Mother Nature is going to help with social distancing this weekend as elevated winds and strong thunderstorms are predicted throughout. That will give the fish and inshore waters a brief rest as prudent boaters will stay on the hill. Adjoining counties have drastically reduced ramp access, despite the Governor’s order that fishing is allowed with social distancing. Unfortunately many sandbar partiers and over-loaded boats have ruined things for those who were abiding by the guidelines.
The full moon earlier in the week triggered super strong tides, but in typical fashion the daytime bite was somewhat slow. As the lunar impact fades, the spring season will continue strong. Water temperatures were in the mid- to upper-70s, pre-front. The water is crystal clear in many places, but cloudy and silty in others. The murkiness could be attributed in part to the large schools of mullet and roaming stingrays along the coast. Sea turtles, sharks and all the typical bait are back in big numbers as well.
Still haven’t heard any reports of pompano yet, but they should be around. On calm days, check for them on sand troughs or skipping behind the boat wake. These tasty jacks are suckers for a pompano or bucktail jig bounced slowly across the sand. As sight-feeders, they key in on the puffs the jigs make. A DOA shrimp (the new 2.75 version) is another option, along with the standard sand flea soaked on the bottom.
A few cobia are coming to the gaff and tripletail are hanging around structure, too. Large bucktails or eel jigs are too tempting for ling, while DOA 1/4-ounce shrimp are deadly on the tripletail. Most of the trips are too small to keep, but even a junior puts up a tremendous scrap on light tackle. Be careful releasing these fish, though. The gill plates are super sharp and will slice quicker than a razor.
The trout bite has been steady. Depths have ranged from about 5 feet to skinny (think submerged oyster bars and rock grass). This is prime time for topwater action, with Heddon Super Spooks, MirrOlure Top Dogs/She Dogs, Storm Chug Bugs and Rapala Skitter Walks getting the nod. Action is more important than color right now, although silver in the pattern can’t hurt. Using a loop knot to attach the plug will add the most movement. Jigs and fake shrimp are also working well on trout right now. Fish them solo with modest twitches or suspended under a popping or clacker cork.
Redfish have been scattered this past week. A few schools of smaller fish are around, but they are extremely spooky. Larger fish are cruising solo, but aren’t hanging out in their traditional haunts. A weedless Aqua Dream spoon or soft-plastic CAL jerk bait will entice the copper drum.
Low tides will be mid-mornings through the weekend, with highs cresting in the late afternoon. With the moon waning, the solunar feeding windows will only be average in intensity. If you go, be careful with the seas/winds and please observe the corona guidelines so the Wakulla County ramps can remain open.
Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.