As bay water temperatures continue to rebound from what was an unusually cold December we are finally starting to see some good shallow water fishing again. Mild weather conditions last week allowed for the water temperature on the flats to reach 62 degrees in the afternoon. These warmer water conditions …Read the Rest
Recent cold fronts have slowed inshore fishing down dramatically. When the water temperature drops into the low 50s, it’s best to plan your trips for the afternoon.
If you’re lucky enough to get a nice enough day to venture into the gulf, the near-shore grouper action continues to be good. Hard-bottom areas that have any kind of small ledges or rock-piles in 20 to 50 feet of water are holding gag and red grouper. Most all of the red grouper are too small to keep but the gags are ranging 8 to 12 pounds.
Cooler water temperastures as well as windy conditions have made it difficult to pattern baitfish over the past few days, so live shrimp have came in handy the past few days.
After a cold front passes through it can take several days for conditions to become optimal for fish to begin feeding again. Inshore waters cool more rapidly than deeper offshore waters, so even a weak cold front can drop the water temps enough to shut the flats down.
Last week’s cold front may have slowed fishing down for most species, but for gag grouper it signified a shallow …Read the Rest
Dramatic surges in the barometric pressure can make fish have lockjaw or feed like crazy. As I fished my way through the first real cold front of the year I noticed a few things that helped me understand Mother Nature’s effects on fishing, as we brace for the seemingly endless barrrage of cold fronts.
Kingfishing has yet to get really good in our near-shore waters. The biggest problem has been the warmer water. At 77 degrees the water is just a bit too warm to attract schools of baitfish and, in turn, predators. This front will hopefully bring it down closer to that 72 degree mark.
Unlike last year, the month of October is definitely living up to its billing. Resident as well as migratory fish species are firing on all cylinders. Last week’s full moon brought swift moving tides and some outstanding fishing.
A weak cold front last week should only progress our fishing further. As the bait flushes into our near shore waters, these small fronts will continue to bring new arrivals of baitfish and predators alike.
Dropping water temperatures have brought new species to our near-shore waters including; Bonita, cobia, kingfish and grouper.
