Year-round trout fishing a new reality

It's the day that many recreational anglers thought would never come.

As of today, the closed season on spotted sea trout in the southern part of Florida is at an end, and it will not close again in the foreseeable future.

Thanks to a steady increase in trout numbers statewide, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission moved late last year to put on end to seasonal closures on the species. And in the northeast section of the state, where the limit was already five fish, the daily take will increase to six as of Feb. 1. It remains at four fish in the southern sections, five in the northwest. The size limit is 15-20 inches, with one over 20 inches allowed daily.

The increases are due in large part to the tight harvest regulations of the last decade, and certainly to the ban on gill nets put in place in 1995. In the past, when netters finished up with the winter mullet run, they began striking the potholes where trout swarm in cold weather. With that pressure gone, numbers have increased steadily – despite even a devastating red tide in 2005-06 that knocked back numbers in Tampa Bay and elsewhere along the west coast.

And while there may still be some concern about over-harvest by recreational anglers in a few areas, such as the spoil islands between Clearwater and Anclote Key, which are pounded daily by dozens of guides throughout the winter, the overall trend of trout numbers and size is clearly upward, and the FFWCC did what most anglers hoped for by getting rid of the closures.

So, where can you go to capture a few trout for the table on this New Year's Day?

Just about anywhere, thanks to the increase in populations and improving water quality in Tampa Bay.

The deep grass flats stretching from Manbirtee Key at Port Manatee all the way to the Bulkhead off Anna Maria are good winter areas for those tossing a 3/8-ounce jig tipped with a bit of shrimp, and you're likely to catch a pompano or three as well as a few flounder with the same tactic.

The same is true on the deep grass north of Anclote, stretching all the way to Crystal River; as long as water temperatures don't get below the mid-60s, an assortment of trout, sea bass and mangrove snapper will make drifting these areas well worthwhile.

As things continue to chill down – and they're forecast to do so starting Tuesday – more and more fish will pile into potholes in the shallowest flats, as well as moving into residential canals like those at Culbreath Isles, Clearwater Beach and Apollo Beach. Coastal rivers also draw plenty of fish. The Crystal, Homosassa, Anclote and Pithlachascotee are all good, as are the Alafia, Little Manatee and Manatee feeding into Tampa Bay. South at Charlotte Harbor, the fish move up the Peace and Myakka Rivers – more snook and fewer trout here, but still plenty of both.

In the residential canals, trout often gather under deep-water docks, and will join snook in hanging under the lights in many areas along the ICW all the way from Clearwater to Fort Myers Beach. A live shrimp, unweighted, is the best medicine for either species, but the DOA shrimp runs a close second – fish it just like the real thing, allowing it to drift down with barely a twitch.

In the rivers, deep holes that often form at river bends and in high-current areas draw not only trout but also winter reds and mangrove snapper. Again, live shrimp is hard to beat, but quarter-ounce jigs and swimbaits are also effective. The 52-M MirrOlure, fished dead slow, is a good offering for the largest trout on freezing mornings.

Potholes on the flats seem an unlikely location for winter fish, but they often stack into them. Some of the holes are surrounded by water only inches deep, and the holes themselves may be only 3 to 6 feet deep. Some anglers theorize they move into these spots to avoid the bottle-nosed dolphins, which can easily run down the cold-slowed fish during winter. In any case, it's not uncommon to find dozens of big trout packed into an area hardly larger than the average residential garage from now through February.

Some good ones are found around Fort DeSoto, particularly at Tarpon Key and Indian Key. Pine Island Sound is also loaded with this type of habitat, and there are some good spots in the back of both Bull and Turtle bays at Charlotte Harbor. Study a Google aerial of the flats where you want to fish and you'll be able to pick out lots of potentially good locations.