The bite this past week was hotter than a Christmas candle. Trout led the parade with fish often hooked on every cast. Many were undersized or borderline slot, but there were enough legal fish to slime the coolers. The cooler conditions led to aggressive fights, too. Redfish of all sizes and flounder were also part of the mixed bags.
Water temperatures warmed slightly, into the lower to mid-60-degree range, but expect another dip with the latest cold front. Water clarity is excellent and the lower stretches of the coastal rivers were the prime zones, especially around oyster bars. The fish weren’t too picky, with topwater plugs, smaller soft plastics and gold spoons all producing.
Trout in the mid-20-inch range were very aggressive and gladly thumped Aqua Dream 1/4-ounce weedless gold spoons, along with their reddish cousins. Trout Support jerk baits in Chicken on a Chain and pearl Z-man jointed minnow lures were also working. Chrome patterns are producing in the stick bait department. Live shrimp, with minimal weight soaked on the bottom or under a clacker cork, is the most readily available bait for winter-time trips. Mud minnows can be cast-net and fiddler crabs scooped up along the shoreline. Sheepshead love fiddler crabs but will seldom refuse a frisky shrimp.
With the moon phase waning, tides won’t be nearly as pronounced this weekend. The water will be falling all morning with lows in the barely negative level around lunch time. Less than three feet of water will return by dusk. Average feeding activity will be sandwiched around the lows as the moon rises.
This is an excellent time to get the junior anglers on the water. Kids have a blast with the steady action and even little tykes can handle trout by themselves. With the holiday break there will be plenty of opportunities for the next couple weeks. Remember, it is prohibited to anchor in marked navigation channels; move off to the sides instead. Also be aware of depths at ramps depending on the tides and be careful with the sea fog. It will often build again during the day with the temperature changes, which reduces visibility significantly.
Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.