Where are the fish biting? Check out this weekend's Big Bend fishing report
APALACHEE BAY
Otto Hough (Facebook @myhometownfishing) says, ” Sadly, the weekend anglers are again drawing the proverbial "short straw" this coming weekend, beginning Friday morning with first wave of rain showers predicted to arrive early. The fine fishing conditions at the first of the week, through Wednesday are getting replaced by another wet, cold and windy low pressure system pushing over the waters of the Big Bend. Expect to encounter another dose of cold northwest winds with morning, if not all day rain showers Saturday. Winds will be lingering into Sunday, but the rain should clear. Ma Nature's elements will almost nix any fishing opportunities, at least for Friday and Saturday, with a decent glimmer of hope for Sunday, though northwest winds will still be in the mix.
What the weekend anglers don't won't to know is that those anglers fortunate enough to have had an opportunity to fish the first half of this week found trout beginning to stage as the skinny waters warmed considerably each afternoon, even tickling 65 degrees Wednesday afternoon. Both the submerged East River bars and the darker, rocky bottoms of Sulphur Bay were quite productive through midweek. Many of the rock formations to the east near Aucilla, the ones you all should have marked during one of the strong negative lows earlier this winter, were holding a good number of foraging mustard mouth trout that slipped out of the creeks to enjoy the afternoon warmth. Those dark rock piles and slightly submerged bars warm quickly during sunny days, offering good ambush spots for the trout. These are favored haunts for the trout until Spring when the turtle grasses begin to get growing again, creating spotty bottom camouflage for the trout. Wednesday, plug casting over rocks and submerged bars with 17MR MirroDines, Cordell Redfins and Saltwater Assassin five inch glow/chartreuse jerk shads were all snookering some fine "catch and release" trout during the warm weekday afternoon.
It's a bummer looming for the weekend as the great midweek conditions are not what the weekend anglers will be experiencing over the weekend. Friday is predicted to be a wet day before really cold temps, with rainy, windy conditions arrive early Saturday morning. The best bet over the weekend will likely just be Sunday. Ditch fishing with some lively shrimp worked in the river holes that are somewhat out of the wind or working close to the hill plug casting during the early falling tides near those coastal creek mouth drains offer up the best chances Sunday.
The long and the short of it all, this weekend won't be anything holding any real promise. After this low pressure system clears, the start of next week will be offering up far better fishing opportunities. It is what it is when it comes to the fickle whims of Ma Nature.
Just be smart out there over the weekend given the predicted nasty weather. Rain and cold weather gear, plus wearing an auto-inflatable PFD will be advisable. Be smart, boat wisely and safely. If the opportunity presents, just FISH!
ST GEORGE ISLAND
Captain Russ Knapp (850-653-5072) reports, “As much as I hate to say it, the weather forecast for the weekend looks pretty nasty with winds NW 10-15 knots and seas running 3’ to 5’ on Saturday with Sunday even worse with winds 15 to 20 knots NW and 4 to 6 foot seas. You can expect a 50% chance of rain Saturday mostly in the morning with high temperatures around 60 both days which makes one wonder how long till spring ?
Tides at the Cut on Saturday feature a 6:30 AM 1.1’ high , followed by a midday .5 low than finishing with a 6pm 1.6 high. Sundays first high tide is at 8am at 1.0’, followed by a noon .8 low than ending with a 7 PM 1.6 high so you will have good water movement both days if you decide to brave the weather.
On a brighter note, Capt. Lee Chapin (850 370 6400) reports the Sheepshead bite has been on fire with the tasty fish to be found in the Cut, around the bridge pilings and under most any deep water dock. Capt. Lee is surprisingly having the best results fishing small live Shrimp but he reports they can't turn down a live Fiddler Crab either.
If you’re having a boat-less weekend all is not lost as the Whiting are feeding off the beach and would love for you to offer them a bit of fresh Shrimp , a "fishbite" or a combo of the two. I've not had any first person reports from the river or East Bay but you should be able to find Trout in the deep holes around the creek mouths. Remember the water is cold and so are the fish so fish slower than you normally would.
Offshore this weekend is closed out by the weather so we aren't even going to talk about fishing out in that mess as it' frankly not safe with the seas running high.
Tip of the week--I've mentioned this before but there is a really good group. Captains for Clean Water, could really use our help. I strongly suggest you Goggle them and consider joining up. They deal mostly with problems in the SW part of the state but are working for all of us everywhere and are getting things done.
ECONFINA
With the bad weather and low tides I've been fishing the coastal rivers for bass, bream and stripers. Try Rapala jointed minnows and crankbaits in gold or silver colors. Look for spots that have deep water right next to the bank and fish right along the drop-off, generally the rivers are better than the creeks this time of year. You might also try a jighead/ paddle tail combo in the same spots. Capt. Randy Peart (Captpeart@yahoo.com)
MEXICO BEACH
Captain Kevin Lanier of KC Sportfishing charters (850 933 8804) reports,” February came in with wind and rain but has not dampened the fishing. Both inshore and offshore fishing has been good. The opportunities to run offshore have been few and far between but when you can get out it has been good.
Inshore fishing continues to be steady and no boat is required to have success. Lur on Sydni Booth of Port St. Joe proves this with a 21-inch Sheepshead caught off one of the local seawalls using a live shrimp. Trout and Red Fish are around as well. This bite should continue for another month or so. Watch for the schools of Sheepshead to show up on the near shore structures sometime in the next few weeks.
On a note of concern, make sure you check out the new Gag Grouper regulations that looks like it goes into effect this year. Not good for us in the Gulf. Make sure you contact your local legislative representative to voice your displeasure.
BIG BEND KAYAK REPORT
Salt strong coach Matt Lanier (Matt@saltstrong.com) tells us, “I sure am ready for some warmer weather! However, as it looks, this weekend’s temperatures look like they aren’t going to be headed in the right direction. It’s looking like more winds and a bit of a chance at some rain, but if the weather holds out some, there could be some chances at getting onto some solid fish!
With the change in water temps, the fish will/should feed pretty well if you find the right spot. Typically, finding wind protection will be important, as the calmer areas will tend to have warmer water.
The trout that are schooled up, are still found in their usual haunts around structure and ledges and depth changes. You can still find solid numbers in the deeper holes in creeks, and on the ledges of the flats. Be sure to use jig heads heavy enough to get you down in the deeper part of the water column, where those fish are at; and now that we are in the colder part of the year, exposed jig heads will be optimal, as there is less grass to get hung up in.
It can often be helpful to downsize the size of your bait in the colder months, going to a smaller presentation, to entice the bite from those more lethargic fish. The fish have a slower metabolism in the winter and will not use calories to chase a bait down like they will in the warmer months. Therefore, fishing smaller baits, on the bottom, is a great wintertime tactic.
On warmer afternoons, redfish can still be found roaming the flats in some of those late fall habits, cruising in creek mouths and oyster beds during the rising tide, and in the soft current seams of depth changes on the falling tide.
Productive lures range have been ranging from paddletails to shrimp imitations and hard baits (like the Salt Strong FRED Paddletail, Power Prawn, or the MR17), but the biggest factor is warmth. It the sun is shining, your lure choice can be a bit more aggressive and you can fish faster, but if it is a dark and cloudy day, try to go something smaller, and more subtle to illicit those strikes from fish that are slower to react.The Florida Redfish Series Stop 2 is just around the corner on February25 in Panama City at The Bay Point Marina. At the last event there was a record turnout of 37 kayaks and about 63 boats! Let’s see if we can beat that number on the Emerald Coast! Be sure to go to flredfishseries.com for more information on this event and others upcoming.
If you find yourself on the water and fishing in a spot where you haven’t gotten a bite for the last 15 minutes… it’s time to move. Keep looking for the 90/10 zone where those fish are holding. Don’t waste time in unproductive areas. The fish are moving and so should you!
To get the kids on some fish quickly, a live shrimp or GULP! under a popping cork around creeks, creek mouths, and even grass lines is a solid producer of fish. And the best part is you never know what you’ll catch because everything eats shrimp… EVEN ME!For an easy way to find the 90/10 zone, go to www.saltstrong.com/recipe for some tips on finding the fish in your area!
If you plan on getting out this weekend, be sure to dress appropriately. Stay warm and always make sure you check (and double check) your gear and the weather. But most importantly… STAY SAFE & HAVE FUN!
LAKE SEMINOLE
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has been excellent to start the new year!
As we close out January and move into February the Bass will transition into their pre spawn areas and the big Bass will be feeding up for the upcoming spawn!
The Crappie fishing has also been very good this month and we been catching BIG ones as we move into February the Crappie fishing will get even better!
For an exciting Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure for Bass and or Crappie, email us @lakeseminolefishingadventures@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @capt.paultyrefishing and Facebook @capt.paultyrefishing
FRESHWATER
The full moon along with really warm weekday afternoons got the pre-spawn bass in Lake Iamonia feeding aggressively into midweek. Lots of buck bass and near spawn ready females were viciously attacking Zoom Magnum Speedvibes worked at a moderate pace across the sparse pads in water, 3 to 5 feet deep. By next week, the bedding cycle should really be cranking. Please release those big girls to keep the quality genes in the lake for subsequent generations of anglers, my grandkids and yours, to enjoy! If specs are on your target list, anglers fishing with live minnows were seemingly having the greatest success on the backside of the full moon over artificials baits.
Water! What Iamonia is beginning to need, just like Lake Jackson, is a big infusion of rain water. Maybe the predicted rains Friday and Saturday will provide some low water relief. Fingers are crossed. Just FISH!
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Here is this weekend's Big Bend fishing report
