bottom, in front of the trout, will trigger a strike.
For the redfish, casting live shrimp in sandy potholes or around docks seems preferable during the cooler morning hours.
If after a string of warm days, a front arrives to bring temperatures down to the 40s in our area, causing drastic sudden drops in water temperatures, that changes everything. The snook you were catching, won’t be eating, and even the trout may shut down for a day or two until conditions level off. As for the reds, they can be fairly tolerant of colder water, although a sudden change might trigger lockjaw for them, too.
If you just have to go fishing during a cold front, no matter what, it’s best to stock up on live shrimp and target sheepshead and black drum. They don’t mind cooler water temps and will feed through a front.
On my Just Reel charters, I am working the flats of Sarasota Bay on the good days — when the air temp is warm and the wind is calm — where drifting and jigging with soft plastics is working well for spotted seatrout. On some mornings, I’m seeing 20-30 fish caught on a jig and sizes are 12-20 inches, most in the 15-inch range.
Targeting redfish and sheepshead is producing some action on live shrimp as bait. Most reds being caught are 15-22 inches — but some fish exceeding 30 inches are being caught by lucky anglers.
As for the sheepies, fish in the 2-pound range are the norm.
Capt. David White is spending his days working inshore and nearshore. On nearshore structure, hogfish are the highlight. Dropping live shrimp on a bottom rig in depths of 40-50 feet of water is yielding hogfish and the usual suspects — Key West grunts, porgies and snappers.
Moving toward shore, White is using shiners as bait, which is yielding good results on snook in the afternoons. Spotted seatrout also are responding to the shiners during afternoon tides.
Capt. Jason Stock is happy to say the African pompano bite is the showcase on his recent charters. Fishing depths of 80-120 feet is leading to numerous catches, with some in the 25-pound range.
Targeting amberjack also is keeping Stock and his clients entertained. Casting live bait or surface plugs in areas where these fish are present is leading to instant hookups, and some drawn-out battles on heavy spinning gear.
For those looking to bring home dinner, Stock is putting them to work on bottom fish, resulting in many tasty species. Red grouper is top of the list, with a mix of vermilion and lane snapper to round out the menu.
Capt. Warren Girl is finding action while covering the flats of Sarasota Bay. By drifting and jigging with soft plastics, Girle is putting clients on good numbers of spotted seatrout. A mix of slot-fish and fish slightly under-slot are making up the bite.
While targeting trout, Girle is hooking into numerous ladyfish, which are quite entertaining on medium-spinning tackle.
Switching over to pompano jigs is producing a bite, too, from the sandy potholes throughout the deeper grass flats. At times, tipping the jigs with shrimp is leading to more action.
On windier days, Girle is patrolling docks for sheepshead, redfish and black drum. Live shrimp on a knocker rig is working in these scenarios.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier says there are so many visitors on the pier, it’s hard to look over the side to see what’s swimming below. Every once in a while, there’s a break in the action when Malfese says he can count the growing numbers of sheepshead.
Pier fishers using live shrimp are catching sheepshead with frequency, although Malfese anticipates the bite will get even better in the weeks to come. While targeting sheepshead with live shrimp, bait pier fishers also are hooking into black drum.
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