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Winter Fishing Doesn't Get Much Better

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By FRED EVERSON

Published: January 7, 2009

With water temperatures in the low 70s and the air temperature a few degrees higher, winter fishing just can't get much better than this.

I'm still finding snook on the flats and they are hitting like it is mid-May. The reports I'm getting from guides on the Little Manatee River are even better.

The snook bite here has been on fire between the railroad trestle and Devil's Elbow, and there is still some white bait on the Southshore flats.

I am also finding cobia in shallow water well away from the power plant. On Monday we saw four cobia south of Symphony Isles in Apollo Beach, and hooked and landed one fish on a live shrimp rigged on a jig head. It was travelling with a large eagle ray.

That fish was well short of the 33-inch limit, but we saw two others that probably would have measured, but they wouldn't hit. Cobia are easy to spot in the clear shallow waters of winter.

I was disappointed not to see any redfish on this flat. A week ago it was loaded with big bull reds. I don't know where they went, but they are gone.

I made a trip across the bay to Pinellas Point to look for trout early in the week but didn't have any luck. The weak tide was at a near standstill on the half moon, and trout feed better when there's plenty of flow.

Bahia Beach Reef was drawing a crowd this week with warm weather and light winds. The targets here are grouper and sheepshead. Sheepshead spawn on the reefs in the winter months and will hit a live shrimp.

It looks like the wind is going to blow for the next few days, and the temperature will drop a bit, but lows will stay in the 50s. The forecast for the weekend is fishing friendly with light winds and sunshine for Saturday and Sunday.

For charter information, visit Fred Everson's Web site at Tampabayfishingguide.com, or call (813) 830-8890.

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