The month of February has started a lot like the preceding one—with fluctuating weather and hit or miss fishing opportunities across the bay. Good reports of trout and redfish filter in, with suspending lures, swim baits and spoons scoring the most. Gold, pearl and watermelon patterns have been the favorite colors. But there are other reports of barren stretches or uncooperative fish due to weak tidal movement. In other words, it’s typical for this time of year and you won’t know unless you go.
The recent winds and storms have affected the water clarity somewhat. It’s not quite as clear as it had been previously. Thursday gale force winds won’t help matters and it’ll likely take a couple days to clear again. But with Sunday’s full moon and decent weather on tap, the odds are improving for more good action. Sheepshead and sand trout have been consistent by-catches of late, with fiddler crabs or fresh dead shrimp tops for the convicts. Sandies will eat most anything tossed in front of their noses, so they are good candidates to clear the tackle box of those weird jig colors that won’t tempt anything else.
The tidal creeks and coastal river mouths are still the most productive places to prospect. Water temperatures have been hovering in the mid- to upper 50s. The overnight lows near freezing may push the fish up-current some, although heavy rains and run-off may counteract the movement towards warmer water. Use the boat’s sonar to check the depths and don’t commit to any one place too long before moving on. The fish concentrate in those areas that are most favorable. Find those and it can be one on every cast.
Shields Marina and the St. Marks fort ramp are the two most predictable places to launch this weekend due to their deepwater access and the extreme negative lows right around daylight. The mid-afternoon highs will offer plenty of water, however, cresting at more than 3 feet. With the bright full moon, the solunar tables are calling for very high feeding activity from lunch time until the peak of the high tide as the moon is down. There’s a lesser high activity window sandwiched for an hour around the low tides. The oyster bar maze in the lower stretch of the St. Marks River would be an ideal spot to target during this low-water period.
Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.