Poor weather has limited time on the water. During the first of the week the weather was mild and sunny with neap tides. Low tide was around mid day. This is a good set for targeting reds on the flats! The reds were very skittish. The current almost not moving. Water temperature was 52 degrees. When fishing the flats during winter soft plastics with little no weight are in order.
While most of reds were not eating some would. A definite give away was some reds were chasing small minnows. “These fish will eat”! The bite was not frenetic but it was possible to pick off some nice fish. When its comes to casting it was the law of large numbers. The more casts, the more likely to catch a fish. These fish were caught blind casting. I’ve said some days I’ll look like a guide. I’ll point to fish and say where to cast there and there’s a fish. This was not that kind of fishing. Lots of blind casts resulting in some nice fish. Some flats are holding large numbers of fish. Fishermen are targeting these fish mostly with float rigs and minnows. Like fishermen pitching plastics bait fishermen are seeing lots of fish and catching some. As temperatures warm up reds will turn on!
There are some sheepshead on the inside but as winter progresses the bite switches to offshore. Last’s Saturday learning trip failed to produce sheepshead on two drops on the inside. One drop was close to the sound. There will be sheepshead close to the sounds but anticipate the bite to on near shore wrecks and reefs.
No reports lately on stripers. Neap tides are a good time to target this fish. Traditionally the best striper bite is on the high change of the tide with live shrimp. Water temperature is currently too cold for shrimp. Fishermen can pull stripers by various techniques one effective method is deep water jigging with an ounce and half jig. Fishermen that tried whiting fishing along the sandbars have found no success. Similarly water is too cold for whiting on the inside. For now, the best fishing will those fishing deep holes for seatrout with jigs or deep sinking adjustable float rigs or fishing the flats for reds.
Hope this of interest and help! Check the events for upcoming seminars! Hope to see you at one or more seminars!
Fish On!
Capt. Jack McGowan
www.coastalrivercharters.com