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Weather Changes Influence Fish

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 16, 2008

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Ray Markham.

A midweek cold front temporarily slapped the fish into a cold stupor. A look at my water temperature gauge revealed a 10-degree drop in south Tampa and Terra Ceia bays overnight, halting the snook action. Coupled with plummeting barometric pressure during a 12-hour period, the snook bite hit the skids and other fishing slowed.

Such is winter fishing, but the current warming trend should have fish chewing again during the warm-up for this weekend.

Snook, being the most sensitive to cold, stopped eating. Hearty redfish, trout and ladyfish continued, but with much slower presentations getting the response. Love's Swimming Minnows, CAL Jigs with shad tails and DOA Shrimp worked well with slow retrieves.

The reds we got to eat were small, and many were just under the minimum slot size. We saw schools of about a dozen per school that lay motionless over dark, muddy bottoms. They seemed to be waiting for some warmth to shake off the lethargy. However, tossing a gold Eppinger Dardevile spoon brought about the desired strike. Trout were ranging from 12 to 18 inches.

One of my clients even caught a blacktip shark and several hardhead catfish while dredging the bottom with a Gulp Shrimp.

Ray Markham co-hosts "Florida Sportsman Magazine Radio Live," Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. on WWBA, 1040 AM, and can be reached for charter at (941) 723-2655.

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