Capt. Rick Davidson (grassflats2@yahoo.com), Editor
The extended summer even made it into November this year with temperatures in the 80's early in the month, but with the dropping air and water temps, seasonal fishing improved throughout the month. Trout fishing picked up considerably, with some large gators being taken. This fine pair of trout and the huge black drum was caught by the Reeses, who found them in creeks while fishing out of their airboat. There were redfish beginning their fall schooling behavior which could be found by moving around and fishing inshore structure, especially bars and creek mouths. The offshore breeder reds are being found around offshore bars in 10 to 12 feet of water, where Gina Kerce found this 39 incher. Offshore, kingfish and Spanish mackerel were very active and available and some excellent gag grouper were caught in relatively close waters. The black sea bass bite was so excellent that Chase Norwood even managed to catch this fine pair of filets on a piece of beef jerky. According to his dad, the peppered flavor is more productive than the teriyaki! The last weekend of the month I had the pleasure of taking out Vance Elshire and his dad Martin, with the task of catching Martin his first redfish. We did that and also provided several fine gator trout, including the five pounder in this shot.
December Fishing Forecast
In spite of cold temperatures, serious fishermen love December. Inshore, the big anticipation is the arrival of trout in the river. During the last week of November, some fine trout were caught in the river, so it's only a matter of time before schools move into the river and the channel will be full of anglers. Fishing the Steinhatchee River during a winter trout run is great fun, once you get used to the fact that the river will be jammed with boats. Courtesy is important, and spend some time anchoring appropriately so that you are not in the channel. This can be a challenge, because most of the fish are found in the channel and deeper water around it. Additionally, the best fishing is frequently near the mouth of the river between markers 19 and 26. As the temperature gets colder, into the 30's, the fish may move further upriver. One way to locate fish is to slow-troll the classic 52M Mirrolures in the channel. When you find one, pull to the side of the channel and anchor carefully. I've always found river fishing to be most productive either casting sinking plugs such as the Mirrolure or Sebile lures (which have developed a fantastic reputation for cold-water fishing), free-lining live shrimp with some split-shot to keep them near the bottom, or ¼ oz. jigheads with Gulp tails or DOA shrimp in the ¼ or ½ oz. size. Attach them with light fluorocarbon leader. Throw your lure or bait upcurrent into the channel and allow it to sink as deeply as possible, working the plugs with nothing more than the occasional twitch. Remember that much of the area that holds the most trout is also the rocky part of the river, so be prepared to lose rigs on the bottom. Trout in the river are frequently variable in size; I've caught some 26 inchers right next to short fish, but remember that regulations are enforced year-round, and you may very well be checked for short fish. Because of shrinkage, it's wise to only keep fish that are nearly 16 inches in length, just to give yourself some leeway; short trout can make for a very expensive meal. Fishing with shrimp, you may also find some nice croakers, black drum and redfish in the river rocky areas. Offshore, the late season may keep the kingfish around longer than usual as they are very active in late November. The gag grouper bite will continue to be excellent. Trolling lipped plugs is a great way to locate fish but in the wintertime, large gags may not chase plugs and you may find live pinfish or dead bait such as squid or threadfins to be more productive. When bottom fishing for grouper, make sure you put out a live bait of some kind with a stinger rig (if you're not sure what this is, you can buy them pre-made at the Ship's Store) because this will often provide you with some fine kingfish. Nearshore, Spanish mackerel will stay much longer than the kingfish and some will be available all winter. Troll slowly with spoons or jigs to locate mackerel in 10 to 15 feet of water. As of the last days of November, we have reports of some sheepshead taken on the Steinhatchee Reef; while the major spawn may take place anytime between now and March, this is a great sign of early access to these fine eating fish that are one of the mainstays of winter fishing in the Big Bend. Keep in touch with the Sea Hag Marina for the most up-to-date information. The Ship's Store has recently begun carrying some excellent high quality offshore rods and reels with prices lower than many online retailers, so check them out. Included are a number of Daiwa reels, including the Saltiga, Saltist, and Sealine combos; Shimano Trevala jigging rods and Charter Special reels, Star Rods, Penn 113H and 114H reels, and offshore spinning combos, as well as less expensive Shakespeare combos. We have Power Pro and other lines and will put it on your reel for you. As always, you can find live and dead bait, chum, terminal tackle and a huge selection of plugs, spoons and Gulp plastics at our store.
And from our inshore and offshore guides:
Capt. Brian Smith www.bigbendcharters.com
It has been go-with- the- flow- fishing for me. Last week's trips I kept close to the hill; distance offshore does not always make for better fishing. We enjoyed 'fast as you can cast' fishing for sand trout, a Spanish mackerel invasion, excellent king mackerel action, a good gag grouper bite, fumbled with some flounder, found some 'hump-head' sea bass and had strong Florida snapper jams. The fish box brought in what I call the 'Steinhatchee Collection'--everything except cobia, which are wintering down south. It is a great time to sample fish, and a time to be thankful.
Capt. Tommy Thompson
(352) 284-1763
www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy
As predicted, November was a pretty good month for inshore anglers. Redfish were found all over the flats, especially on the lowest tides in less than 2-feet of water. Trout were plentiful, but the bigger ones didn't really show up until mid-month. They're still not schooling, but it won't be long. These big fish make excellent sportfishing on light or fly tackle, but involve some stealth to get close. I've been checking out the bottom of the river since Thanksgiving and have noticed what I think are some trout on the fish finder. Those of you heading over should be sure to call the marina and get the latest report. Deep river trout can be fun for the entire family!
My award-winning fishing guide book, The Saltwater Angler's Guide To Florida's Big Bend and Emerald Coast, might be a help to you if you spend lots of time at Steinhatchee (or anywhere from Chassahowitzka to Pensacola). It's got LOTS of secrets, tips and tricks, so don't forget to pick up a copy at the Sea Hag Ship's Store the next time you're at the marina. You can learn more about the book at www.saltwateranglersguide.com
If you're interested in a 'catch-and-release hunting for big fish' trip, please give me a call or check out my Web site, www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy . And if you're interested in some more in-depth information about fishing Florida's Big Bend, take a look at my weekly Fishing4Cast on the Florida Sportsman Magazine Web site at http://www.floridasportsman.com/4cast/bb or at the Florida Sportsman Big Bend Action Spotter column in each month's issue.
Captain Steve Hart, www.legallimitscharters.com (352) 498-0299
