Greetings from Captain Buddy,
We certainly experienced our share of colder-than-usual weather fronts moving in between December and January this season. When this happens and we see water temps dip below 68 degrees, our warm water loving fish become less active and less visible, seeking pockets of deeper water and remote sunlit bays for added warmth as they attempt to adjust until the cold passes, which usually occurs within a couple of days.
Just a few short weeks ago, I decided to head out on a weekend camping trip in the Everglades mangroves, at a time when temps were dropping into the 50’s at night. I navigated my narrower Jon boat deep into some remote backcountry estuaries and marshland to see what I could spot in spite of the low temps. Lo and behold! I ran into several large Snook, well into the 20 lb range, shimmering to and fro in the shallow back bays. Absolutely made my day and the trip worthwhile. Just seeing these large healthy specimens close at hand, all the sudden coming out of nowhere literally took my breath away!
On warmer days, baby Tarpon sightings have been plentiful, this in spite of disruptions caused by Ian coming in and shaking things up only a few months earlier. Anyone who has fished with me understands what I’m talking about…and the sense of awe and adventure that strikes at the heart when running into these splendid creatures, nature’s works of art, otherwise called the Silver Kings.
With January behind us now, and as we head into mid-February, we will begin to see water temps inch up again, drawing more numbers and varieties out, all for our casting pleasure. We are heading into a week of mid-80’s once again, with an occasional cool day between now and March, so plenty of good-weather fishing to be had throughout the spring.
Come on down and enjoy.
Signing off for now,
Captain Buddy
