1/11/07

The warm winter has been great on trout and given the reds something to be active about. Fortunately there has been enough cool weather at select times to get these reds to be schooled up though they have been a little spookier than most winters. We poled up to a spot the other day where some redfish were occasionally moving around but mostly just sitting on a point at low tide. As we got a little closer the water was clear enough to see the actual redfish that were holding there, with the wind in our face I let the boat back off just a bit and we cast in there. Instantly getting a hit, though out of the nine fish caught from there only one was a red and the rest were 18 to twenty inch trout. I have found that to be the case in quite a few places this winter where either we could see reds and would catch the more aggressive trout or we would be catching reds and the trout would soon take over. In all of these cases the trout were much larger on average than ones that came from extremely large schools of trout where the 14-15 inch fish are so prolific.
The way things are going right now weather can very much dictate what fish will be most fruitful. If you are fishing on warm days where it has been unseasonably warm for a stretch then you should expect to find plenty of trout and slightly more spooky redfish. These redfish are still schooled up like winter redfish usually are but are a little more active so now you have 20 to 100 times the amount of fish scales aware of vibrations in the area. If it gets really cold for a few days and then you get a rising temperature that brings the water just a few degrees higher you will have really happy schooled up redfish that are more willing to eat. Do remember that you being able to see the fish in this clearer water will make it easier for them to see you as well.
The winter is often the best time to sight cast to these reds, so don't just sit at home waiting on a different season. Get out and see these fish pushing around in large schools during lower tides. Let us know when you want to go fish. Until next tide, Capt. Tuck Scott
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Capt. Tuck Scott

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