On the Water: Fishing around cold fronts over the holidays
Plan to fish around cold fronts for the next few months. That’s the routine in winter, a cold front with a couple windy and cools days, followed by several days with perfect weather, then repeat.
In Gulf waters, fishing depths from 25 to 45 feet, anglers report a mixed catch of sheepshead, snapper, grunts, flounder, Spanish mackerel, blue runners and catch-and-release grouper. At times, the bite was good and other times slow, often requiring boats to move around and fish different areas to get on a bite.
Sheepshead fishing is slowly getting better after each cool front. Anglers found sheepshead in south Matlacha Pass around deep oyster bars and creeks, under docks around St. James City, Tarpon Bay on Sanibel, Captiva’s Roosevelt Channel and around North Captiva and Cayo Costa State Park. The Matlacha Drawbridge yielded a few sheepshead for shore-bound anglers.
Fresh shrimp cut in half and threaded on a small sharp j-hook or circle hook with a small sliding egg sinker and a couple of feet of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader is one of the most popular sheepshead rigs. Unlike most of our fish, the colder it gets the better sheepshead like it; often they feed best on the coldest, nastiest days.
Seatrout action was good across the inshore waters however a large percentage are running an inch or so under the minimum legal size. Anglers found it possible to catch one after another of smaller fish. A few larger fish were caught with the little guys over open water grass flats but the majority of the bigger fish came from sand holes near oyster bars and bar edges or drop-offs.
Anglers are reporting scattered redfish in Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound. Many of the fish are on the small side known as “rat reds” averaging from 14-17 inches. While these juvenile fish are small, they put up a great fight.
In Matlacha Pass reds were caught under the mangroves in the washouts of some of the deeper creeks and around the perimeter of oyster bars. Also in the Sound, potholes, deep mangrove shorelines and creek mouths from Blind Pass down to Tarpon Bay on Sanibel. For baits, a live shrimp fished under a popping cork, freelined or on bottom with a small split-shot sinker were hard to beat. Shrimp-tipped eighth or quarter-ounce jigs and Gulp shrimp also got their attention. Redfish up to 26 inches were caught from potholes on the lower tides on the eastern side of Pine Island Sound casting spoons and jerk baits.
For action with a variety of fish, keep an eye out for feeding birds. Inshore, it often indicates a school of ladyfish, a favorite if you just want action. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle, seatrout and sharks are often with the ladies. In Gulf waters, birds could indicate Spanish and king mackerel, bonito, jack crevalle, sharks and others.
With cooler temperatures, bonnethead sharks are common inshore. Most run under 4 feet, are lightning fast and a lot of fun to catch on light tackle. Bonnetheads prefer shrimp over fish-type baits. Many people mistake them for a hammerhead as they look very similar. A whole shrimp under a popping cork with a long shank hook, or a short trace of light wire leader is a great rig for hooking and landing them. Like all sharks, they have a mouth full of small teeth so be careful when handling.
I hope during the holiday week good weather allows everyone a chance to get on the water and enjoy or outdoors. From my family to yours, Merry Christmas.
Stay up to date with fishing regulations by visiting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission at: www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations with pictures to help identify fish. If you turn on your GPS location the Fish Rules app updates to your location. In my opinion, it is more accurate and up to date than FWC’s website.
Have a safe week and good fishin’
As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt. Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Florida.