Tampa Bay Charter Fishing

I just read that we had a record cold December in the Tampa Bay area.  I surely hope that the rest of this winter will not be like last years.  I have seen a few stunned snook but no fatalities yet.  One thing for sure the weather will be what it will be no matter if we like it or not.  With that in mind let’s take a look at some tactics and techniques for winter time flats fishing.  Click here to learn how to book a charter

The most obvious factor affecting winter fishing is the weather.  Besides simply getting colder we are presented with passage of cold fronts every few days that cause corresponding wind shifts and barometric fluctuations.  Fish seem to respond favorably to the dropping barometer that precedes a front and unfavorably to the high pressure that fills in immediately after the front passes.  A less obvious but very important aspect of the winter environment is the astrological conditions of the season.  The days are shorter and the sun is low in the southern sky due to the Earth tilting on its axis.  These factors conspire to create a generally lower water level with the lowest low tides of the year.  In the winter the lowest tides are in the morning hours instead of the evenings.  When the water leaves the flats on these extreme low tides, it is obvious that the fish are going to leave with it.  A quiet approach to the depressions that still hold water can yield the proverbial “shooting fish in a barrel” situation.  Cool water flooding in from the gulf that flows across a broad shallow flat will warm up remarkably before it drops off the down tide side of the flat.  Fish like most creatures seek the areas of greatest comfort so they tend to stack up to feed where the warm water drops off the flat.  To locate fish and understand their movements try to consider the environmental circumstances from the fish’s point of view.

My list of targeted species for winter inshore fishing would include trout, sheepshead, snook, redfish and grouper in that order.  However snook will be off the list this year and probably longer than that.  Snook will take a long time to recover from last year’s devastation and to that end every guide I know has made an effort to avoid snook this year.

The trout population is in great shape and don’t seem to mind the recent cold snaps.  As the winter progresses the larger trout will gravitate toward the gulf passes in preparation for the spawn in late spring and early summer.  I dearly love a foggy winter morning to fish big noisy topwater baits for trout.  Probably the number one go to lure for trout is a jig head with a plastic tail.  My favorite is a one eighth once red head with a four inch plastic tail in the motor oil with red flake color.

The big schools of redfish have broken up now but they can still be found around docks and mangrove shorelines on the high tides.  On the super low tides look for the reds to be tailing as they grub for shrimp and crabs on the incoming tide.

This is the time when sheepshead congregate around reefs and structures near the gulf passes in preparation for their spawning activities.  Sheepshead are often called the “Rodney Dangerfield” of fishes because they never seem to get the respect they are due.  Stocks of these fish are plentiful, they are in prime condition, they are a challenge to catch, put up a good fight  and they are good to eat to boot so what else could you ask for?  Keep sheepshead tackle simple: a medium spinner with a stout number one or one ought hook and as little weight as you can get by with is all you need.  Use just about anything with a shell for bait and fish during times of good tidal flow for best results.

Grouper are around all year but we are doing a lot more structure fishing this time of year so we encounter them more often.  Cut bait, pinfish, jigs and trolled plugs are all good choices for inshore grouper.  You are going to take a few lumps from these bruisers but hang in there and you may take home a nice fish dinner.

Tight lines!