Now that all the holidays are behind us and most of us are getting back to our normal routines with regular work weeks ahead and most people in other areas of the country are shoveling snow and stuck indoors, the sunshine state offers some great fishing this month. Trout takes center stage as the big Gator Trout invade the Grass flats. You will also find a variety of fish on the reefs from Sheepshead to Grunts; it’s a good time to fish in the bay.
Trout fishing is great this time of year, as the Gator Trout invade the flats. You can expect to find some awesome Trout fishing on the South Shore of Tampa Bay. Finding the big girls is not all that hard, just find the healthy turtle grass with good tidal ow or deeper areas with oyster bot- tom and the big Trout will not be far away. As for tackle I love throwing artificial baits, this time of year. One of my favorite Trout baits has to be the Zman Pearl white Minnowz rigged with a 1/8 ounce Jig head. This bait is relatively easy to use and will produce a ton of fish.
Sheepshead is another great option that is commonly over looked by most anglers. They are one of the best fighting fish around and during the months of January and February they show up around the artificial reefs to spawn. Sheepshead are somewhat different in both their appearance and what they eat.
They like to eat barnacles from pilings which are a little hard to find as bait. I like to use small shrimp with a Daiichii #1 circle hook. Add an adequate amount of weight to get your baits to the bottom. Sheepshead have a VERY soft bite so you will go through a bunch of bait until you find the perfect hook set. Trust me, it will take a little practice. Areas to target for sheepshead include any type of structure or reef. Artificial reefs are great starting points and the GPS numbers are available on the Internet. These same areas are typically shed hard by others, so you probably won’t find the big fish here.
Finding your own secret ledge that holds fish will be the key to catching BIG Sheepshead. Best of all, unless you give someone the numbers it’s all yours to sh by yourself. Once you have figured out how to fish for Sheepshead, you will soon be hooked on catching these Zebra looking, great tasting fish.
Red fish are also plentiful this time of year. I typically have great success around the residential docks, creeks and deeper oyster bars, this time of year. Shrimp is my favorite bait, when targeting Reds in the winter. Using a Free lined bait or possibly adding a split shot for weight is the best technique for Red fish. Keep in mind that Red sh love crustaceans and pick up on the scent, so soaking live or dead shrimp on the bottom will work great. This is also very effective when water temperatures are low on the colder days. You will catch a lot of smaller fish this time of the year, but with a little patience, you will find the bigger ones move through, as well. Tight Lines!
Captain Jason Prieto is a native resident ofTampa and owner of Steady Action Fishing Charters. Visit www.steadyaction shingcharters.com. Catch him on the radio by tuning into Tampa Fishing Outfitters Radio Show on Sunday Mornings from 8 to 9 AM 1040 Sports Talk the Team.
