Happy Fishing! Check out this weekend's Big Bend fishing report
One great thing about Thanksgiving holiday, having time off to pursue the passion of outdoors. One bad thing about the holidays is everyone seems to be doing the same thing. Whether you’re in the woods or on the water, there’s always extra traffic this weekend.
For those heading to the Gulf of Mexico, mouths of creeks and rivers is where it’s happening. Redfish, seatrout, sheepshead, black drum and mangrove snapper can be found. Don’t overlook the grass lined flats in the late afternoon.
Forecast this weekend looks pretty good… Once the cold winds blow through Friday. That will drop temperatures even more, keeping daytime highs in the low 60’s.
Bait of choice is pretty easy. Live seems to work best. Being a life-long bass fisherman, using live bait was against my religion. Not so much anymore. Lots less work to bait a hook with a pinfish or shrimp, toss it out and let nature do it’s thing. If live bait is not available try frozen. When they’re hungry it doesn’t seem to matter.
If you’ve never fished area rivers that run into the Gulf, it’s all about the structure. Rock piles, oyster bars, ledges and contour changes seem to hold fish. Once you locate these places check your fish finder for bait. If it exists, chances are fish are very nearby. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t boat any right away, as the tide changes so will the bite.
One last thing. It’s gonna be cold. Be sure to dress appropriately, but do it in layers. You’ll thank me by noon or 1pm when that sun gets high. And above all, wear your life jacket. They can be really bulky but they save lives. A good Christmas present if you don’t already have one is an auto-inflatable. They’re lightweight and can be recharged if needed.
As for me, I'll be trolling for grouper Thanksgiving morning, moving to the shallows late afternoon for some more fun catching redfish and trout. Lunch on the boat includes ham sammiches with ALL the fixins'. Have a safe and Happy Holiday weekend!
Cliff "JR" Mundinger
APALACHEE BAY
Otto Hough (myhometownfishing.com) says,” An awesome post full moon weekend it was for those anglers chasing trout or reds inside or gags outside as every species was chomping during the major solunar feed periods. While water temps in the mid 60s along with the moon had the bite on fire, the midweek cold front with nighttime temps in the thirties has served to lower the water temps across Apalachee Bay down into the low 60s to upper 50s. Those trout will be seeking out the warmer waters offered in the deep river and creek holes and cuts. Not far behind the trout will be the reds, though this species is a bit more tolerant off 60° waters along the coastline. Outside, more and more gags are sliding into the shallow waters of Apalachee prior to the winter spawn.
"In short, as nice as the fishing conditions were this past weekend, Ma Nature appears to have other plans for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Cold midweek air temps along with elevated northerly winds will have seas choppy the further from the hill the boat goes. If thinking of chasing gags outside, take time to check the wind velocities and headings provided by the National Data Buoy Center with readings that are constantly updated throughout the day before heading outside.
"As for skinny water flats fishing, colder water temps started pushing lots of trout up the rivers and into the many coastal creeks in search of a degree or two of warmth found in deeper waters. During periods of midday warmth, a few trout will slide back to the creek mouths to feed over the warmer mud flats, but still expect to find a goodly number of trout in the deeper holes and cuts. Working a Mirrolure Heavy Dine 18MR or a traditional slow sinking Mirrolure in these holes will find takers. To locate which deep river hole/cut is holding trout, I like to slow troll a gold/orange bellied or bone colored Bomber Long A. Once the trout slam the plug, it's time to stop trolling, get above the hole to fan cast those Heavy Dines back into the deeper spots on a slow drift.
"If the trout are active in the hole, scoot back up above to work the hole again. If no takers on the first drift, go back to slow trolling. For those anglers thinking about ditch fishing with live bait, 'tis the season. Working a jighead or Carolina rig tipped with a lively shrimp in these deep holes and cuts likely elicit attention from nearly all species. If live baiting, I like to fish the holes/cuts on strong falling tides when water levels drop substantially to concentrate the fish. Almost like fishing in a barrel.
"Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, but always remember the importance of boating safety. Winter is almost here making boating safety even more critical with the element of hypothermia now factored into the mix of wintertime nautical conditions, albeit it's still officially Fall. Once those nighttime air temps slid into the 30s midweek, it became time for all on board my boat to wear a bomber style Coast Guard approved Mustang Survival jackets while the 'Big' motor is purring or at the very least wear an auto-inflatable PFD outside layered winter wear. Whatever the holiday fishing plans may be, boat wisely and safely. Just FISH!"
ST GEORGE ISLAND
Captain Russ Knapp (850-653-5072) reports, “The weather forecast for the weekend as of Wednesday afternoon looks pretty good with seas forecast at 2 to 3 feet on Saturday and 1 to 2 feet on Sunday, however Sunday has a chance of showers National Weather Service has a pair of cold fronts in their forecast with one on Friday and the other on Sunday so as we always tell you recheck things before you head out. Last week we talked about tides being different than forecast and sure enough the low tide on Tuesday was 8 to 12 inch's lower than the prediction so do pay attention.
In the bay, Capt. Dan Fortunas (850 980 0101) has enjoyed a good week of fishing with over slot Redfish, nice Speckled Trout and good-sized Sheepshead to be found in the Cut and hungry for a fresh shrimp fished on the bottom. Capt. Dan also reports the Silver Trout and bull Whiting are hanging out on the oyster flats just West of the low rise in the SGI bridge and won't turn down a fresh Shrimp or piece of cut bait fished on a 2/0 circle on the bottom. With the arrival of the first cold weather look for the Redfish and Trout to start heading up the creeks and rivers of East Bay and the Sheepshead to move in around the bridges and deeper oyster bars.
"Offshore, Capt. Clint Taylor (850 370 6631) suggests focus on Gag Grouper as while the season is scheduled to close on Dec 31, many years the season gets shut down early. Capt. Clint is fishing both the wrecks and live bottom and having good results while fishing with LARGE live baits so be sure to bring lots of sabiki rigs along to catch your bait.
"Tip of the week -- Sheepshead are among the best eating fish you will ever find in our waters but, they are a bit of a challenge to clean. My mentor and good friend Del Gray solved the problem by cutting the entire fillet including the rib cage off the backbone with an electric knife. From there it's an easy task to remove the ribs cage and skin and you will have a great meal, trust me."
KEATON BEACH
Captain Pat McGriff One More Cast Charters (onemorecast@gtcom.net) tells us, “Kicking but and taking names....best describes the fishing at Keaton this past week.
"We had limits on One More Cast for five straight days with trout eating it up and reds happy to see you as well. I had split charters for three days (Friday through Sunday) with Kenny Mullins of Epic Charters also out of Keaton and he had his limits for three anglers on board his boat each of the three days as well.
"My folks used live shrimp under Back Bay Thunders and Friday we caught about half on pinfish. The rest of the week we used shrimp. Water temps which had crashed to 61 degrees last Sunday we up to 65 degrees on Wednesday but hovered around 63 – 64 through the weekend. Trout have been thick in 2.5 –3.5 feet but the reds have been shallower for most folks who could get on in there.
"Jonathon Sisson from up North Ga. way had his brother Lee, Craig Perry, Russ and Evan Thomas and his bro-in-law (forgot his name) were down and the crew of six in two boats limited out on trout easily in two or three hours, each day, using lipped jerkbaits and MirrOdines in 2.0 – 3.5 feet of water. This crew averaged two reds per boat each day and had a limit one of the four days they were here. Doug Garwood was down from Dalton, Ga. and had a limit on the old Walmart Renegades each day his trio fished. His fish were in 2.-0 – 3.5 feet
"I would guess this cold front coming in Wednesday of this week will slow things down a bit; but it is hard to say with the afternoons being the best bite around the hi tide. maybe the water temps won’t drop below 60 and kill our bite. If it does expect to s-l-o-w way down and fish Catch 2000’s MirrOdines, and the Paul Brown series of soft plugs; like the Devil, Original and the SoftDines."
MEXICO BEACH
Captain Kevin Lanier, (KC Sportfishing 850-933-8804) tells us, “As Thanksgiving arrives, I am often reminded about how grateful and fortunate I am to have my family and friends. I am reminded that I have am very lucky to be healthy and living in a place where the outdoors is such a big part of life. Many people tell me that I am living the dream of most, and I sometimes forget how lucky I am. I want to thank you all for your support and following all of us here.
"Fishing has been good on the days we can get out. I know this seems to be a reoccurring theme lately, but it rings true week in and week out. The water has cooled off here on the panhandle which has added a challenge to our days. Inshore wise we are fishing later in the day to have warmer water conditions. This is also the time of year where the water clears and becomes just beautiful. Baits are easier to see. Now, Fluorocarbon leaders are very important in the shallows. If you can find live bait, use it under a popping cork, if not shallow plugs are a good bet. The backs of the bays and bayous will warm earlier in the day so start there. Look for tails and wakes to find fish.
"Offshore fishing has improved. Gag grouper are moving closer in and are hungry. Some nice keeper fish can be found in less that 50 feet of water. Try trolling big plugs on the shoals and see what happens. Live baits in the deeper water is still the ticket. This time of year, take advantage of good weather days. Grouper fishing closes at the end of the year and with the holidays it will be here before you know it. I hope everyone had a Great Thanksgiving."
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Happy Fishing! Check out this weekend's Big Bend fishing report
