Variety is the spice of life. Wintertime does add variety into fishing Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s a time when even a kayak angler is catching fish that aren’t as prevalent in the warmer months.
The cooling of the water brought in the crafty thieving Convict Fish. Sheepshead have been found on the flats around oyster bars the past couple of weeks and are a fun foe on light tackle. As winter wears on, they’ll vacate the flats and pile in on the local rockpiles and bridges. Renowned baitstealers, the sheepshead have been caught on the flats with whole live shrimp and on the rockier areas with fiddler crabs. Getting a bait down to them and keeping a tight line to feel the bites (without moving or bouncing the bait) is essential if you’re targeting these striped bandits.
Also now in the mix are silver trout and whiting. To be honest: We need more cold fronts. They just aren’t great yet.
Battling the tough winds, kayak fishing has been successful and the right game plan a “must”. Without question: If the tides are decent, the fishing is going to be very good somewhere. The latest cold episode shouldn’t change things a great deal and it is exciting to think about the action returning to exactly what it has been. Redfish, trout and even flounder have remained easy targets through the second half of November. Redfish finally got into patterns I would categorize as “Fall” behavior. On one trip, 11 were caught in a two-hour period throwing only 12 Fathom lures and only moving twice to stay on the school on a rising tide.
Speckled trout are good and about to get “really easy.”
Flounder just never really happened this year. Other people reporting flounder? I have to question that. We have caught them but they just haven’t been very big.
As December gets rolling, extra opportunities exist. Taking along some fresh shrimp is a great idea to give you the opportunity to connect with sheepshead. Not that I will. I haven’t baited a hook in four and a half years…hope to continue that streak.
Silver trout will arrive in schools of millions and are hard-hitting, great light tackle action. Bend down the barbs on your hooks for throwing lures to the speckled trout. Keep your lures moving nice and slow for the redfish in cooling waters and don’t be surprised to still catch some big flat flounder this month! Pompano will also be an option and keeping the Silly Willy jigs handy will be the best way to connect on December gold nuggets!
Looking forward to what December has to offer. We need some cooler weather. With that, the opportunities should abound.
Neil
Strike Three Kayak Fishing
Owner, capmel.com
727-692-6345
- The Neil Blog… - July 26, 2023
- The Catfish - July 26, 2023
- update - July 22, 2023
