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Now it feels like winter and the fishing will change

4 min read

Well, we knew it couldn’t last forever. Our warm weather that we enjoyed for weeks on end finally gave way to frigid cold that dropped down from the north. We still have it a lot better than most of the country, but the drop in temperatures did put a big change in fishing.

Trout that were out roaming the flats for food last week moved back to deeper and protected waters with the cold. This means they can be tightly grouped where during the mild weather they were often sparsely scattered over the flats. Look for them around the deeper holes near oyster bars in Matlacha Pass, potholes along the shallow grass flats in Pine Island Sound, in canals and in protected creeks and bays including Jug Creek at Bokeelia and Tarpon Bay at Sanibel.

When it’s cold, the bait that works best is often fished very slowly on or near the bottom. A live shrimp hooked to a jig head or troll rite or most of the shrimp look-alike soft plastics are all you need to catch them. When it’s cold, they still eat, you just have to slow down the bait.

You may also catch snook, redfish, pompano and sheepshead in these same areas on the same shrimp-type baits. As the water warms, the fish will become more active and begin to spread out again.

Most of the redfish caught in the creeks and around oyster bars this past week were “rat reds,” or smaller fish under 18 inches. They can get in pretty big schools in a small area and are a blast to catch on light tackle. The larger reds with many over-sized were caught on the skinny water in northern Pine Island Sound.

With the extreme low water the cold front produced, anglers working from kayaks had a huge advantage. Launching from Pineland and working south of the launch site worked for both tailing fish and others feeding in potholes. Large live shrimp enticed tailers up to 31 inches over the shallow grass and scented soft plastics fooled redfish in the potholes. A few big trout and several sheepshead were also caught from the holes. The best bite was during the first half of the incoming tide.

This change in weather should get the sheepshead bite going. Up until now it has been disappointing. They thrive on the cold and we just didn’t have it. This change should push a lot more of the big fish inshore where they will begin to school. The largest fish every year generally come from structure near the gulf or passes. The old phosphate docks at Boca Grande, docks and rock jetties at both Redfish and Captiva passes, the Sanibel Pier and docks at Punta Rassa always seem to yield the largest fish.

That’s not the only place you can get on good sheepshead action. You may find them just about anywhere there is a bit of structure and some good moving water. Oyster bars in Matlacha Pass, surrounding Charlotte Harbor and in the sound are also prime areas to look – just remember, they like moving water. They also prefer bait fished on the bottom and it needs to be some type of crustacean (they don’t eat fish).

Where most anglers fail with sheepies is with the terminal tackle. If you go with too big a hook and bait you won’t have much success. It’s one of the few times where smaller is better is true. They have a small, very toothy mouth for the size of the fish and like to peck the baits often resulting in just a bare hook if it’s over-rigged. A small sharp stainless bait holder-type hook buried in a small shrimp or cut pieces will almost always out-fish and catch bigger fish than larger rigs.

Sheepshead can be a lot of fun to catch and are also excellent eating. If you have not caught them before, expect to miss a lot before you get the feel for the bite and when to set the hook. If you use shrimp, buy about twice as much as you think you will need as they are commonly known as professional bait stealers.

If you have a fishing story or photo that you would like to share or for charter information, please call us at (239)283-7960 or visit us at www.fishpineisland.com Have a safe week and good fishin’.