As we near the end of January the cold weather has finally arrived in Florida. With a low this week in the 30’s much of the inshore water temperatures will fall sharply. A gradual warm up through the week will have the inshore and offshore species chewing good. On the inshore side of things the Redfish and Trout bite has been the go to for consistent action. The Sheephead and black drum fishing has been better than normal as these fish tend to be more active with colder water. The deep sea fishing has been on fire with quality catches of big Mangrove Snapper and Hogfish among others. The Red grouper bite has been slow, due mainly from the lower temperatures, expect that to change by the end of this week. The best part of fishing in Clearwater during this time is that there is always something fun to target and with air temperatures in the upper 60’s to mid 70’s makes for a great day.
The techniques used for inshore fishing right now vary between species but expect shrimp to be the go to bait for sheephead and black drum while cut bait will usually get the Redfish going. Fishing around local bridges and docks will produce good catches during this time. The deep sea fishing is focused on the reefs and rocky areas offshore with a mix of live and dead bait. The Hogfish and Mangrove Snapper tend to love the colder water, along with Gag Grouper which are currently closed for harvest but a great fight none the less. As we transition into spring around mid March this pattern will change and we will adjust or techniques on both boats to make sure our charters are successful in catching and making memories on the water!
Grouper and Hogfish for dinner!
Redfish action in Clearwater
