Keep your bait options open to hook up this winter

Although a lot of fishers are using shrimp as bait due to cold water temps, keep your options open.

On cold, windy days, shrimp are the perfect bait but we also get warm sunny days in Florida in the wintertime. If we happen to have consecutive warm days, water temps will climb back up. When this occurs, you may want to try using shiners for bait again, if they are available. When water temps are right, snook, redfish and trout will find the motivation to once again chase down a shiner and eat it. During these warmer water temps you may even find that the fish you’re targeting may prefer shiners over shrimp.