Even with the calendar flip, fishing remains tough along the Forgotten Coast. The inshore water temperatures have warmed slightly, but regular rain has clouded visibility. Still, there are some fish to be caught for those who put in the time.
The best action for trout remains the lower stretches of coastal rivers where the salinity is higher or in the backcountry creeks. A variety of lures are working with a mix of colors and styles. Slow suspending plugs, shrimp lures and the venerable grub tail on a jig, like the SureKetch or CAL series, are a ready stand-by. If the water is murky, try pearl, glow or chartreuse. Gold and natural patterns will work in the clearer depths.
Redfish are schooling with the winter season. Strength in numbers and shallow haunts offer protection from marauding dolphin. Try soft jerk baits, weedless spoons and bucktail jigs for the reds, but be sure to use ones with weed guards in the skinny stuff.
There are a number of alternative targets, including flounder around the nearshore reefs, sheepshead, mangrove snapper and black sea bass. The sea bass will hit most anything and are great sport for the kids on light tackle. They’re quite tasty, too, if you find the bigger ones.
The wind and tides are not going to be optimal this coming weekend. Winds are forecast to be at or above small craft advisory levels with another approaching front. The waning crescent moon phase won’t move a lot of water either. Moderate highs just over two feet will occur mid-mornings, with only a slight drop-off by mid-afternoons for the lows. The best opportunities for feeding activity will be the last couple hours before the crest while the moon is still up. An average window will open again the last hour before dead low.
Copyright 2021, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.