Nature Coast: William Toney

January is one of the best months to target sheepshead. Two of the best places are in the rivers and out on the nearshore rocks. In the rivers holes with lots of rock and structure are best. I use a 1/8th. jig head with a live shrimp for bait. One of my favorite sheepshead spots on the river is a dock that has two shackles that slid up and down a oyster shell pylon with the tides or big wakes. On low tides this creates a chummed are that sheepshead will feed at. Some anglers even will use a flat blade shovel to scrape a dock post to chum them. As always if it’s not your dock ask permission if your lucky you won’t have to scrape all 8 post before the owner will let you fish there. 

 On the nearshore rocks on most calm days you can drift over the structure and see if there are fish on it. Some days though it can be churned up with bad visibility on those day’s usually a few days after a cold front the sheepshead will bite good. High profile rocks generally have more fish. The sheepshead tend to bite well out there and a angler can get a quick feel for the bite. I usually let my fisherman know the bite will be a “peck” “peck” followed be a slow deliberate pull. When this happens set the hook. This weekend incoming tide will be at daylight in the morning. 

Fishing in the dead of winter can be a roller coaster ride of weather events that can turn the fish on or off just like a light switch. The tough days are during a cold front and the next few days after but when the wind switches around to the south us anglers are back in business. By now most game fish have acclimated to the winter fronts and are ready to move if it gets cold.  For the in close fishing around the major creeks and rivers I tend to go back to the same spots where I caught them last. Those spots have one thing in common and its access to deep water, whether it be a hole, canal or dark water channel, it’s where fish will ride out the cold nights until the sun warms the shallow edges. using a shallow running plug or soft plastic on the edges of the deep water will get the bite. 

 Other methods of finding warm water is to study the outside keys. Keys that run east and west have a south side that will block a cool north wind but also collect the southern sun in the protective coves. Dark bottom on a protective cove will be warm, the fish know it and you will to you may have to peel a layer of cloths off to cool down. These areas are often good for redfish and they will blend in by staying still, so slow going is the best bet and sometimes just staking out and being patient pays of. Live shrimp is the best bait, let the fish find it. Remember in cold water scent does not carry far. High incoming tide will be in the afternoon this weekend.