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Take It Slow For Wary Fish

By RAY MARKHAM

Published: December 9, 2008

Good days and bad days of weather make for inconsistent fishing. Water temps in the shallows fluctuate rapidly, making for a finicky bite.

I've been finding feeding fish in areas with dark bottoms adjacent to deep channels with good water flow. Areas north of the Skyway Bridge have been very productive. Numerous holes that are much deeper than surrounding areas and are holding reds and trout on the negative low tides. The closed season for trout requires special care when releasing these fish.

Redfish have been extremely wary, as most have been holding in water with less than two foot depths. The water is gin clear, making it a necessity for very long casts and fluorocarbon leaders to add more stealth to the presentation. These casts need to be in excess of 30 yards, and 50 yards is even better.

For the ultra picky fish, the quarter ounce DOA glow shrimp is my bait of choice. I'm casting chartreuse quarter ounce CAL Jigs with night glow shad tails beyond and off to the side of fish. My jig may land as much as twenty feet away from the fish and I'll work it slowly up to a fish that is nose down in the mud or grass feeding, waiting for the fish to pop up before I move it within the strike zone.

It appears that the strike zone for these fish is about 6-feet right now, so I try to run the bait by the fish within that distance to get it seen. Moving it slowly will ensure that the fish is not spooked. Once they spot the lure, they pounce on it without hesitation resulting in an instant hook up.

Ray Markham co-hosts "Florida Sportsman Magazine Radio Live," Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. on 820 AM, and can be reached for charter at (941) 723-2655.

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Take It Slow For Wary Fish