Let the guessing games begin. With fronts rumbling through on a regular basis now, finding fish consistently becomes a little more challenging. If it warms up, they could be outside creek mouths and roaming on the shallower, dark bottom flats. Several nights of colder temperatures will push them into deeper holes and the coastal rivers. So it may take checking out several locations to find fish, but once you do the action can be very good.
With water temps in the mid-50s early before warming to the lower 60s, combined with negative low tides, there were redfish scattered on turtle grass flats last weekend. Most were slot size, with a few larger ones mixed in. Schools and single/pairs of sheepshead were frequenting the same zones. Because of the depth, weedless lures were required. The best redfish bite occurred in the backcountry creeks on various lures.
There were mixed reports of both trout and redfish in the St. Marks River. Cut bait worked well as did lipped stick bait lures. There have also been a few Spanish mackerel landed up-river and the mangrove snapper and sheepshead should be increasing in numbers. Small jigs and live shrimp will trick the mangroves, while shrimp and fiddler crabs are the top offerings for the convict fish.
For the next few months the top lures for winter trout will be slow suspending baits in natural patterns. Rapala X-Raps, Unfair Lures Rip-n-Slash, Paul Brown Fat Boys and MirrOlure TT and Catch 2000 lures worked slowly through the water column will entice chilled fish with slower metabolisms. Live shrimp on a jig head or shrimp lures/touts are good back-ups. Use the lightest weights possible to minimize snagging the bottom.
Timing can also be a key factor in success. Early or mid-morning low tides will expose mud flats, rock piles and oyster bars. As the sun warms these features, they will hold the radiated heat. Once the water floods back in, temperatures can be several degrees warmer which attracts bait and game fish. A top-water plug danced slowly over those structures will often trigger strikes as well.
Winds are expected to be lighter on Friday before another front comes through Saturday bringing rain and more wind. Winds and seas are predicted to drop back down by Sunday afternoon but high pressure may suppress appetites. Weaker high tides will crest around the lunch hour before falling all afternoon. The peak feeding window will occur the last couple hours of the flood as the moon is up.