This past weeks weather dropped the water temperatures to a lethal low for most fish. I saw some dead snook,mullet, lady fish, pinfish and 1 trout. The water temperature at Hell’s Gate Sunday was a chilly 48.7 degrees. Although we did take a good hit I believe the local consensus is that it was not as bad as the freeze ten years ago. On the bright side I did see small schools of redfish and trout sunning on the shallow banks of the river who appeared healthy when they saw my vessel, taking off at full speed. The Citrus County coast line rivers with our many springs became life saving refuges for manatees and fish. I believe what fish did not go to the springs are out in deep Gulf waters riding out the cold and will return back to the shallows in time. Those fish that perished were quickly taken advantage off by many different marine birds and mammals. I had a buzzard who flew off with more then he could hold onto and nearly had a direct hit on my boat with a large jack crevalle!

 A cold water fish that should be ready to bite is the sheepshead. The nearshore rocks are the best spots to target. Finding live shrimp may be a issue for bait but fiddler crabs or small rock crabs will work just as well. I use a 2/0 Owner Bait style hook with a 1/4 oz. sliding sinker ( knocker rig ). Cast just to the edge of the structure and let it settle in the sand. A sheepshead bite can be subtle so if you feel the line bounce or become heavy set the hook. This weekends incoming tide will be mid morning.
William Toney
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