On the Water: Cooler days bring good sheepshead action
After a mild end to 2021 and the first couple weeks of the new year, cooler weather has arrived. While the drop in water temperature has slowed action on many species, the change sparked a bite for others.
As the temperature dropped, sheepshead action heated up. Cooler weather combined with a full moon gave anglers the best bite of the year for the stripped bandits. Good numbers of fish were caught from Punta Rassa to the south all along the coastal islands and passes north up to Placida. Sheepshead were also found on nearshore gulf reefs in depths from 20 to 45 feet. Live or fresh shrimp was the bait of choice, fished on a knocker rig, spit-shot or rigged on a jig head.
Seatrout measuring up to 21 inches were found in Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor around Bokeelia. No hot bites were reported, however anglers putting in the time often scored with a limit of good fish. In the Sound fish were hooked fishing deeper sand holes along the east side of Cayo Costa State Park and Captiva Island. The best bite was at the bottom of the extreme low tides as water began rising. Live and DOA shrimp under popping or rattling corks, and soft plastics in a white or pearl color were top baits. Ladyfish, jack crevalle, plus a few pompano and flounder also took the baits.
With the drop in water temperature the snook bite slowed. Anglers pursuing catch-and-release snook action found the best bite over the warmest part of day around mid-afternoon. Snook were hooked in creeks and canals around St. James City, “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge, Redfish Pass and Matlacha. Live shrimp and shrimp on a jig head, plus soft plastics in white and new penny, were top baits.
Calm seas allowed anglers several beautiful days for offshore fishing in gulf waters over the week. Red grouper up to 30 inches came from depths between 70 and one hundred 100 feet west of Captiva and southwest off Knapp’s Point, along with big mangrove snapper, lane snapper, porgy and grunts. In shallower depths from 20 to 45 feet, a mix of sheepshead, mangrove and lane snapper, grunts, flounder and permit were caught on shrimp.
It looks like cooler temperatures, at least water temperature, are here for a while. It’s time to go catch some sheepshead as they thrive in the cold and are hungry and active as they are in spawning season. If you’re brave, the coldest days are often the best days to get on a hot sheepshead bite. Dress warm and take plenty of bait.
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, contact Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239-410-8576 (call or text); on the web at www.fishpineisland.com; or via email at gcl2fish@live.com.
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, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years.