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Updated 1/9/2012
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Awesome Winter
Redfish Action
Checking back through my fishing logs of years past, I cannot
ever remember catching so many quality size redfish during the
month of January as I caught last week. In previous years most
of our winter redfish have been on the small side even though
they can often be in huge numbers when located.
Although there are plenty of these rat reds around this year
too, there seem to be many more quality fish in the mix too.
Anywhere from the passes to deeper mangrove shorelines, the
redfish bite was wide open all week long. Even the coldest
temperatures of this winter so far could not slow the bite
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One of the many wide open redfish bites this week came, as
expected, as the last big cold front went through. Not expecting much
action two days after the front with morning low temperatures in the
high 30s, I returned to the same places I had caught fish during the
front passing and crossed my fingers. I was at least hoping sheepshead
and trout would be feeding in the cold, stirred-up water.
Unbelievably to me, the redfish were still thick and feeding hard. A few
redfish up in the seven-pound range were the big ones of that trip with
even a few snook in the mix too. With conditions that cold, I had had
very low expectations for this trip but came out smelling like a rose.
Fishing later in the week as temperatures struggled to recover, I had
boated a limit of redfish for my clients at the first stop of the trip,
so I decided to head up to Redfish Pass to see if I could get them in on
some sheepshead action along the wall. Same deal here: everyone was
hooked up with redfish. In the pack of a dozen or so boats just about
someone on every boat was hooked up. Captiva Pass was the same way. This
huge amount of redfish we are currently experiencing is an awesome thing
with 30-plus redfish being the normal catch all week long. If this keeps
going it’s going to be a great winter on the water.
Personally, I am not very tolerant of the cold. It always gives me a
chuckle though when clients from the north show up in shorts to go
fishing on frigid winter days, even though I have suggested they bring
warm clothes.
It seems once our northern visitors see the sun and hear a forecast of
70 degrees, they put on beach apparel. They explain that this Florida
cold is nothing like Wisconsin/ Minnesota cold. Then they will often
laugh at me when I'm wearing enough clothing to be out on the Bering
Sea. But only until we get underway. It generally takes but a few
minutes for them to feel the chill and start to wrap up.
Once out on an open boat and running 30 mph in mid-50 to 60-degree
temperatures, it is cold no matter where you are from. Once stopped in a
sheltered spot, you might get away with wearing shorts, but with the
water temperature in the low 60s the air temperature is going to be
close to that and you can add in a wind chill factor. Some days are just
bitterly cold out on the water this time of year.
If you’re taking a charter, it’s better to have too many clothes than
not enough.
Click the links below to view copies of my other recent reports.
12-19-2011 -
12-26-2011 -
01-02-2012
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