Florida Fishing Report: Florida Fishing Charters

It does not take long for things to change in Florida. Weeks of Artic air can be quickly repressed by warm sub-tropical air as a stubble reminder of what we often take too much for granted in living here. For near two weeks now, daytime highs have reached the near 80-degree mark. The water has warmed and exceeded the average temperature of late winter. Baitfish sprinkled on the edges of the flats and along the beaches. Gator trout in both some impressive numbers and sizes were first to show, followed by small pods of tailing redfish. It seemed that spring was now upon us. While we needed that to get the temperatures to a fishable medium, it too was coming on way too fast. Just in time-- a front will pass the state on Saturday and act as a buffer to keep March from happening in late January. It’s all good.

It was a slow recovery from the extreme cold. This past week with bright skies, warm winds, and a full moon----things really heated up. 70 and 80 trout days became average on mid morning flood tides. The only problem that we had been culling the catch to harvest some keepers---they were mostly all oversized. Whadda gonna do? Jigs, jerk baits, shrimp, pinfish, and members of the herring family all produced fish. On the first turn of the flood tide, redfish could be found pushing up on the flats wagging their tails while rooting up the bottom. Tailing reds offer a unique challenge to even the most experienced flats angler.

Bite Tracker models Tracy and Heather were out on a video shoot aboard the Bounty Hunter this week and show off a small part of their efforts.

More fish were spotted than caught, but after the past few weeks of frigid temps----that was good enough for me. Best result came an hour after the tide ebbed and we staked out on the points waiting for them to drop out. This ambush technique has always been the best method in achieving success with reds that are just too spooky for my anglers on ultra low water. A half dozen was a good day, but accompanied with the hot trout bite, blue skies, some heat and great company, it was some of the best winter fishing we have experienced in several months.

The days now are becoming noticeably longer, but the ratio of light to dark has not been significant enough to push the snook out of the security of their winter spas. That too is fine with me as each year all I ask is for normalcy in movement patterns. Perhaps this year we will be right on track. Trust in today’s modern angling world---they appreciate the break.

While the front will act to keep things in check and offer perhaps a short term slow down in this week’s action, it will take things just a few days to recover and return to more typical conditions.

Screaming Drags and Tired Arms!

Robert McCue