DECEMBER ON THE WATER
December brings cooler days around Southwest Florida and a change in the way many of us fish. As temperatures drop it will push small baitfish offshore and south to warmer waters. As this occurs, shrimp will become the primary diet for most fish through the winter months. There are not many fish in our coastal waters that won’t eat a shrimp; in fact, shrimp is the mainstay for most inshore species diet, especially through the cold months.
We are getting to that time for targeting sheepsheads as big pre-spawn fish move inshore and nearshore as water temperatures drop. Unlike the northern species with the same name, our saltwater sheepshead are excellent on the table. Look for fish, with many scaling over 5 pounds hanging around structure, including dock and bridge pilings, rock jetties along the beach, and on oyster bars. If you don’t mind fishing in the cold, then this is your fish, the colder the better for sheepsheads.
Pompano are similar to sheepsheads in the fact that they will not eat any type of baitfish, but feed primarily on small crustaceans including shrimp, crabs, sand fleas, etc. Quarter- or eighth-ounce nylon jigs tipped with a small piece of shrimp can be deadly on pompano when properly bounced across the bottom. Popular colors are white, pink, and yellow. Silly Willy or Crazy style jigs have gained a lot of popularity since introduced and are a good option if you like casting. Live shrimp suspended near the bottom under a bobbing cork is also a great offering. Both sheepsheads and pompano have relatively small mouths, so it is important not to use a large hook; if you are unsure of the size, stop in at your local tackle shop and let them hook you up. I prefer a 1/0 or smaller circle hook.
Sea trout season is open and provides good catching opportunities as we close out the year. Look for fish moving off the shallow grass flats to deeper protected areas as temperatures drop. Deep areas around oyster bars, creeks, canals, channel edges and sand holes are good areas to target. Live shrimp and soft plastic baits mimicking shrimp are top baits.
Snook are catch and release only. Snook will transition to deeper protected waters over the month where they spend the winter. In season or not, snook are always a blast to catch, just make sure and release them quickly.
Redfish season remains open for those interested in a fish dinner. Extreme low tides over the winter months offer good sight fishing opportunities for redfish throughout the inshore grass flats. Smaller reds are numerous in creeks with hard shell or oyster bottoms and hanging around oyster bars. Anglers hunting sheepsheads. will score with redfish plus black drum fishing around structure such as docks, piers, and bridges.
Many anglers look to take advantage of nearshore reefs on good weather days. Many of the snapper that frequented the inshore waters through the warmer months relocated offshore and have grown larger. Bottom fishing with a shrimp/jig combination or shrimp on a knocker rig will get attention from many tasty fish including mangrove and lane snapper, sheepsheads, grunts, and possible hogfish, permit, tripletail, and more. Larger fish including cobia, king mackerel, barracuda, sharks, and others could show up at any time offshore. Bottom fish with light tackle but keep a heavier rod at the ready.
As the holiday season gets near, there is no place like a day on the water to get away from the crowds. There will be good fishing opportunities as we end the year, plus if you enjoy wildlife and nature, this is as good as it gets. Even if the fish aren’t biting, I can’t think of a better place to spend the day than on the water with nature and tranquility, and away from the crowds.
Stay up to date with fishing regulations by visiting Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission at http://www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations with pictures to help identify fish.
Thanks for taking the time to read our column. Everyone have a safe and Happy Holiday season as we look forward to the New Year. For charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service and “Catch the Action” with Capt. Bill Russell, call or text (239) 410-8576, website: http://www.fishpineisland.com, email: [email protected].
Capt. Bill Russell is a native and lifelong resident of Pine Island who has spent his entire life fishing the waters surrounding Pine Island and Southwest Florida. For the past 28 years, Bill has been a professional fishing guide who takes pride in customizing each trip to ensure everyone on board has a great time and will return again. Come join us and “Catch the Action.”
