Merry Christmas and happy fishing
Those of you who are out fishing rather than getting your last minute Christmas shopping done, know trying to get a bite this time of year can be challenging.
Don’t be discouraged though, for this can be some of the best fishing you’ll ever come across, if you know what to look for. That is the beauty of fishing in our area — there is always something to target.
Typically, this time of year I lay off the flats fishing.
The water temps are generally too cold to try to get the snook to bite and most of the redfish have migrated to canals and under docks to seek refuge for the winter. Trout fishing can be productive, although, again, you have to have water temps in at least the mid to upper sixties to really do some damage.
By now, I’m using shrimp as live bait offerings to catch fish. Actually, a lot of the targeted species this time of year prefer shrimp anyway. Sheepshead, black drum and pompano will rarely turn down a tasty shrimp. I’ve also been acquainted with many a redfish who decided to eat my shrimp offering. Other species that react will to shrimp in December include mangrove snapper, grunts, flounder and just about any other inshore species you may encounter.
Try fishing with the season.
Pompano, sheepshead, black drum, tripletail and bluefish are a few species that come to mind when fishing in December. And, if you’ve even been surrounded by a school of pompano, you know how good winter fishing can really be.
Finally, back to the topic of fishing rather than Christmas shopping. You only have a few days left until the deadline and when in a pinch like this, it’s always good to remember the saying, “He went to Jared.” That usually fixes everything.
Merry Christmas and bent rods.
